I think I'm at one of those cross sections thingies in life.
I just graduated. (yayay Liz :D)
And I'm getting ready for Grad School but I have a little bit of time and a few options. There are a lot actually - there are so many "what ifs" it makes my head hurt so I think I need to write all this out and down to get some clarity. Advice welcome...
Objective
A teaching position in an English Program at the College or University level.
Needed items
A graduate degree, knowing someone in the program, and teaching experience
Grad School Game Plan
-If I get accepted to a PhD program at the U and am offered that Fellowship I will start teaching and taking classes there in August.
-If I don't get accepted at the U I'll go on with the Master's program at Cal Poly also starting in August and start working my way around the local Junior Colleges looking for entry points into their English Programs.
Option 1)
With my youngest brother reporting to the MTC and my older brother getting ready to move closer to his job I could move home to save money and keep a better eye on my rapidly aging parents, continue in my current employment which has healthy benefits, is close to home, would be a great position if I go to Grad School at Cal Poly, but consists being inside a grey life sucking cubicle in a morguely silent office, in front of a computer screen with - uh - "characters" for superiors.
Pros- Option 1:
- Save scads of $ and pay off car thereby entering Grad School completely debt free
- only drive 7 minutes to work thereby feeling properly green and less exhausted.
- If volunteering time at a JC is necessary I would be financially OK going part time to free up my schedule
- downsizing of stuff with the move home would facilitate a possible jump to SLC
Cons - Option 1:
- Packing up my entire existing apartment into storage/Goodwill/or Craig's list
- Figuring out how to live with my mother again
- Moving back out once Grad School starts (either here or there) and loosing the sweet deal I have on my place right now (that I love love love)
Option 2
Don't move home, keep working at the same job and wait to hear from the U.
Pros - Option 2:
- Keeping my own apartment, space, time, and privacy a healthy distance from my amazing and devoted family
Cons - Option 2:
- loosing the opportunity to get financially ahead
- continue to drive almost 45 mile a day commuting
Option 3
Take a job cleaning celebrity Hawaiian Villas on Maui for $35/hour till August and then come home when Grad School starts.
Pros - Option 3:
- Living in Hawaii
- Getting a chance to recharge my batteries from my Bachelors before I start Grad School
- Learning to surf
- Fulfilling my lifelong dream of seeing tropical water
- Getting to write on the beach on my days off
- Having a job that is active and plays to some of my greatest joys in live (IE: cleaning)
- Being paid nearly twice what I'm making now and having cost of living be the same as it is here.
Cons - Option 3:
- Having to pack up my existing apt in to storage/Goodwill/Craig's List
- ........
So whats the call? I'm so very tired...
5 comments:
Dude, Hawaii? Any time you have an opportunity to go to Hawaii, the answer is always "YES!!!"
...Okay, so maybe the rest of the world doesn't think about traveling like I do--but it still looks like the option with the most pro's and least con's.
(Although, you forgot to mention leaving all your friends...that's a pretty big con, in fact, i think it's actually a CON...because while we will support you in everything, we will miss you terribly...It's a good think you have a blog so we can still get our liz-dose!)
You're right Heather - leaving my marvy group would be heartbreaking but I think I didn't include it cause I don't feel like I'd be loosing any of you - just relocing for a bit. I mean between text messages, blogs, and email you'll hardly know I'm gone.;)
Well, I'm probably not the right person to ask.
Why? Because unlike every other person on the planet, I don't like tropical landscapes. So, Hawaii has never appealed to me. (I know, I'm weird. Please still like me.)
Also, I'm far too practical, and debt scares me (and also, would you lose your insurance?) so I would probably go with option 1, or at the very least, option 2.
Having said all that. You're young, and time for adventure will soon leave you. So, if you pray about it and feel okay, then go to Hawaii!
Liz, you don't like tropical locations? How is that possible? Have you ever been or the idea just doesn't appeal? I must know. Is it just that there are so many more historically interesting places to visit that tropical never makes the list?
I guess that if I have to be honest, I probably wouldnt relocate without having a good savings account, and a set plan--I'm fairly paranoid and OCD...but I'm all for encouraging others to have an adventure!
I'm the clasic case of do what I say, not what I do..because, really, look at my life: Does it look like I'm a risk taker? I didn't think so. But I am learning to adopt Nike's motto "Just Do It." If you want to, If it feels right, If you can make it work, do it.
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