When I first started this blog, I chose the name “Moving Out” because it was at my breaking free point in my life. I was graduating from college and looking forward to being completely on my own, with all the fun tax breaks that provides. I was about to move into the first apartment that would be paid for and lived in by myself alone. “Moving Out” seemed to encapsulate all of that.
I somewhat regret that my writing here has been undefined by a particular topic or genre. I have wondered if readership wouldn’t dramatically increase with a more focused range of topics. I blog for a local nonprofit as well and topic-driven content has worked well. I just couldn’t give up the freedom to write about all my crazy ideas in one place.
I’m applying to graduate school these days and I’m somewhat pleased that I am still “Moving Out.” I have enjoyed working for a year and will have two years of “real” experience to my credit if and when I enter graduate school. Maybe then I can blog on my chosen field (journalism/ethnomusicology – yes, you can do both). I took a forced break from studying music after graduation and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I met a lot of practical people who explained to me all the reasons academia can be impractical and overly-exclusive. I thought long and hard about not returning to school. I blogged about a lot of trivial things and maybe a few important ones.
I can’t say I’m overwhelmingly proud of my blog here. It seems kind of random and kind of boring at times. I enjoy writing, however, so I can’t say it wasn’t worth it. I just regret that I didn’t make it more focused and witty. A blog full of smart-sounding, intellectual articles would be a nice addition to my grad school applications, as shallow as that seems.
In any case, I’m still here in Ohio, somehow still constantly moving despite having graduated over a year ago. In the last five years, I’ve lived in two dorms and four apartments in the U.S., Mexico, and Spain. I was even denied for a credit card because I had so many different addresses on my credit report. (Being under 21 didn’t help either.)
I’m feeling apprehensive about this next move, mainly for financial reasons. The sheer cost of applying to graduate school is enough to deter many low-income people, I would think. Enough coworkers and businesspeople have expressed disdain about graduate degrees to make me think twice. Yet, here I am, editing my resume and thinking about references. I have a glimmering hope of a great financial aid/scholarship/assistantship offer and great excitement about a new level of study. As always, we’ll see.
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