...and even if they're just contingent decisions, it still feels good.
Here's the deal: If I haven't heard from Peace Corps by the middle of December, I am taking off.
Not in December-- in the middle of February/beginning of March. I should have about $5000 saved up by then. I'll get a free plane ticket to Israel and spend 10 days with my room and board paid for. And then... then I go where the world takes me.
I'll have a few possibilities lined up. Probably I'll arrange an English teaching job maybe 6 months in the future, probably in Asia, and travel overland in 6 months to wherever I have the job. I'll probably sign up for the WWOOF network and work on an organic farm in exchange for room and board. I'll carry a copy of my college diploma so that I can get slightly better jobs, even if I probably can't get a visa while I'm in country.
Now, this doesn't actually mean that I'll definitely be leaving the country in February/March. If the Peace Corps sends me an invite for April or May, then I'll stick around until my departure date and do Peace Corps as planned. So I can't tell anyone with complete confidence just when I'll be leaving. I won't be able to tell you until (a) Peace Corps sends me an invitation (or a denial of medical clearance), or (b) the deadline for a refund of my Birthright deposit passes so I'll be going on that trip.
So as I said: a contingent decision. But a decision nonetheless. I am ready to get out of here, and live the life I've wanted for so long.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Between McCain's attacks about funding a $3 million scientific project on grizzly bears, and now attacks about funding a $3 million planetarium projector (or, as McCain would say, "overhead projector"), he's coming off as extremely anti-science and research.
I mean, for one thing, in political and academic terms, $3 million grants? Are nothing. We're giving a $700 billion bailout to banks and corporations, and he's quibbling over $3 million on research and education?
Really?
I admit. I'm biased, both in the fact that I already support Obama, and that academia and research are more important to me than to the average voter. But here's the thing: I was open to a McCain presidency. Ask my friends who knew me a few years ago, before Obama really came out as a prime candidate, around 2004 or 2005. I (though I shudder to think of it now) thought McCain was not a bad choice.
Don't get me wrong. I am thrilled that during the first presidential election in which I am allowed to vote, I am able to vote for a candidate, rather than merely against one. But it would have been nice to be only voting for a candidate, and not revile the opponent. A tall order? Perhaps. But even with with his changes to policy and beliefs to suit his campaign, it could have been in order until he chose Palin as his VP and came across, to me, as extremely anti-science and anti-education. Those things make me shudder to think of him in the White House. He sounds like he'd like to cut every piece of government grant funding that isn't directly related to something "useful" (like military or, so he claims, and I would be much happier if I believed, alternative energy*). Shudder. Shudder.
*Not that funding the latter would be bad in the slightest, in fact, emphatically to the contrary. The problem is that I don't believe him, and, further, that it is not the only thing that should be funded.
I mean, for one thing, in political and academic terms, $3 million grants? Are nothing. We're giving a $700 billion bailout to banks and corporations, and he's quibbling over $3 million on research and education?
Really?
I admit. I'm biased, both in the fact that I already support Obama, and that academia and research are more important to me than to the average voter. But here's the thing: I was open to a McCain presidency. Ask my friends who knew me a few years ago, before Obama really came out as a prime candidate, around 2004 or 2005. I (though I shudder to think of it now) thought McCain was not a bad choice.
Don't get me wrong. I am thrilled that during the first presidential election in which I am allowed to vote, I am able to vote for a candidate, rather than merely against one. But it would have been nice to be only voting for a candidate, and not revile the opponent. A tall order? Perhaps. But even with with his changes to policy and beliefs to suit his campaign, it could have been in order until he chose Palin as his VP and came across, to me, as extremely anti-science and anti-education. Those things make me shudder to think of him in the White House. He sounds like he'd like to cut every piece of government grant funding that isn't directly related to something "useful" (like military or, so he claims, and I would be much happier if I believed, alternative energy*). Shudder. Shudder.
*Not that funding the latter would be bad in the slightest, in fact, emphatically to the contrary. The problem is that I don't believe him, and, further, that it is not the only thing that should be funded.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Observation
If you asked a variety of people on the street which one company of the S&P's 500 Stock Index went up Monday, I think a good third of them would be able to answer correctly.
And 99.99% of them would have learned it from the Colbert Report.
Anyone agree? Disagree?
And 99.99% of them would have learned it from the Colbert Report.
Anyone agree? Disagree?
Monday, September 29, 2008
The good news: I have moved out of my parents' house.
The bad news: For some reason, I feel nauseated by the mere thought of food and haven't had more than a bite or two to eat for several days. I don't seem to have any other symptoms of illness, though the lack of food is causing symptoms of its own.
The bad news: For some reason, I feel nauseated by the mere thought of food and haven't had more than a bite or two to eat for several days. I don't seem to have any other symptoms of illness, though the lack of food is causing symptoms of its own.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
The "Real World"
A suggestion to all of my friends currently in their 4th year at UChicago (or anyone who is coming to an end of their college career):
Go straight to grad school.
Stay in academia. The "real world" is a pretty shitty place, filled with bizarre social restrictions and general unpleasantness and unfriendliness. I wish so much that I had just gone directly to grad school... I was just so hoping that Peace Corps would pan out. I still am, really. But if it looks like Peace Corps isn't going to happen... straight back to university for me. And if Peace Corps does happen, afterwards, I'm going back to university.
I'm not cut out for anything else; academia is the only place where someone like me can succeed: smart, but not a natural leader, not someone who naturally puts herself forward. You need to be aggressive and a leader to make it in the real world; all you need in academia is intelligence and some discipline.
Almost as important are the social differences of the "real world" versus university. As I said earlier, there are so many bizarre social restrictions and "rules" about how you can interact with people in the real world that I don't see how anybody can make close friends there-- and indeed it seems that generally, they don't. On the other hand, when you're in a university setting, all of those codes of conduct are relaxed, and you can just do what you want without people pigeonholing you into one specific mode of behavior. Your action is seen for what it is, not for what it's expected to be. I hadn't really appreciated the degree to which people in university are socially free in a way that the rest of the population just... aren't. (Excepting, of course, one or two specific populations that unfortunately do not have enough of a presence in Philadelphia to solve my problem. You know who you are.)
And so, after my 3 months in the real world, I can say with confidence: I am going to spend my life in that ivory tower. It's where I belong.
Go straight to grad school.
Stay in academia. The "real world" is a pretty shitty place, filled with bizarre social restrictions and general unpleasantness and unfriendliness. I wish so much that I had just gone directly to grad school... I was just so hoping that Peace Corps would pan out. I still am, really. But if it looks like Peace Corps isn't going to happen... straight back to university for me. And if Peace Corps does happen, afterwards, I'm going back to university.
I'm not cut out for anything else; academia is the only place where someone like me can succeed: smart, but not a natural leader, not someone who naturally puts herself forward. You need to be aggressive and a leader to make it in the real world; all you need in academia is intelligence and some discipline.
Almost as important are the social differences of the "real world" versus university. As I said earlier, there are so many bizarre social restrictions and "rules" about how you can interact with people in the real world that I don't see how anybody can make close friends there-- and indeed it seems that generally, they don't. On the other hand, when you're in a university setting, all of those codes of conduct are relaxed, and you can just do what you want without people pigeonholing you into one specific mode of behavior. Your action is seen for what it is, not for what it's expected to be. I hadn't really appreciated the degree to which people in university are socially free in a way that the rest of the population just... aren't. (Excepting, of course, one or two specific populations that unfortunately do not have enough of a presence in Philadelphia to solve my problem. You know who you are.)
And so, after my 3 months in the real world, I can say with confidence: I am going to spend my life in that ivory tower. It's where I belong.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Note: This post is cross-posted on both my Writer's Blog and my Travel Blog.
So, I just recently started thinking about trying my hand at blogging for real this time-- partly inspired by Kat, partly by Spider, and partly just because the idea had already been percolating in my head for a little while. I created a Writer's Blog about nine months ago, then a Travel Blog about five months ago, but didn't do much with either of them. With the Travel Blog, it's understandable; I haven't gotten to travel much recently (though I'm still considering transferring my travel posts from Livejournal and backdating them. Unfortunately a lot of the stuff from the Thai/Burmese border can't be publicly posted because it could incriminate people, but at least there'd be SOMETHING travel-y). With the Writer's Blog, I just don't know... maybe if other people were reading it I'd find it useful, but I have to write first, then people will read... shocking, I know.
So mostly what I'm wondering about (and it's not like people will be reading this and answering, because neither of these blogs has been used enough to have readers) is this: How should I work this blogging thing?
I could:
A) Merge the Writer's and Travel Blogs together, and just make it one general blog, meant to relate to all parts of my life and my observations of the world around me.
B) Keep one of the two blogs as it is, and then take the other and make it more of a “general blog.”
C) Create a third blog to have my general rants and observations about the world and the universe, separate from my other two blogs, and try to keep up with all three (or whichever seem the most relevant to my life and interesting to me at the time).
I'm really not sure which one of these to do... I suppose I shall have to continue thinking.
So, I just recently started thinking about trying my hand at blogging for real this time-- partly inspired by Kat, partly by Spider, and partly just because the idea had already been percolating in my head for a little while. I created a Writer's Blog about nine months ago, then a Travel Blog about five months ago, but didn't do much with either of them. With the Travel Blog, it's understandable; I haven't gotten to travel much recently (though I'm still considering transferring my travel posts from Livejournal and backdating them. Unfortunately a lot of the stuff from the Thai/Burmese border can't be publicly posted because it could incriminate people, but at least there'd be SOMETHING travel-y). With the Writer's Blog, I just don't know... maybe if other people were reading it I'd find it useful, but I have to write first, then people will read... shocking, I know.
So mostly what I'm wondering about (and it's not like people will be reading this and answering, because neither of these blogs has been used enough to have readers) is this: How should I work this blogging thing?
I could:
A) Merge the Writer's and Travel Blogs together, and just make it one general blog, meant to relate to all parts of my life and my observations of the world around me.
B) Keep one of the two blogs as it is, and then take the other and make it more of a “general blog.”
C) Create a third blog to have my general rants and observations about the world and the universe, separate from my other two blogs, and try to keep up with all three (or whichever seem the most relevant to my life and interesting to me at the time).
I'm really not sure which one of these to do... I suppose I shall have to continue thinking.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Pondering
So, I've been stuck in Philadelphia for the past nearly-three months, so I really haven't had anything much to talk about on a travel blog. Considering that originally, my graduation plan was to immediately hitchhike to Miami, then finagle a job as a boat hand on any boat headed to another country, this is something of a disappointment.
Travel is still going to be a huge priority in my life, but I do need to save up some money first, and I'm strongly hoping that the Peace Corps thing will come through-- because that really is what I want to do more than anything. I think I started saying that I wanted to join Peace Corps when I was 12 or 13, and still, at 21, I truly believe that is what will make me the happiest, the most fulfilled.
But I'm still going through the damned medical clearance.
All I have to do, though, is get two more shots, and get a wisdom tooth out, and then I'll be ready to send in all the materials for medical clearance. It'll be in by the end of this month... then I just have to pray they'll clear me, because if they don't, there will be a huge, almost certainly annoying appeals process through which I'll have to go. Eugh.
Anyway, enough with the whining. What I was pondering is this: I still have a lot of entries on Livejournal from my travels. I was wondering if I should transfer them over to this blog, so that it is at least something of a proper travel blog and not just a "this will become a travel blog soon, I promise!"
Is there a way to backdate posts on blogger? I have to admit, I really haven't used it much... was still in that "Livejournal" phase of my life. ;) I'll still have to use Livejournal for now, I'm sure, for my non-work-friendly activities.
Travel is still going to be a huge priority in my life, but I do need to save up some money first, and I'm strongly hoping that the Peace Corps thing will come through-- because that really is what I want to do more than anything. I think I started saying that I wanted to join Peace Corps when I was 12 or 13, and still, at 21, I truly believe that is what will make me the happiest, the most fulfilled.
But I'm still going through the damned medical clearance.
All I have to do, though, is get two more shots, and get a wisdom tooth out, and then I'll be ready to send in all the materials for medical clearance. It'll be in by the end of this month... then I just have to pray they'll clear me, because if they don't, there will be a huge, almost certainly annoying appeals process through which I'll have to go. Eugh.
Anyway, enough with the whining. What I was pondering is this: I still have a lot of entries on Livejournal from my travels. I was wondering if I should transfer them over to this blog, so that it is at least something of a proper travel blog and not just a "this will become a travel blog soon, I promise!"
Is there a way to backdate posts on blogger? I have to admit, I really haven't used it much... was still in that "Livejournal" phase of my life. ;) I'll still have to use Livejournal for now, I'm sure, for my non-work-friendly activities.
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