I seriously think that I am finally getting back into this writing game. Even though I haven't edited too much recently I think about my story a lot and the direction that I want it to go in. I have also found a part time job for Patch.com where I would review different businesses in the area. It is meant to become a hyper-local publication that has a listing and review for every business in an area. The best part is that I can do it for as long as I want. There aren't any reviewer's in Ohio or Louisiana at all yet. I spoke with one of the head people for my phone interview and we talked about my desire to be a travel writer. He said that after a few towns under my belt I should talk to my local editor about having my own travel column. So not only does it pay remarkably well for freelance but it is also an awesome stepping stone for me.
At work today Branden was telling me about how his aunt drives cars to different states for dealerships and such. He said that he was going with her while she retrieved a car from Michigan tomorrow morning. My first thought was that I have never been to Michigan. I checked and after I realized that I don't work until five tomorrow I asked if I could ride along, offering up my eclectic iPod and conversation skills. So, now I am leaving for Michigan at five in the morning.
A lot of people are starting to take a Gap Year. Canada, along with many European countries, are encouraging students to take a year off between graduating High School and starting College. The Gap Year is supposed to give students a taste of "the real world", or time for travel and prioritizing. After becoming more and more frustrated with my education the longer I was in school the more I started to seriously consider the Gap Year. If I had taken one before starting school I think that my whole experience would have been different. I think that I would have applied to more places and I would not have went to the college I chose. I never wanted to go there but listened to too many people tell me that my High School grades were too poor to get in where I wanted. In all honestly, they were but my SAT score was pretty damn good. I would have at least stood a chance. I also probably would not have majored in Writing. I don't think that writing is something that can be taught in class. I don't think that taking three creative writing classes and ten thousand literature classes is going to help me in the long run.
Taking all of this into consideration I think (think being the operative word) that my "new" plan is to graduate from UNO and take graduate classes at Loyola. I always wanted the "college experience" and let other people talk me out of it. I don't know if I will ever forgive myself for that but if it encourages me into grad school...maybe it was for the best.
