This time last year, I was living in the Netherlands as an au pair and hating my life.
The year before, I was in Denver, getting a certificate to teach English abroad and planning a move to Poland (never happened).
The year before that, I was in my senior year of undergrad at Indiana and trying to convince my parents to let me switch majors from music to religious studies.
Now, I'm in North Carolina, in grad school for marriage and family therapy.
I'm pretty sure that this time next year, I'll be living on a commune in Duluth, hugging raccoons and harvesting the last of my swiss chard so I can sell it at the local farmers' market and have enough money to finish weaving my hemp wedding dress when I get married to my fiance, Wingspan.
It could happen.
Showing posts with label Netherlands. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Netherlands. Show all posts
Friday, October 16, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Type B Personality
I absolutely adore making plans for my life... and then changing them.
Seriously, what is more fun than saying, "I'm going to take Swahili classes this Spring!" only to decide a month later that you'd rather take the money for those classes and put it toward a week-long vacation in Fresno? Honestly, I think very little.
I tend to think of myself as being fairly sensible and I like to make most of my major life decisions based on logic, but more than I care to admit, I let my stifled whimsy get the best of me.
Let's go all the way back to high school...
Ever since I was 10 years old, I had planned on going to Butler University for music (just go with it). When I was 18, I auditioned at both Butler and IU for vocal performance. Ultimately, I decided to go to Indiana University. Now, I tell people I chose IU because it was far less expensive. Well, yeah, that's sort of true. The story Behind the Music is a little different (don't you miss that show?).
Right across the street from my dorm was a pizza place, a music store, a coffee shop and crappy Chinese takeout. End of story.
When I graduated from IU, I decided to travel. So, I planned on moving to Poland to teach English. Why Poland? Pierogies, naturally. I told everyone that's where I was going, my parents got me Rosetta Stone for my birthday so I could start learning Polish and I was applying for jobs left and right.
Somewhere in the middle of January, my friend Sonya convinced me to move to China and live with her in Qingdao. I thought, "Well, at least I'd know someone!" About 6 weeks later, I was on a plane.
About 6 months later, I was living in the Netherlands, making plans to go to grad school in Wales for linguistics. Why not? I mean, I love words, I love language and I loved the UK. Not long after that, I found a website that sparked my interest in counseling. From there, I started researching and decided I would go to grad school (in the U.S.) for counseling.
Some people would call this flighty or flaky. I refute both labels, thank you very much.
I prefer the crunchier, more granola take on all of this. I like to think one plan leads me to my next altered plan and so forth. This is why it doesn't bother me at all to change my personal goals multiple times in a fortnight. I think my parents find it exhausting (who could blame them?) but they're so used to it by now that I find it barely fazes them when I introduce a new idea.
Is there a reason I'm explaining my tendency to change my mind as quickly as Anne Heche changes her sexual preference?
Of course.
Should I get into my most desired graduate program, I'm considering deferring until 2010. The logic behind this decision is that a) the economy is in the crapper, b) I'm already in debt up to my eyeballs and c) it's not like there would be a bunch of jobs waiting for me once I graduated anyway. That is the common sense.
There is, however, a much better, less substantial reason I've been toying with this idea. I shared it with a good friend last night.
Sara: I'm considering deferring college so I can -blankety blank blank blank-.
Lisa: Yeah, you would.
I'm withholding my whimsical reason right now, but I'm sure it will come to the surface soon enough.
In the meantime, I encourage all of you to go to a Potbelly restaurant (if you have one nearby) and get a milkshake. If your day has been a little less thick, creamy or delicious, then I have found the solution. Inhale one of these and not only will you have a cathartic ice cream headache, but you'll be pleasantly nauseated as well. And you will not be sorry.
Seriously, what is more fun than saying, "I'm going to take Swahili classes this Spring!" only to decide a month later that you'd rather take the money for those classes and put it toward a week-long vacation in Fresno? Honestly, I think very little.
I tend to think of myself as being fairly sensible and I like to make most of my major life decisions based on logic, but more than I care to admit, I let my stifled whimsy get the best of me.
Let's go all the way back to high school...
Ever since I was 10 years old, I had planned on going to Butler University for music (just go with it). When I was 18, I auditioned at both Butler and IU for vocal performance. Ultimately, I decided to go to Indiana University. Now, I tell people I chose IU because it was far less expensive. Well, yeah, that's sort of true. The story Behind the Music is a little different (don't you miss that show?).
Right across the street from my dorm was a pizza place, a music store, a coffee shop and crappy Chinese takeout. End of story.
When I graduated from IU, I decided to travel. So, I planned on moving to Poland to teach English. Why Poland? Pierogies, naturally. I told everyone that's where I was going, my parents got me Rosetta Stone for my birthday so I could start learning Polish and I was applying for jobs left and right.
Somewhere in the middle of January, my friend Sonya convinced me to move to China and live with her in Qingdao. I thought, "Well, at least I'd know someone!" About 6 weeks later, I was on a plane.
About 6 months later, I was living in the Netherlands, making plans to go to grad school in Wales for linguistics. Why not? I mean, I love words, I love language and I loved the UK. Not long after that, I found a website that sparked my interest in counseling. From there, I started researching and decided I would go to grad school (in the U.S.) for counseling.
Some people would call this flighty or flaky. I refute both labels, thank you very much.
I prefer the crunchier, more granola take on all of this. I like to think one plan leads me to my next altered plan and so forth. This is why it doesn't bother me at all to change my personal goals multiple times in a fortnight. I think my parents find it exhausting (who could blame them?) but they're so used to it by now that I find it barely fazes them when I introduce a new idea.
Is there a reason I'm explaining my tendency to change my mind as quickly as Anne Heche changes her sexual preference?
Of course.
Should I get into my most desired graduate program, I'm considering deferring until 2010. The logic behind this decision is that a) the economy is in the crapper, b) I'm already in debt up to my eyeballs and c) it's not like there would be a bunch of jobs waiting for me once I graduated anyway. That is the common sense.
There is, however, a much better, less substantial reason I've been toying with this idea. I shared it with a good friend last night.
Sara: I'm considering deferring college so I can -blankety blank blank blank-.
Lisa: Yeah, you would.
I'm withholding my whimsical reason right now, but I'm sure it will come to the surface soon enough.
In the meantime, I encourage all of you to go to a Potbelly restaurant (if you have one nearby) and get a milkshake. If your day has been a little less thick, creamy or delicious, then I have found the solution. Inhale one of these and not only will you have a cathartic ice cream headache, but you'll be pleasantly nauseated as well. And you will not be sorry.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Where are my big girl pants?
For the last 12 months, my poor parents have put up with quite a bit.
August 2007, I graduated from Indiana University with absolutely no plan of any kind. In October, I found a month-long TEFL course (teaching English as a foreign language) in Denver and decided that would be my new plan. After completing it and receiving my CELTA certificate (I'd be lying if I said I knew what that stands for), I announced that I would be traveling to Poland to begin my new teaching adventures. Perhaps a month later, I changed my mind and announced that I'd be going to China instead! So, in March 2008, I hopped a plane and headed to Qingdao to live with my super-neat friend, Sonya.
After three months of all sorts of tomfoolery in China, I decided it was the wrong time and wrong place to be there (and I was getting kicked out of the country anyway because of visa and Olympic details). So, back to Indiana! I spent the better part of the summer sitting on my parents' couch with my laptop, looking for TEFL jobs in Europe. I was getting close to giving up when one day, a friend from work put me in touch with someone named Kelly. Kelly was an au pair for a Dutch/American family in the Netherlands and was looking for someone to replace her when her time was up in September. After talking to Kelly at length and Skyping with her host mom, I decided I would take over for her as an au pair!
After only a month and a half in Holland, I decided I needed to get the frick out of that house or I'd be a mere shell of a woman in no time at all. For now, let's just say that the differences between this household and my own are infinite. So, I'm still in the Netherlands right now, with 5 days to go before I can get on that blessed plane and return to the magical land of Chick-Fil-A and economic recession and squirrels. Seriously, there are no squirrels here.
Things I will miss from the Netherlands:
1. Mars bars - if anyone can find those in the US, please tell me where!
2. Recycling/Environmental concern
3. Glaring at pedestrians and drivers for even thinking of getting in front of me on my bike
4. Cafes and year-round patio dining
5. Train travel
6. Pancakes, pie and poffertjes (tiny pancakes)
7. The cheese... oh God, the cheese
8. CNN
Things I will not miss from the Netherlands:
1. Crappy weather
2. Dutch "manners" (or lack thereof)
3. The stairs - my room is on the third floor
4. The smoking - everybody smokes here
5. Old people cutting in front of me at the grocery store
6. Grocery store cashiers rolling their eyes at me when I hand them a €50
7. Microwaving my bread when I want a sandwich
8. Sinterklaas and Black Pete (if you're a rather PC person like me, this aint your country)
So, once again, my parents will welcome me back with open arms. And I know the next time I spring another dumbass idea on them (which I will), they won't heave a sigh, groan or even roll their eyes at me... at least not on the outside. They might try to distract me with something shiny, but that's about it. I do think, however, that my next "plan" may lean toward the more mainstream as I'm actually quite tired of living my life in 3 month spurts. As a good friend would say, it's time for me to put on my big girl pants.
I'm coming home, Mama!
August 2007, I graduated from Indiana University with absolutely no plan of any kind. In October, I found a month-long TEFL course (teaching English as a foreign language) in Denver and decided that would be my new plan. After completing it and receiving my CELTA certificate (I'd be lying if I said I knew what that stands for), I announced that I would be traveling to Poland to begin my new teaching adventures. Perhaps a month later, I changed my mind and announced that I'd be going to China instead! So, in March 2008, I hopped a plane and headed to Qingdao to live with my super-neat friend, Sonya.
After three months of all sorts of tomfoolery in China, I decided it was the wrong time and wrong place to be there (and I was getting kicked out of the country anyway because of visa and Olympic details). So, back to Indiana! I spent the better part of the summer sitting on my parents' couch with my laptop, looking for TEFL jobs in Europe. I was getting close to giving up when one day, a friend from work put me in touch with someone named Kelly. Kelly was an au pair for a Dutch/American family in the Netherlands and was looking for someone to replace her when her time was up in September. After talking to Kelly at length and Skyping with her host mom, I decided I would take over for her as an au pair!
After only a month and a half in Holland, I decided I needed to get the frick out of that house or I'd be a mere shell of a woman in no time at all. For now, let's just say that the differences between this household and my own are infinite. So, I'm still in the Netherlands right now, with 5 days to go before I can get on that blessed plane and return to the magical land of Chick-Fil-A and economic recession and squirrels. Seriously, there are no squirrels here.
Things I will miss from the Netherlands:
1. Mars bars - if anyone can find those in the US, please tell me where!
2. Recycling/Environmental concern
3. Glaring at pedestrians and drivers for even thinking of getting in front of me on my bike
4. Cafes and year-round patio dining
5. Train travel
6. Pancakes, pie and poffertjes (tiny pancakes)
7. The cheese... oh God, the cheese
8. CNN
Things I will not miss from the Netherlands:
1. Crappy weather
2. Dutch "manners" (or lack thereof)
3. The stairs - my room is on the third floor
4. The smoking - everybody smokes here
5. Old people cutting in front of me at the grocery store
6. Grocery store cashiers rolling their eyes at me when I hand them a €50
7. Microwaving my bread when I want a sandwich
8. Sinterklaas and Black Pete (if you're a rather PC person like me, this aint your country)
So, once again, my parents will welcome me back with open arms. And I know the next time I spring another dumbass idea on them (which I will), they won't heave a sigh, groan or even roll their eyes at me... at least not on the outside. They might try to distract me with something shiny, but that's about it. I do think, however, that my next "plan" may lean toward the more mainstream as I'm actually quite tired of living my life in 3 month spurts. As a good friend would say, it's time for me to put on my big girl pants.
I'm coming home, Mama!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
