I have been working an insane amount of hours. That is 48.93 and 43.81 hours respectively. I know what you're thinking, "But Diana, didn't you work 50+ hour weeks at Universal McCann?" Yes. I did. Sitting at a desk. Not running around delivering heavy plates. When I actually do have a day off work, I feel like I'm spending the day playing catch up with my life. This hasn't been the easiest schedule, but it's making do for now.
So first news first, I am officially a Massachusetts resident!
Second, I found a kickball league in Cambridge that I'm going to join. I had a lot of fun doing this in LA and am excited to get back into it here.
Finally, my biggest and most exciting news. In my 48 hour work week haze, I started to think about what I am doing with my life. Recently, I have been seriously lacking life goals and that makes me anxious and itchy and just depressed. I had a few things that I was interested in but didn't know which road to take. I enlisted the help of my brilliant brother-in-law to help me formulate a life plan. While he was in class and my sister was doing her laundry at a friend's house, I started making pro-con lists and thinking about my goals for the future. What do I really want out of life?
When I was 22, I wanted:
To be a high powered business-woman, traveling around the country (or world) for business...
Living in a sleek, modern apartment in a high rise building...
to work hard (and late)...
And having a hand in the development of the next big ad campaign.
Now that I'm 26, and have accomplished these goals, I realized it's not all it's cracked up to be. With that life comes poverty wages, unending stress, no time for friends or family and an unstable future. It leads to being 26 and working as a waitress. Now, I'd much rather:
Travel for pleasure with someone I love...
Own a charming home in the city...
or one right outside of the city with a big front porch and trees that sits on a lake (but is still within walking distance to the T)...
coming home at 5 to my puppy named Charlie...
and actually making a difference in someone's life.
My father suggested I take a good look at my strengths and weaknesses. I now know that I am not the kind of person who is going to call someone every week to try to get a job with their company. I am not going to claw my way to the top of the pile or be ruthless and step on other's foots to get a job. That's not me. I am however, the kind of person who is willing to sit and hold someone's hand and listen to their issues, someone who has been described my entire life as being "nice" or "kind" or a "sweetheart". I don't give up easily on people just because society has labeled them "hopeless". Although I don't have a ton of patience, but seem to soften when I'm dealing with someone who is sick or someone who just needs another person to lean on. So what could I do with that?
The two options that I was debating against were a teacher or an occupational therapist. I decided that I would not do well with the bureaucratic red tape of teaching so it was quickly axed. Occupational therapy on the other hand...well, it makes sense for so many reasons. First, the medical field is projected to grow 28% by 2018. Second, I'll be able to make a difference in someone's life. Third, I can continue on to get my doctorate. Finally, I'll come out of the program making more than double what I made in my last advertising job. My ultimate goal is to work with alcoholics and addicts to help them develop healthy recreational activities and habits to fill the time they spent using and ultimately helping them maintain their sobriety. So how can I afford to go back to school to get my degree as an occupational therapist? I did a little research and developed a plan...
Starting this summer, I'm going to start taking classes at a local community college. I am going to be working on my certificate in substance abuse services. This certificate serves a dual purpose. First, I will hopefully be able to get a job in a rehabilitation center when I "graduate". Second, it will take care of most of the pre-requisite classes I need to get into Boston University's occupational therapy masters program. The only classes I'll still need are statistics and gross human anatomy with a cadaver lab which I have to have within 7 years of matriculation from the BU program. Then sometime in the future, when I have my masters and the dust has settled, I'll look into getting my doctorate in addiction studies at Brown University.
I chose BU for one reason, really. It has the highest rated occupational therapy program in the country. I have the grades to get into the program easily. Bunker Hill is also a feeder school into BU from what I hear.
I'm hoping to start classes this summer and am very excited. Since I finally developed a plan, I now feel more hopeful....something I've been lacking for awhile. I know that there is an end to the waitressing job....although my job is pretty decent, I have realized that I'm far to old to be working in a restaurant. I'm too old to be dealing with the 23 year old girls with 3 kids who act like they're still in high school. I'm too old to have a 21 year old make it very clear that she's better than I am because she's going to school to become a photographer. And although I am past the point where I really care, sometimes I need to remind myself that I'm above that pettiness and that I cannot be brought down to their level. On those days when I've been working for 13 hours and I only made $100 because I had ridiculous customers, it's often easier said than done to not be hurt when they're whispering to each other and making plans to go out and party that night.
So now, I'm working on becoming a dog....well, a Bulldog (BHCC's mascot). Then a Terrier (BU's mascot). And someday down the line, I'll become a bear (Brown University's mascot)...and at that point, I will have been a lion (King's), a tiger (Towson) and a bear. That my friends is what life is all about.
I am so proud of you...
ReplyDeletexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxoooooooooooooooooMom