Creatively Anomalous

The future is something I spend a great deal of time thinking about, though it is often not in reference to my own future.  The very concept of my life post-Swarthmore is terrifying and exciting in the same thought.  There is so much to plan, and so many options to plan for.  It would be easy to go right to graduate school, finish my education, settle down, and have a lovely practice in some location where I can have patients, make money, and raise a family.

Wait, what?!  Family?  Graduate school?  There is so much that needs to happen between now and two years from now that it is only slightly amusing to me and probably pretty hilarious to everyone else.  I mean, I haven’t even finalized my Bachelor’s degree program yet.  I’m working on an Honors Psychology major and Honors English Literature minor, but there are a few minors I may yet add.  Film and Media Studies or Peace and Conflict Studies come to mind.  Or possibly Cognitive Science.

BUT!  There is something I would like to pursue.  A direction, if nothing else.  After a recent discussion with some Deans, I’d like to apply for a Watson Fellowship.  A Watson is very prestigious and highly-sought after, but I believe that I would have a fighting chance.  There are many things that I’m passionate about, and traveling outside the US would certainly help me along my way.  I am almost certain that I would like to visit Europe, and probably the Mediterranean.  From there I could also visit northern Africa and a variety of European countries.  My familiarity with Romance languages makes it easier to get around in non-English speaking parts of Europe, and I would love to improve my language skills.

As to what I would do while abroad, I can think of a few options.  I’m working on some writing projects that I think would be very much enhanced by time away from home and in certain regions/cultures.  More details on that later.  In addition, I’d like to study the folklore and overlap of the Mediterranean/Eastern European regions.  And hell, I’d love to study some dance.

The idea of not being allowed to return home really appeals to me.  I can already feel the expanding horizons!  Sure, it would get a bit much sometimes.  Sure, I don’t speak any languages other than English (yet).  Sure, I’d miss my home, friends, family, and CATS every second of every day.  But sometimes you need to miss something to value it, and I think such an opportunity is rare and valuable in itself.  I hope it works out, but there’s a lot to do between now and then…

In other news, one of my photos of Trevi Fountain from my trip to the Mediterranean a few years ago was selected for a travel guide.  Check it out.