#16: The Next Six Months

My plan for the next six months was originally to get in to Colorado State, finish work around July and make my way to "where the columbines grow" so to speak.

There are no columbines in this picture, its just cute and proof that I pretty much belong in Colorado.  I'll make it back someday.

Plan number two involved me obviously not going to CSU (in case you missed it) then attending this Oshkosh Placement Exchange in March where I would interview for a bunch of residence life grad assistantships and/or full time positions across the country.

THEN I attended a workshop at the University of St. Thomas on Friday where in my first breakout session, a girl not much older than myself (and far more cheerful than I have been at this particular point in my life) told us to BE PURPOSEFUL.

On a side note, I love mantras that start with "be..."

We used it for our @15 campaign in our Campaigns class spring semester last year.  Be You @15.  It was incredibly clever and catchy (and we probably should have won that round).

I want my tattoo to say "be fearless" (thanks, I admit, to Taylor Swift).

So I'm sure its obvious why a mantra such as "be purposeful" really hit me and got me thinking about the decisions I was making and why.

I think I panicked and started rushing into this OPE thing trying to make something work but when I finally sat back and took a look at what I was doing, I realized it wasn’t the right thing for me. I’m going to stay home for another year and approach applying to grad school in a much more “Mary” way. I was cocky this time around, only applying to CSU, and I definitely got burned for it. I need to sit and really think about where I would be happy, what programs fit with my future goals, and apply to those schools.

So in the next six months, my plan is to:
* Volunteer more
* Take a break from this situation that has become more stressful than necessary
* Go on vacation with my mom and sister
* Find an apartment and move out of my house
* Have many gatherings at said new apartment (dinner parties and craft nights, of course including cupcakes)
* Work on my list
* Smile more
* Help Jaci plan her fantastical wedding (which I will now be home for)
* Bake lots of cupcakes... I love cupcakes