Looking Forward

I have finally found a better path for my life. This past year I spent most of it unemployed and depressed over a non-existant job market. Being someone who can't just take it lying down, I decided to apply for another graduate school program. Apparently, law school was not the end all, be all I thought it would be....well, at least not what followed law school.

This past spring I was accepted to many programs (BU, Columbia, UNC Chapel Hill, and Yale) at schools of public health. I spent the spring months visiting each school, trying to decide which one would be best for me. UNC and BU were the front runners for my interests and career goals; surprisingly, despite the fact that I've been waiting my whole life to attend an ivy league school, Yale seemed very focused on areas that I am not and I just really found Columbia to be off-putting. Eventually, BU offered me a fellowship for the first year, which made it easy to say yes to them. Unfortunately, UNC wasn't able to match the funding because their budget hadn't come through. In the end, I'm very excited to be at BU in the fall.

This is the first ray of hope (career wise) that this are looking up and that my life is moving forward. I start in September and I will be researching the MA health care system, TAing classes, helping out with departmental research and activities, along with completing my regular course work. I could not be more excited!

I'll be moving into Boston, right near school. This is also a neat opportunity. I will miss living with Juliane, though. She has been kinder than I could ever ask for over these past few years. I feel that we've grown a lot closer in our friendship, too. I hope that one day I will be able to repay her, though that seems impossible. How do you pay back someone who has given you the space and time to put your life back together?

Also, Kevin and I are still going strong. He has been such an amazing support over these past two years. He has seen me through my ups and many, many downs especially this past year. I would get so frustrated with the lack of jobs and lack of opportunities and he would always give me hope and strength to carry on. He taught me to hope against hope and to know that together, we will be ok. His stregth, love and generosity has carried me through some of the toughest times of my life. I could not ask for a more amazing man.

So many others have shown me great generosity this year. This being through the love and support they have shown. I can say that I am one of the wealthiest persons on this earth in terms of my friends and family.

Even with the advent of this summer, having recently lost my contract work position and having next to nothing in the bank, I have hope that things will turn out ok. I haven't the slightest clue about how I'll make it through the summer to the fall, but I do know that my friends and my boyfriend won't let me fall. I am so grateful for a generous, wonderful, safety net.

I do look forward to the fall, when I will be back in school (I place I love). I cannot wait to dive back into study. I truly relish learning, teaching, and being academically engaged.