What will the next chapter in my life hold? Intern Diaries

by Whitney Riggs

So I’ve completed my summer Italian class, and I’m starting to see a crack of light at the end of the tunnel for my internship. With two more classes to complete in the fall until I graduate, one thought continues to blur my mind: What will the next chapter in my life hold?

I’m not like one of those people who says, “I have no idea” but really have my entire future planned out. Kind of like those people in school who say they didn’t study for a test, but in reality they stayed up all night cramming and are probably going to get an A. And I’m definitely not one of those people who say they have no idea because I have not put any thought or effort into it (I’ve researched, and I think about it AT LEAST once a day)! I just have no idea because there are so many choices I like.

Maybe I will work for a newspaper writing day-to-day stories working odd hours. Having the same set schedule every day scares me, so I like the idea of having variety. Or maybe I will move out of Indiana and continue with the magazine industry. I really enjoy my internship, and having this experience could help me receive future employment. Or possibly I will serve tables at Texas Roadhouse awhile longer, pay off some of my school loans then move home to Evansville, IN and find a job there? Nah, I don’t really want to go back home. But wait… will I even be able to find a job right away? See, this is my problem! I have too many directions I can go! How do I narrow it down to just one?

Hmmm… well, I don’t think I can see myself getting a serious 9-to-5 job immediately. I think I want to continue with my education (Yay! More loans!) because believe it or not, I actually enjoy school. As of now, the most accurate plan I have is to attend graduate school in the fall semester of 2010 and receive my master’s in creative writing. I have always wanted to write a book, and grad school will only increase my luck of getting a job in the future. Plus, I would love to at some point return to a university and teach journalism. Most journalists have odd hours anyway, so it would be nice to one day have a family and have a decently set schedule as a professor.

These are sporadic ideas, but who knows? I still have some time (kind of). But whatever I decide, I just want to be happy, successful and financially stable. I guess I should be a little proud of myself for having a few ideas in mind.