It's The Final Countdown!

Cue music.

In 85 days, I will quit my job, pack my car, and move from Cleveland, OH to NYC. Three months ago, I moved out of my two bedroom house and into the spare bedroom of my mother's apartment, which I have to share with my two fat cats because they think my bed is their bed (and I let them because they're cats and cats are all kinds of awesome). In NYC, I will be sharing a bedroom with my 17 year old niece until she goes off to college in the fall. It sounds crazy, doesn't it? Uprooting my spacious and comfortable existence to an entire life contained to one bedroom and then moving 600 miles to share a room with a teenager. But, I'm a writer and this is what I must do.

It took me awhile to figure out what I wanted to do with my life once I graduated high school. I was so not ready the first time I attempted college that I got a D in Choosing a Major. It's exactly what it says on the tin: a the class designed to help undecided folks choose a major. How do you get a D in Choosing a Major? I have no idea, but I did and I will one day find a way to be proud of that. I dropped out of college and it wasn't until 5 years ago that I finally decided I needed to finish college. I went back to school, got my degree in English with a concentration in creative writing, thought about teaching English overseas but realized I don't like teaching or children, toyed with being a librarian, and realized all I want to do is write. And someday get paid for it. But I'll take just writing for now. Writing is the only thing I can do (and do semi-well).

I graduated from college last summer and thought if I had to get a job, I wanted to work where the books are made. The publishing industry was calling me, so I decided that I needed to move to NYC and move in with my older sister who lives in Queens. But then I figured, hey, if I have a once in a lifetime chance to mooch off my sister, shouldn't I take full advantage of this opportunity and get an MFA in creative writing? The answer was undoubtedly, YES I SHOULD.

So I applied to almost every school in NYC that has an MFA program. It was hard and tiring and I'm stressed out waiting on replies from my top choice schools (Come ON already, guys! You're tearing me apart!) but I've received two acceptances to two reputable programs and no rejections (so far). I'm excited about the future and what awaits me in NYC but I'm also a bit nervous about all of the changes coming up. More than anything, I am super pumped for the chance to pursue my dreams and can't wait to start on the next phase of my life which I am positive will be crazy cool.

You know what they say - if you can make it in NYC, you can make it anywhere. I'm counting on that, because I don't know where I will end up after I get my MFA, but for the next two years I'm going to concentrate on my writing and absorbing as much as I can from this experience. I'm glad to be part of a group of people who can share this experience with me and make these next two years even richer just by being a part of this blog. I'm eagerly awaiting the future and I am sending positive thoughts to everyone finishing up an MFA program, contemplating applying to an MFA program, or anxious to begin a program in the fall.

All the best, and keep writing!