Have you ever had an item or task on your to-do list that just never gets done? It’s important though so you move it to next week. . . and then the next week . . . and then the week after that? On multiple occasions it has happened to me, but none so recently as “Blog Stuff” which has had a recurring role on my to-do list since January.
It’s not that I didn’t want to blog. I did and I do. Over the past few months, I’ve been in such a period of transition, and as I focused on getting settled, blogging took to the backburner. My last post was from December 2022?! How crazy is that? If only December me knew where I’d be when I published my next post!
December me was a stressed college senior. With an overloaded semester to finish out my undergrad career, I prioritized my classes in order to leave my university in strong academic standing and finish out the academic marathon that was the past few years. As the semester wound down, the stresses of post-grad plans fell away as I accepted a contingent job offer in Washington D.C. With finals taken, a job locked down, and the upcoming holidays with my family and friends, I felt a major sense of relief from the pressures of school.
December relaxation was met with excitement and nervous preparation as I prepped for my Spring 2023 Semester at Sea. I would leave for this voyage, a 104 day trip around the world, on January 2nd which meant that the final week of December was booked with final appointments, packing, and travel planning. Oh. And about 3 “last minute” trips to Target.
I will certainly post more soon about the amazing adventure that was Semester at Sea, but for the purpose of this blog update I’ll keep it brief. I was traveling and studying abroad from January 2nd – April 23rd, which required a lot of organization and emotional preparation. The trip was the coolest experience of my life, and I am forever grateful I had the opportunity to participate in such an engaging and eye-opening opportunity. It gave me friends and memories for a lifetime, and showed me places in the world so beautiful I could never describe them sufficiently with words. (But, I’m a blogger, so of course I’ll try! Stay tuned.)
Returning from months overseas was both a physical and emotional adjustment. Semester at Sea had given us the resources we needed to cope with the return home, but transitioning from an immersive experience back into fast-paced life was certainly a challenge.
To solidify my Washington D.C job, I headed to the city to complete final requirements and to hunt for apartments. Without explaining the details, I felt that this job opportunity was not right for me, and I think the universe agreed. I did not end up accepting the job. It was back to square one with the job search.
A bit defeated and still in a period of physical and emotional adjustment, I set to new job applications. In a few weeks, I sent out hundreds of applications and participated in a few interviews. In that process, I discovered the job (spoiler alert) that I have now. I completed the interview process and accepted a math-curriculum writing job in NYC! It was a very quick turn of events. Shortly after returning home, I participated in my university’s commencement ceremony and officially received my diploma. Since I had finished up in winter, I had already dealt with the emotions of graduating and moving on from college. I was thankful for the educational experience I had, but I was looking forward to the next phase. From planning on moving to D.C a month prior, to apartment hunting in NYC, the month of June flew by as I prepared to move out of my childhood home to start my next chapter in the Big Apple.
Flashforward to now. October 2023. Phillies playoff baseball on TV. Fall candle burning in my NYC apartment. Excited to see my coworkers tomorrow and work a creative math writer. In a nutshell, I love New York. I find the city so exciting and inspiring. There is always somewhere new to explore or something new to try. With friends in the city from all different chapters in my life, I feel settled in a new place where I am happy and thriving.
I’ve been working in my “new” role for three months now and I am learning so much about working a full time job and handling adult things. Living in NYC is an added element of fun as I continue to explore and meet new people. I know that adjusting to adult life after college can be difficult and that’s why I want to use this blog as a platform for young gals (and guys?!) like me who are living their 20s and transitioning chapters in their life (school to post-grad, job to job, new city, etc.) In addition to my 20-something content, I hope to share lots of fun adventures, thought pieces, recipes, and DIYs in true katherine à la mode fashion.
Logistically, now that I work a regular job and have weekends off, as opposed to hectic college schedules with focus studying on weekends, I have a better grasp of my time and I know that I have time in my week for blogging. This is a great new adjustment because I love writing and creating, and now I can do it without feeling guilty that I should be studying for Differential Equations or Accounting. Talk about a win!
Thank you for catching up with me, and I can’t wait to see you back here real soon. For real this time. Also the Phillies won 🙂
~Katherine
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