So what are you going to DO?

That's a question I have been hearing a lot for the past 6 months or so. "Oh, you're graduating in December? Are you going to Grad School?" Me: "No." Them: "Oh, so do you have a job lined up?" Me: "No." Them: "So what are you going to DO?"

The answer is: I don't know. And I can admit that. And I can accept that. I think some people don't realize that you don't really know what you're going to DO until you are about to DO it. Mr. Lee, my high school Honors Chem teacher told his class that he read somewhere that the average person changes careers 7 times. Not jobs--careers. Seven times! Unless *Student/Hostess/Lame-o Secretarial Work* counts as my first career; I haven't begun! So, who knows. I know what my passion is: Animal Rights. I know that I am going to devote my life to bettering the lives of animals, be it through rescue, outreach, education, or politics. But who knows where I am going to end up and how I am going to do that? I can acknowledge the fact that I change my mind frequently. I love that about myself! Things never get boring and I can just go with the flow and feel the potential opportunities and possibilities in front of me.

Here is what I do know: I will be living in Yuba City, at home, from January through June. I have to take one more random humanities class at a community college before I have officially graduated. So, I'm going to be living at home, for free, working at Starbucks or wherever I can--saving up as much money as possible, and trying not to sink into deep depression. Fortunately, Taylor will be there, and Jonathan might be, too. Yuba City won't be so lame with them! I foresee 6 months of watching lots of On Demand TV, cooking quinoa, hanging out at Starbucks, maybe doing something retro-style Amy like doing a Yuba College play or joining choir or something, going to church, and hooking up with some old flame. That's my Yuba City style. After I have squeezed the life out of myself, living in Yuba City, I will move to Portland with the money I have saved up. I will have some hipster-y job at a vegan grocery store or bakery, or if I'm lucky, at an Animal Rights Org. Fortunately for me, Portland is super cheap. And there's no sales tax in Oregon! And they pump your gas for you! Heaven!

While I'm in Yuba City, I will get really really stir crazy, and end up taking lots of road trips I can't afford. I will want to go to San Luis Obisbo and San Francisco a lot to see my cousin and sister, respectively. I might make another trip up North to Portland (and Seattle and Vancouver if someone will come with me). I'll try to find a way to go to New York and visit the farm, but I'll end up giving up because it's too expensive and I won't be able to take that much time off of work. I'll make a lot of plans and do a lot of internet research for things that will never happen. I'll feel really motivated for awhile, possibly create some binders full of something, probably do WW and join a gym for about a month, and then fall of the wagon (when I score myself a bottle of Ambien).

Hey, at least I know what's going to happen! And as much as it hurts my pride to live at home after college, I'm kind of looking forward to it.