When Does Life Really Start

Considering my life after college, I can't help but feel cheated and not like those law school graduates that can't find jobs and are suing their alma maters for what their calling a ponzi scheme. Which, mind you is ridiculous, you decided to go into post-graduate studies, and it's not your school's fault you can't get a job, it's the economy's. Get your act together. What I mean to say is, for all the promise of the real world and life starting after you leave college, the truth of the matter is - I feel like I'm still waiting on my life to start. Although I hate the cliche line waiting for my life to start, I feel like I had more of a life when I was in college.

I suppose what I really mean is I enjoyed my life more. I had a discussion with a friend about life somewhat sucking after college, and being that I've moved away from all of my friends, with the exception of my family I have a very minimal level of human interaction (especially since my profession has been relegated to working from home thanks to the internet). This whole situation makes me wonder what my life is going to be like for my 20s, I finished college at 20 and now what, most people talk about their crazy twenties and how they really lived in their early adult years but my twenties started when I left college, and they don't seem to be getting better.

I'm looking for an opportunity to work in a social environment, and all this lack of interaction is like a social experiment gone wrong. I suddenly understand what sociologist babble on about when they're talking about human beings being social creatures. All this me time has me reconsidering whether or not I'd really be happy being single and childless for the rest of my life. I love myself, yet I can't imagine how stir-crazy I'll become if I'm relegated to spending the rest of my life in the digital age's equivalent of solitary confinement.

Blowing Out the Candles

I'm ashamed that the last time I posted was so long ago. With less than a month until my 21st birthday I'm sitting around wondering what the hell happened in the last year. First off, my relationships sucked, my career goals have thrown me into some nearly crushing emotional turmoil, and my family has become an even bigger part of my life than they already were.

BONUS: I'm now a published author, well sort of, my chapter on Canadian Healthcare was finally published in Universal Healthcare Problems in the United States of America (you can buy your copy on Amazon.com). I'm almost 21, so what the heck does that mean? In the last year I've made more dating mistakes than I did in my entire four years of college and gone ahead and transported my life from one country to the next. The last month and a half has been a crazy whirlwind experience, especially working for POSHGLAM.com and next week I'll be heading to Toronto for LG Fashion Week.

Where this all become some sort of pseudo-picturesque life? I don't know. I'm more tired than I've ever been, which may have something to do with the fact that I've been taking day trips back and forth between NY and DC. But I've never been so insanely happy, my dreams are coming true in ways I'd never expected so soon. Now what, in a few days I'll be blowing out my candles again, is that all there is? I need my Masters so NYU better get ready for me.

That's all she wrote... For now

No Interview Could Be Worse

Being stood up for a date is one thing, being stood up for an interview you've waited for the chance to have for ages is totally different. For those of you that don't know, Lucky Magazine is my favorite magazine, well it was we'll see what becomes of it now that the esteemed founder Kim France is no longer Editor-in-Chief (moment of silence please). I was scheduled to have an interview with the online department, I arrived promptly at least 15 minutes before, although I'd been meandering in Times Square for a while before that promising myself I wouldn't be late. My appointment was set for 3:00pm and let's just say the increments on the clock increased moving from 2:45 to 4:08 before my interviewer found her way back into the building. I supposed I wouldn't have left a fashion show at NY Fashion Week to interview lowly little me either but nevertheless felt a little awkward being stood up for an interview of all things when I'd never been stood up for a date.

Nevertheless, I still dream of working at Conde Nast, I'm sure I botched that interview because by the time she arrived I was beyond exhausted and didn't even find it in myself to ask the right interview questions, nor have I sent a thank you note (although I usually always do). I'm currently using the security sticker as a bookmark and wondering how many of these things I'll have to collect before I earn myself a spot on the masthead of one of those illustrious magazines.

Did I mention I saw Anna Wintour. It took me over an hour of standing (not sitting) in front of the security desk before I caught a full up close view of the queen of fashion herself exiting the lobby. I thought the first time I would see her was going to be different somehow, instead there I stood as if I had cement shoes on in awe of the petite woman who stood there with her sharp bob cut, sunglasses in tow, and cell phone of a brand or make I could not recognize. I felt too stale (waking up before 6:00am will do that to you), too young, too unprepared and most of all too scared to approach her and so I didn't.

Score:
Conde Nast Security Stickers: 1
Conde Nast Job Offers: 0

The Age of Power

Ever feel like things are slipping away but you can't seem to understand why? Welcome to my world. You know the basics; I just finished undergrad, I turned twenty 7 months ago and now I'm stuck in limbo trying to move to NYC but not exactly sure when that's going to happen.

I've been dwelling on my quarter life crisis, and it's not as if I really have anything to be in a 'crisis' about. My world is changing and it happens to people every day. I finally got my copy of Communion by bell hooks today and twenty pages in I've realized something: this feeling of powerlessness that I've been dealing with is socialized (SUPRISE: like everything else tied to my 'femininity,' it's not inherent). hooks explains in the first chapter of the book that with age for a lot of women comes a sense of losing power, until they reach mid-life, that's when they start to get it back. I'm not sure why this resonates so well with me, it's not as if I had any intention of giving up my freedom, my freedom just somehow got attached to my adolescence. I'm only twenty years old, but I feel as if somewhere between my dream of wanting to be Editor-in-Chief and the part where I enter the real world and am actually supposed to make my dream happen, I was complicit in the giving up of my power; my brazen, hold no punches attitude. I think to myself, "I've got to get it back" (sounds eerily like one of those middle age women pining for their youth), but the truth is when I read this blog I realize it's still there, I just feel like it's not. So in the words of the late, great princess of R&B, Aaliyah - "age ain't nothing but a number."

That's all she wrote... For Now

The Mountains I'll Climb

(Rasta Vybz by Laura Fung)

I wonder sometimes if being a year ahead and graduating at the age of twenty is a disadvantage in more ways than it is an advantage. I look around and I see websites like Ed2010.com offering happy hour networking events as such, but the fact that I have yet to reach the ripe age of 21 seems to be more of a road block in instances like these. I'm still on the job hunt, and while I know practically everyone graduating in 2010 feels the same way, especially my fellow humanities or liberal arts majors looking for jobs in the publishing industry. I've been freelancing for a couple of weeks and I wonder how much longer I'll have to do it. Freelancing is something I'm sure I'd like doing for a little extra cash, but I'm wondering if I'd ever want to depend on myself hunting down jobs and pitching articles for my livelihood. I suppose freelancing is very good training for me and that I'd better start looking for some other freelancing opportunities and pitching to different magazines. I've got a lot to learn, and by no means is the daunting job hunt that I've been dealing with for the last month deterring my determination to conquer the publishing industry. I just have to find an EA (editorial assistant) job first! Wish me luck. I've applied for over 40 jobs and even though my ego gets stung each time I don't hear anything back I have to be as persistent as pesky gray hairs.

That's all she wrote...For Now

Got Goals?

(image courtesy of lichyz on deviantart.com)

Someone told me that I have too many role models, a statement I don't believe to be true, but I digress that with so many amazing women in this world how could I pick just one, or two for that matter? Every girl should have two things: a style icon and a career role model.

My style icon's: Audrey Hepburn and Tami Chynn both have this amazing quality about them; one is the embodiment of class and chic, the other is bold, yet ultra-feminine.

I think that after I've satisfied my career goals I'd like to publish 5 great novels like NYT Best Selling author Candace Bushnell - but that'll be the cherry on top. As for the whole sundae so to speak - Robin Givhan - The Pulitzer Prize winner for Criticism and Fashion Critic for The Washington Post is it! Givhan relates fashion to politics and aspects of culture and that is what I want to do! Considering I'm going to need a job in a couple of months, does anyone know if she's looking for an assistant?

The purpose of a role model is to help you be better; to achieve your goals, so choose wisely and follow their lead!

That's all she wrote... For Now