About That Time

I seem to be on something of a monthly posting schedule, which isn't all that horrible considering some of the other gaps between posts. 

I'm now all settled in to my new apartment in Madison and found a new desktop support job, although it's only a three month contract with no plan to hire at the end of the contract, although they aren't ruling it out either.  Still, even if it only lasts three months, it keeps the paychecks coming and gives me some more experience to add to the resume, so no complaints here.

I'm done with college, probably forever, which is a surreal thing for someone who spent as much time as I did putting off graduation.  (It might become more believable once I actually receive my diploma).  So now it's time for that part in my life where I decide what it is exactly that I do.  For now, it's IT.  But I don't want to work on computers forever.

Don't get me wrong.  I really do like the job, and from what I've seen so far of the company I just started at, I think I'll like it there.  I like solving random technical issues and I like helping people.  I've known several people who wanted nothing to do with IT after actually working in it, and I'm not one of those people. 

But I went to school to study English.  Well, that's not entirely true--I went to school to study music, then I transferred to another school, then I started studying computer science, and then I decided to study English.  I want to get a career in writing or editing, not to justify my degree, but because it's something I feel genuinely connected with.  So I've been thinking of looking into a couple of (what seem like legitimate) online editing openings.  The challenging part is that assuming I was to get accepted, those positions are looking for 20-30 hours a week, which would put me up to a 60-70 hour work week between editing and my full-time job.  For someone as in love with free time as I am, this is a daunting thing to consider.

And I'd like to build some freelance experience to branch into a full-time editing job.  Sounds great, until you consider that moving from a desktop support IT job to an entry-level editing position will almost definitely be a pay cut.  And I like money.  I use it for things like not being homeless or not being yelled at by the bank. 

In short, I was a liberal arts student.  I want to read or write or make music as a career, but it's a pretty tricky branch to go out on and I'm getting increasingly afraid of heights.  (In this metaphor, heights represent poverty).  If I try to go this route, it will be a lot of work with questionable payoffs. 

And yet, it's still so appealing to me.

One last note.  Speaking of things that I'm hesitant to do, here's a video of me covering a song from the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  I recently started this vlogging project with a friend and we've been doing it long enough that I feel like I should probably start telling other people about it, even if I am making a fool of myself occasionally.