The Backstory

Who am I? Michigan native, who decided to be the oddball of the family and give west coast living a chance. Five years ago I came to a small private school near the heart of downtown Seattle, WA. I was ambitious, and unrealistically thought that I'd be able to finish a double major in four years time - so I signed up for the apparel design major - and the safer side of me, signed up for business marketing as well. Through blood, sweat and tears (ok, maybe there wasn't any blood involved..), but with overload quarters taking 20 credits, and a pesky online astronomy course, I was able to graduate with my classmates in June of 2013. Amidst my time in school, I also worked many different jobs (at one time I was working at 4 places while taking classes), became involved in our student fashion club, and pursuing a few internships in between as well. My senior year I was elected club president of our fashion group, and once again the ambitious side of me helped plan not one, not two, but THREE fashion shows.

Why did I do all this? Why did I separate myself from the people I love most (my family), move across the country, devote my time to schoolwork, internships, odd-jobs, and creative outlets like sewing and designing? Well of course! To land my "dream job" upon graduation. I planned it all out so that I would have an easy summer in Seattle, slowly finishing that pesky online astronomy course, while simultaneously applying and interviewing for that dream job. I'd have time for the beach, for road trips, and friends - maybe an extended visit home to see family (and two ah-dorable nephews) - and by the time September rolled around I would be packing my briefcase and starting my first day of officially "working," with a bonus sun-kissed golden glow leftover from summer, to top it all off.

But.. that's not the case.  Since I had spent my life planning - I foolishly thought I could plan when I would get a job as well. And now, I am an unemployed 22-year-old, five months out of school, sitting around each day, mindlessly filling out application after application, watching my bank account dwindle down with each monthly rent check, wondering where I went wrong. I think to myself, my school, my education, my friends, my family, they did not prepare me for this - I was a big fish swimming laps in a small pond, but all of sudden I was spit out of the water, and gasping for air as I learned to breathe on land.

Wow, this sounds terrifying doesn't it. It is... in fact I froze in terror. I put my life on pause, saying "when I get a job.... I'll get a gym membership" or "when I get a job.... I'll become more involved in my church" or "when I get a job.... I'll open my own Etsy store of designs." But the wait is over! It's time to "un-pause" my life. Because what I've realized is that only by pursuing your passions or the things you want, will opportunities and doors open up to doing what you love. So... welcome to my blog, The Graduate - only one of the things I won't put on hold any longer.