What do I want to do with the rest of my life? and why do I need
to figure it out right now? Since college/university, (what is the difference?)
I have had…..5 jobs:
1.
Naturalist at a state park, 2. Planting trees,
3. Peace Corps Volunteer, 4. Bartender/waitress/hostess, 5. Project coordinator
for an NGO.
After graduating from Purdue, I did the cool thing and moved
back home to my parents’ house and got jobs around my hometown (number 1 and
2). From those 2 jobs, I now know that I don’t want to work in a state park as
a naturalist, even though I enjoyed and I don’t mind doing hard manual labor
when it goes towards helping the environment (the money was good too). The
third job fell into my lap. During my last summer at Purdue, my class went to
the UP of Michigan for practical, hands on lessons on wildlife techniques
(trapping, GPS, orientation, etc.) and I talked with a girl who was heading off
to the Peace Corps for environmental education. First off, Peace Corps is still a
thing and second, that they had an environment sector! This sounded right up my
alley, and my parents agreed; it was a match made in heaven. After talking to
my friend, I thought about it for about 2 weeks and then applied for the Peace
Corps. It took about a year to get everything in and finalized, during which I
had jobs 1 and 2. Then I found out I would be leaving for Ghana (a country I
had never heard of) in June of 2011.
For the next 27 months, I had the best, worst and most
enlightening time of my life. It made me realize what I love, hate and need to
do more of, but still not a clear goal or idea of what I wanted to do with my
life.
After the Peace Corps, I again did the cool thing and moved back home. I
applied for over 70 jobs, both national and international, trying my hardest to
get a job that I would learn from and something that I love to do. During those
6 months of limbo, I worked job number 4 and really enjoyed it! I love talking
to people, getting to know the locals and learning more about beer and fine
foods. But I also found that I need more in my life, I need a goal to work
towards in a job, I need something that fulfills me and the world around me. The
only jobs I heard back from during these 6 months where international or more
specifically, jobs in Africa; once you start in Africa, you never get out! I
was looking at jobs for NGO’s, primate research, and anything else that has to
do with the environment. The one that grabbed my attention was in Madagascar
and had to do with mangroves, something I knew Nothing about! But I talked to
the manager who was there on the ground and felt that this was the next best
thing for me to do. It also got me out of my parents’ house and out of a job
that felt less then what I should have been doing.
I accepted the job in February and left in March. I really
had no idea what to expect from this job, but I knew it would take me in a
direction that I wanted. No matter what job I hold, I find out something else
that I like or don’t like about that job, and it takes me one step closer to
what I want to do with my life. I have now been here for over 6 months, love
what I am doing, where I am doing it, and how my life is turning out. But I
know I want to do something different after this, I know this is not where I
want to stay. I know I love the simple life, no running water, no electricity,
mosquito net over my head and red dirt under my feet. I love not being able to
speak a language but still being able to communicate, I love seeing the look on
someone’s face when you teach them a skill that everyone you know has and takes
for granted but to them, it’s another way to improve their life.
Education is
the way to save the world, hands down, no argument. Education is the way to
stop hunger, poverty, deforestation, wars, and unnecessary death of any living
soul. I am talking about the education of not only Africans but more
importantly the education of the first world. Ignorance is only an excuse if
you give it power. The way things are is because we have a flawed education
system and without being properly educated and empowered, what is the point of
your life? I feel so strongly and passionately about this that I get angry when
talk about it sometimes and I apologize to any of those who have been on the
receiving end of one of my lectures!! Read international news, read a book that
has more to it then love and aliens. Learn more about the world and the place
you have in it. The computer or phone you are reading this on has parts in from
all around the world; Africa, Asia, Europe, America. You are not just buying a
laptop, you are giving people jobs in a good way and sometimes not in a good
way. I am reading a book called, Bonobo handshake: a memoir of my times in the
congo, and it makes me want to keep doing what I am doing and more!!!
What is my next step? Where do I see myself in 5
years? Right now, all I am doing is looking to see what strikes my interest,
what makes me pause and want to know more, and really, that’s ok with me. I
don’t need a long term plan right now, I know that I want to go back to school,
but at not ready yet, I know that I want to spend some time with family and
friends back in states, but I don’t know when that will happen. I know that I
won’t take a job that I don’t feel right about. I won’t take a job just because
it’s in the right area of the world or makes a lot of money. I will do what
feels right for me, is that selfish? Maybe a little, but at 28, with nothing
holding me down, I can be a little selfish. :) 