The future is uncertain.
I may post considerably less often. Or nothing may change at all. At this point, I really have no idea just how much of my life will be changing, but the comments I made about postponing house updates or making much cheaper decisions, are all related to this:
I am accepted into a graduate program in a city roughly 2 hours away from home to gain a
Master of Science in anthropology, studying bioarchaeology.
W00t!
Boy and my kitties will stay here, and I will be staying with my gracious mother-in-law during the week. (That may scare the heebie jeebies out of some of you, but I tell you, she is a good friend of mine:) I will commute home each weekend when possible, or Boy will come visit me. It will be hard, make no mistake about it. At least this time, cellphones and the internet is in abundance (we started out as a long distance relationship basically at the brink of those things becoming common household items).
Things I will miss:
Boy, Maya and Sasha, the friends I see every day at work, freedom of my paychecks (good bye great job of over 10 years), not having to go to a bank to make a deposit, my craft room, my huge amount of free time, freedom of living nightshift hours and never using a damn alarm clock, my kitchen, my 10 minute commute, getting gas once a month or less, kitties, kitties, kitties, boy, boy boy.
Things to make up for it:
Education and enlightenment and fulfillment, partaking in real research, pursuing a career that I actually enjoy, opening doors to the future, meeting new friends, hanging out with MIL, a pool and gym and bike trail, stepping outside of my comfort zone, having no regrets about something I never did and should have.
About bioarchaeology:
This article at wikipedia explains what bioarchaeology is. I learned it first hand on my field school to Peru in 2007. It is not archaeology – archaeologist do the digging part and mostly work with artifacts – the things that people made. Instead, it is essentially studying the skeletal remains of past populations to put together a picture of how they lived, what activities and diets and pathologies they had, and how they died. Most of you have probably seen Bones, and that is not it either – she is a forensic anthropologist who’s purpose is to identify an individual for the purposes of law. The two fields are similar in my mind, except I will be working outside of the realm of crime and generalizing to populations.
About the program:
The program itself is brand-new, and I will be among its first students so my cohort will be very small – this is good: lots of individual attention from the specialists in the field. It will take two years so I will be finished around May of 2013. Over next summer, I am required to do another field school, which I am looking forward to. My main advisor seemed really passionate about the work and the program so I feel I will be in very good hands. There are a couple projects that we talked about that I am interested in and can begin research on day one. In the lab is a technology that only exists in one other place in the states, and one other place in another country. That has created a global network of anthropologists for this budding program already.
I hope to start a blog for my academic life, and if you are interested in following it, be sure to email me for the link (I will not be making it public here). calynn ((at)) thecrafties ((dot)) com.
Do you have anything that you could ask yourself “If I don’t do this now, when will I?” ?
Congratulations! 🙂 I’m very excited for you! I would love to follow you along and be an armchair bioarchaeologist! And yeah, CaLynn..I sure do ask myself… I need to get my butt back into school! I’ve been putting it off for too long now. I’ve been moving along on my plan of opening an etsy shop..but, still “if I don’t do this now, when will I?” I can’t wait to hear all about your new adventure! 🙂
Thanks Eileen! I am getting quite excited:) When I get the website operational, I will send you the link:) Sometimes circumstances do not let you fulfill each and every passion – but as long as you stay committed to trying, I believe that is what really matters!
Congratulations!!!! Where? closer to me by any chance? 😉 Send me the link 🙂
Sorry chica, not closer;) I have added you to my list, so when I get the new site operational, you will be notified! 🙂
I know it’s been a long haul to get to this point. I’m very excited for you and proud that you stuck with things. I’m sure you’ll blow them away with your desire to learn and I know you’ll appreciate the opportunities more than others. 🙂
Best wishes
Aww thanks box! I hope all is well:)
YAY!!!!!! I’ll have to come visit you and see the school and program!!! You’re living a long time dream…try really really hard to remember that when you’re about to cry in frustration about graduate school LOL! JK!! You’ll be missed!!
Haha thanks for the comforting words Jaclyn;) A visit will be awesome! I’ll be sure to bug you for one;)
Of course we want to continue hearing from you. Your progress..disappointments, joys, excitements. etc. Just keep learning and sharing…Good Luck.
We miss you at work everyday. I know its for the best and you will do great things. :O} I bet your Boy and kitties miss you too.
Still miss me? 😉