I’ve been learning a lot of new things lately. Languages – trying to teach myself German, intermittent Chinese lessons from the boyfriend-person. These are the fun things. It’s a part of my brain that I thought was too old and tired to pick up anything new.
The not-so-fun learning: I’ve been planning for the end of the grace period on my student loans. Learning about repayment options, standard versus income-based repayment versus Pay-As-You-Earn… It’s a lot to take in, and that’s just the federal loans. I’ve been learning how to budget effectively for my sub-par income. Learning how to deal with the strange and quiet dread of the weight of all this debt.
It’s not all bad, though. I have a job now. It’s a part-time, three days a week, twelve dollars an hour kind of job, but at least it’s something. And the rest of the week, I’m an intern at the Art Institute. It’s something I can tell people. I’m proud of it.
One of my cousins gave me a card as a graduation gift when I vacationed with my family in July. She’s 14. In the card, she’d written that I had always been a role model to her, and that she had learned from my example that hard work = success.
I can be proud of that.
My diplomas are still in the back of that cabinet, but I might take them out and hang them up one of these days.
ta hypomnemata 