Fast Moving Changes

Here we are, 11 days into November, and already so much is changing.

First of all, it’s NaNoWriMo and my novel “Penelope” is going well. I’m on track to get the 50,000 words done before the end of November. And even just sitting here, I just figured out a big chunk of the story. So that’s exciting. And while it is only a first draft, I’m seeing little bits and pieces of how this book could be the setup for the rest of the series. I am going to need to prioritize which stories will go into the main timeline, and which will be in the same world, but not part of the primary timeline. And that’s going to take some time, but it feels like the series is taking more definite shape than it was previously.

Second of all, I got an official promotion at work, which is so fucking exciting for me! I’m officially a Project Coordinator. I was acting in the PC role for a few different projects, but now that I’ve been fully trained in how to use the PC programs, I’ve been assigned to working with specific Project Managers rather than only working on specific projects. And this morning I set up my first project (mostly) on my own, which is exciting. Moving upward and adding more skills to my resume is really motivating. I’m still working on social media marketing too, but my primary role is as Project Coordinator.

Third of all, I was recently accepted into a second master’s program and I officially registered for my classes this week. In January, I start a Master of Arts in Literature from Mercy College in New York. The program is online, thankfully, so I don’t have to move to anything. And one of my closest friends from my M.F.A. program is doing this M.A. program too, which is even more exciting. She was the one who told me about it and when I saw the requirements, the classes offered, and the low cost of attendance, I realized it was something I very much wanted to do.

My M.F.A. program was not without its dark moments, but on the whole, it was a great experience. I’m proud of myself, the writing I did, the thesis I made, and I’m proud of how resilient I was facing not only an overlapping divorce, but also a precarious living situation and eventual personal attack on my integrity. It was a lot to handle, a lot to overcome, and a lot to process while also working and going through grad school. How I managed to get through it all, I really don’t know. I resent that I even had to, but I’m also really fucking proud of myself. And through it all, I had the incredible support of fellow students, amazing faculty, and a partner who never ceases to surprise me.

But I’ve always known that I wanted two graduate degrees. It’s been a goal in my life to take myself as far as I can go in my education. Growing up, I internalized so many damaging views about my abilities and my intelligence. It wasn’t until I got to college that I realized how much I love learning. So then I decided I wanted to see how far I could take myself, and now that includes a second master’s degree, this one in Literature.

So there have been a lot of changes, lots of movement forward in my life this month. It’s exciting, it’s thrilling, it’s leading me to ask myself what else I want in my life. I’ve written down several ideas, and we’ll see how they go once the new year starts. So here’s some motivation for your Thursday: write down something you want to see happen in your life next year, and then start thinking of ways to make that shit happen.