The purpose of this blog was to force myself to write more. Somehow in this venture I am hoping to become a better writer, more disciplined and precise, if nothing else.
As the end of my (current) career as a student draws ever closer, more and more people are asking me what I plan on doing after graduation. I have several unsatisfactory answers to this question.
Answer One: I don’t know. I think I just need a break from school for a while. I guess I will pick up more hours at work. These answers seem aimless and disappointing. What a lackluster existence post college life will be for me.
Answer Two: I just want to write in some capacity. Where has my enthusiasm gone? This answer generally leads to many more questions that are met with equally vague answers.
Answer Three: Take some time off before I apply to graduate school. This seems to be the most gratifying answer, for all parties.
The point of this is to say that I aim spinning round and round in search of a direction that feels inspiring and right. Truthfully I don’t ‘just want to write.’ I want to write non-fiction. I want to write pieces that are compelling, thought provoking and leave a lasting impression. I want to write and learn while I am doing it.
Today I went to a convention of physicists. It was a thought experiment on science journalism. I introduced myself several times as a freelance writer. It gave me a pang of self-satisfaction, and it rolled off the tongue quite easily. I sat through a lecture on measuring gravitational waves and another lecture, by Nobel Prize winning physicist Wolfgang Ketterle, on cold atomic oscillation. I can’t say that I understood much of either of the lectures but I enjoyed thinking about how I might approach, pull apart and present the experience as a story.
Finding your niche is tough thing to do. I think, at least for now, I have found the path towards it. My career path seems ever less glamorous, but ever more interesting and rewarding.
