On December 17, 2003, I graduated from NC State with a degree that I thought would lead to me working in a fun occupation, Tourism. Well, where I'm at today is definitely different than what I planned. I'm still in the same miserable small town that I couldn't wait to leave upon graduating from high school. I'm still working at a part-time job that was supposed to be a stopgap for a better-paying occupation (December 15 marked four years since I started working there).

I got to this point by not properly planning. Once my internship ended in Myrtle Beach, I should have gone to the Career Center much sooner to find out what kind of jobs were there. At the very least, I would have something to fall back on. Secondly, I should have kept in contact with my internship agency by promoting other NC State students to intern for them the following summer. Had I not burned that bridge, I might have been able to work at a resort or even plan all kinds of activities for tourists. Finally, if I had taken the time to plan things throughout winter 2004, I would have never had the worst year of my life! After all, it was poor planning that caused me to go to Nashville for almost two months. I should have waited until a more opportune time rather than jumping up to say yes to Trey under some kind of pressure. If I had waited, I could have been a supervisor in Orlando in the summer of 2004, my bank account wouldn't have been closed, I would have never been in a position to go to UNCG and leave after one semester due to burnout, and I would have some kind of job security.

Currently, I'm working at a job that offers no benefits, and I just got a pay raise last year. The underlying sense from society is that an undergraduate degree has become so devalued that it might as well be equivalent to a high school diploma. If that's so, where is the money for grad school? I have enough problems paying back student loans right now. Given that going to graduate school costs at least five figures, how can I even think about attending when loans are basically the only way to go and grants are virtually nonexistent? I went to UNCG to get a second undergraduate degree in Accounting. I am currently leaning towards Transportation or Transportation Planning because I'd like to plan America's future transportation projects rather than working for someone in that industry. Being a train station attendant is working for someone else in the travel industry. I'd have liked to be part of the leadership, but since this recession is preventing people from traveling, it may be time for me to give up on this dream and move on to something else.

I will forever be kicking myself for waht happened in May 2007. I had an interview lined up with a California tour operating company. The first day, a Tuesday, the interviewer had language problems with a group and had to reschedule. After waiting around on the second day, I decided to go to the Triangle to fight off boredom and to dig up an old newspaper article. Oops, it turned out that the interviewer had called while I was away. Since I had worked all day the following day, we had to rescheudle for that Friday. I checked my e-mail on Thursday. Nothing during the day. The following day was supposed to be the interview
at 5:00 my time. I was at work until 3:15 due to late trains and my new boss meeting with my then-station supervisor. I did not get a phone call after that Wednesday. So, imagine the feeling of horror that I received when I checked my e-mail that Friday night--an e-mail was sent to me Thursday evening. In all honesty, that was my last good chance at a job in the travel and tourism industry.

During my birthday last year, I did a chart of where I'd like to be and what I would to do withing the next five years. Honestly, other than throwing out old newspapers to be less of a packrat (as well as to put the past behind me), going back to school and investing in things like stocks, I'm not sure that any of my goals are going to be possible within the given time frame due to this economy possibly blowing up into another Great Depression.