90/90, here we are

Posted: May 11, 2010 | Posted by meganveit | Labels: , ,

How fitting that the end of this challenge, which ended up taking 102 days, should come when the next Life Phase is beginning. I love it when life fills in its own transitions, and I don't have to create a scene break or artificitial transition statement in the narrative of my life.

So here we are: sitting in Joe's office at the St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley while he grades students' finals. Outside, it is summer. Officially. It is 80 degrees, sunny with a chance of rain and a 100 percent chance of beer-drinking and Rome-watching this evening. We are nearly done with our educations; Joe graduates on Friday. We are nearly done with wedding plans; we're addressing invitations tonight (BEFORE drinking).

I have an endlessly growing summer reading list, starting with the rest of Main Street this week to get myself back in the Lost Generation mindset. Through these 90 (or 102, depending on your outlook) days, I've realized what I'm writing to and where my reading focuses, fiction- and nonfiction-wise. Now, I'm dedicating myself to those causes. I'm generating more creative writing. I'm readying myself for real life as a Writer, because unless I'm willing to put that label on myself, I won't be willing to do the work to get myself there.

So. We're at the start of summer, after Saturday's graduation. I have this week to brace myself and hold down some quick jobs: a reporter at the Wapakoneta Daily News, possibly doing some freelance work and definitely working for my dad's handyman business... including starting his Web site. I'm utilizing the summer to gain real skills. I'm pushing past the student of the classroom mindset and moving onto being a Student of the World.

Joe and I have been doing a lot of talking to this topic. We're both seriously considering PhD's in some sort of literature, trying to figure out our focus and when we'd be be ready for that kind of workload while still managing to hold down jobs. We're deciding what kind of people we'll be together, how to hold each other accountable for writing and submitting and publishing and working and then living outside of these things.

So what I'm saying here is that when I reached the end, I felt anything but sad. I felt relieved, invigorated, anxious for this next phase: to have a week of ironing out wedding details, budget details, summer visit details and writing schedules with Joe; to have a week of relaxation before really beginning a 30 Day Shred; then to get working and writing for real. Because it is real now, isn't it? This is that moment they tell you about, when you enter the Real World. And away we go.

I'm off to spend my night writing letters, figuring out how much food I can buy each week, buying champagne flutes, drinking strawberry smoothies, creating a pre-France shopping list and sitting with my future husband. La vie, je t'aime.

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