1. Make enough money to pay off some college debt, at least put a small dent in the total.
2. Save some money if I don’t spend too much paying off college debt.
3. Totally immerse myself in a completely new culture.
4. Activate my secret plan that I wouldn’t dare tell my parents about.

I didn’t lay out too many specifics. I just wanted to get my feet on solid ground and start thinking about the rest of my life seriously because I figured that’s what you’re supposed to do when you’re all grown up.

What’s this secret plan?

Well, it’s nothing monumental. I hope I didn’t build it up too much.

I still haven’t told my family and friends, only hinted around the idea a bit. So, Mom, Dad, in case you’re actually reading my blog…

I’m going to work online.

What I mean by this is that I’m not going to take a day job right when I come home. I’ll be attempting, I hope successfully, to make a living by working on the Web.

The secret plan has been to establish myself in some corner of the Web, actually the WordPress corner. Mostly, it was to build up an online presence. I feel like I’ve done that well enough in the past year.

I’m usually pretty upfront about what my plans are with friends and family, but a conversation I had with my dad almost two years ago made me seriously think about what it is that I want out of life and how I must go about achieving whatever it may be. I was a bit less mature and a bit more naive at the time, but I knew I needed to take a spin in the real world before getting any crazy ideas (i.e. working online).

I wanted to feel like I’ve established myself somewhat before any of my family or friends would take me seriously, before I could take myself seriously.

So, you want specifics, right?

Well, I’m not going to lay out all my plans in this one post for you. I just wanted to kind of make everything official — it’s a personal motivation technique. If I’m telling the world, I’m much more likely to see my plans through.

I will say that Theme Hybrid will be my top priority. That’s not going to change. Business has been going well enough there for me to feel comfortable with this announcement.

I have a couple of other projects lined up too. Announcements on those will come in due time.

The plan was to start the new year with my major career decision. I wanted to stay in Korea until December, but as I recently announced, that’s not going to happen. So, I’m adjusting the plan. That’s life.

I’m both excited and nervous, but I also feel like I’ve been blessed with good timing (I’ll talk about what I mean by “timing” later).

In a couple of days, I’ll be embarking upon a new journey — one that I hope you’ll stick around to help me through.

I’ve enjoyed the school so far, but I won’t mention much about my actual work here on the site because I know people have gotten fired for blogging about work in the past. Nevertheless, I’m enjoying it. If you ever do want to know more details about my work, which is teaching Korean children English, you can just ask in the comments and I can e-mail you.

So far, I’ve enjoyed South Korea. Sure, after a week, I’ve felt a little homesick. But, I’m sure that’s more to do with not being able to call everyone I’m used to calling. My cell phone was like a drug, and I’m feeling some of the withdrawal pains now.

The language barrier is a little rough, but as long as you can figure out the money system, it’s easier to get around. I’ve really got to learn my numbers.

I’ve tried Korean barbeque, Korean pizza, and various cabbage-type things (I actually enjoy cabbage now, who knew?). However, I haven’t been eating as much since I’ve arrived, which may not be a bad thing considering how much weight I’ve gained in the last year.

My first week has been a little overwhelming—learning a new job, language, culture, and city. Even though it has been been overwhelming, I’ve enjoyed the experience thus far.

I plan on updating with some pictures at some point, and becoming a more frequent blogger also. Now that I’m settled in, I’m sure it’ll be easier.

I’m not exactly sure where to start, but I’ll come out with the big news first. I’m going to Seoul, South Korea to teach English for a year. Yes, pretty big news.

I had somewhat of an epiphany today. I was leaving my grandparents’ house to visit my mom and younger siblings when I passed a sign in someone’s front yard that said “Happy 90th Birthday!” A few miles down the road, there was another sign that read, “Slow: Funeral Zone.” It was easy to notice that one family was celebrating life and the other death. This doesn’t deal directly with where my life is, but it gave me a feeling that I needed to feel—I need to start living my life.

Living life has sort of been my theme lately. “L-I-V-I-N.” I always think of that line from Dazed and Confused when I say “living life.”

Let’s get back to the story at hand. A few months ago (when I was graduating from college), I happened to apply for a job through G’Day Korea. At this point in the job application process, I was pretty much applying for anything and everything. I basically told myself that it looks cool, but I’ll never get it. However, I applied anyway. Two months later, I got a call for an interview. Now, I’ll soon board a plane and my world will change forever.

Aside from the “big” news, I worked as a vendor for Storelink (a retail group under The Home Depot) for six weeks in Atlanta, Ga. My sister got me the job. Actually, two hours after being hired for that job, I got the call for an interview with G’Day Korea.

I’ve seen the Georgia Aquarium, toured the CNN Center, and attended my first Atlanta Braves baseball game. I’ve learned to hate Atlanta traffic and appreciate the traffic back home because I can make a 30-mile drive quicker than a 10-mile drive in Atlanta. I’ve read more than 10 books, which I plan on reviewing at some point in the future. I’ve knocked out a few new TV seasons on DVD (I’m totally addicted to 24 now).

I could continue listing things I’ve done this summer, but it wouldn’t amount to much compared to the upcoming trip to South Korea.

A few details about my trip:
The school is located in Seoul, South Korea.
I’ll teach for a year with an opportunity to renew.
I’m leaving in the next few days.
I’ll make decent money and my rent is free.
As far as I know, I’ll teach 7-12-year-old kids.
I’m excited and I’ll keep regular updates about my life here on the blog.

There’s no way I can tell you what to expect in the coming months of my life because I don’t know what to expect. I don’t have all the details, and that makes me feel a bit relieved. I feel like I’m about to embark on the greatest adventure I’ll ever have. I’m ready to take that first step on my journey into the unknown. I can only hope that it exceeds my expectations.

Until next time (whether from South Korea or Alabama, which I hope I’ll have time to blog before I leave)…

This morning, I finally sent my resume and sample writings to the Union Springs Herald. I’m applying for an editor job. It took me two days to put my sample writings together because I literally did not have enough time in the day to do it. And no, I wasn’t on a lazy streak or anything. I simply didn’t have the time. That was with four hours of sleep a night.

I figured since I was organizing my work, I’d share some of it with my readers. Here are two of the stories that I sent:

• Bedtime Adventures
  An interview with Jerry Sibley, author from Mount Hope, Ala., who penned The Adventures of Harley Earle.
• The Tiger Taxi Guy
  A feature profile on Kevin McCarley, the owner of Tiger Taxi in Auburn, Ala., and his wild nightlife driving an orange taxi in a college town.

Wish me luck with the job, and pray that I get an interview!

Visit Thursday Thirteen to see others’ lists.

But, I stray from the subject. Amazon has screwed up my last two orders. Well, the delivery people have. They, for some reason, won’t leave the package at my front door because I’m not home. This has never been a problem before.

The first order, due December 26, was Christmas gifts for Amy, my sister, and Tim, my brother-in-law. It’s now being replaced and reshipped. The next order, which was due today, was the second season of 24, and I need my 24 fix right now. I recently finished the first season, and I’m despearate for another great story.

I got TiVo on Monday. This the best add-on to the television since its invention. I even spent an hour tonight playing Wordsmith, a game on the TiVo. I’m addicted.

And, oh yeah, I’m almost through with my first week of school. I won’t bore anyone or even myself writing about the details. However, I will say that I potentially found a job that I might be interested in after I graduate (this came from my Editing & Design professor). Copy Editor. The pay is a little better than a reporter’s, I don’t have to do all those interviews, and it’s easy to move up fast because there’s not a lot of competition for the job.

I know this sounds like a lot of random things for one post, but I’m trying to cram this week’s happenings in this post and in a few minutes. I had some Internet trouble earlier in the week, and I’ve been adjusting to the major time minimization with school and work. I hope to be back on track from here on in with my blogging.

“You shouldn’t waste your time on stuff like that,” he said. (Although, he later claimed that he used the phrase, “Waste all your time.”)

I was taken aback by his utter lack of sensitivity toward one of my favorite pastimes. It would be like him saying, “Don’t waste your time writing.” My passion for web design is as strong as my passion for writing.

Basically, he was telling me, which he tried to explain through the rest of our conversation, is that I need to start focusing on my career ahead. Not web design. As if that could actually be a career.

I know what he’s trying to do. He’s trying to make me understand that I will one day have to provide for myself (actually, that’s pretty soon), provide for a family, and have a good retirement plan set up.

But, what I don’t think he realizes is that he is trying to turn me into a Cookie-Cutter American. Answers.com defines cookie-cutter as “Appearing to be mass-produced; identical in appearance.”

So that’s it. I’m expected to fit into this traditional mold of what it means to be American. Work the 9 to 5. Marry a great woman (which wouldn’t be so bad one day I suppose). Raise two or three kids. Own a two-car garage and a white-picket fence down a street perfectly aligned with three-bedroomed homes ending in a cul-de-sac. Nurture a dog named Fluffy. Cheer at football games. Applaud at school plays.

My generation isn’t set up to be a part of this conventional America from a 1950s sitcom that our parents play out in their heads. Our conventional America will be different than theirs.

I was always told as a youngster that I could be anything I wanted to be, do anything that I wanted to do. However, that’s not the reality when you grow up. People stop telling you those things. They tell you that you must take this job because it has dental. You must take this job because it has a better retirement plan.

No one tells you that you can be a rock star any more. You’re not good enough to play in the NFL. You can’t be a renowned author. And, you most certainly can’t blog for a living; you must remember, it doesn’t offer a life insurance policy.

I’ve been exposed to this degrading of dreams for a few years now. I’m out of high school, about to finish college, and I must embark upon the cruel reality of the job market. I’m no longer allowed to have dreams, at least not openly because it’s simply not supposed to happen. Only the lucky few get to live out their dreams. And time has passed me over. I’m 22 now. I’m too old to become the next pop star.

To hell with that, I say. Why can’t I live out the dreams I was told were possible as a kid? Why can’t I win the Nobel Prize? Why can’t I take home the Oscar for Best Director or Best Screenplay? Why can’t I put in 80-hour weeks to become the next millionaire blogger? That last one may be tough since I hardly have readership as it is. Nevertheless, why can’t I accomplish all these things in my lifetime?

The harsh pill to swallow is that my dad is, in part, right. And I agree with him. After I receive my diploma next May, I will have to join in with the millions of Americans in the work force. Maybe I’ll do something I’ll fall passionately in love with. Maybe I’ll become content with the life of the Cookie-Cutter American.

I know I’ll never be content though. I dream too much. My head wanders, and it takes me to places that I can’t remove myself from.

Today was the first day to call and schedule myself to work for Auburn’s game next Saturday. Now, before I begin I must say that I was told that I should call in on Tuesday (10:30 – 5:00) the week before the game, and get on the schedule to work, any shift.

So, of course I called right at 10:30.
No answer.
I call back five minutes later.
No answer.
Again at 10:40 and again at 10:45 with no answer either time.

By this time I had to go to class. I called back at 12:30 after class was over. I finally got someone. It was Sheika (or however you spell her name, I’m not really sure). I told her I wanted to work the 12 hour Friday night shift. She told me my report time was 5:30. Okay, I’ll be there. Then, she said to report Saturday at 2:45. And, I was like, huh.

To make a long, boring story a bit briefer, I was told that I had to work on Saturday at the game, completely going against what I was told at orientation by the head of the Auburn CSC branch. I went ahead and told her I’d work Friday night and Saturday at the game. Now, I’m having definite second thoughts though. Well, I had second thoughts during that moment in the phone conversation, but I didn’t want to get into with a supervisor before I even started my first day of work. Plus, I haven’t like her since I first went in to fill out an application. I get the impression that she is a little more than racist, and I was only hired because they probably had to meet some quota when hiring white people. But, I won’t get into that. It’s really a moot point in relation to the problem at hand.

The situation is that I have season football tickets (home games) that I purchased for $95. Now, I could have cancelled these tickets had I known that I would have to work at the actual game. My plan was to work the night before, go home, get some rest, then go to the game on Saturday. I can’t cancel the tickets now. Well, I can, but I won’t get a refund. So, if they won’t let me work the schedule that I had envisioned, then I guess I just won’t be working with them. It’s not like I need the money that bad anyway. Plus, I could probably use the extra time to relax. I just wanted to try out something new.

It’s just that I feel a little bad about quitting on all of them. They’ve been really good to me by working around my school schedule and giving me time off when I needed it. Plus, the money wasn’t too bad either. It’s like I’m losing a big part of my life. This is something I do three or four days a week. These are places I go and people I see those days. But, the truth of the matter is, is that it doesn’t really help with my time management, no matter how flexible they are with scheduling work.

It is time for me to move forward to a different place in my life now though. I’ve got a novel to finish, good grades to make, and I’ve got to figure out what to do with the rest of my life by next May. So, time management is key.

Even though I’m losing three yard work jobs, I am getting a new one with the Event Staff. At least, I think I am. I do have orientation at 6 pm tomorrow, well, I guess later tonight now. It is kind of late or early or whatever. Speaking of late, it’s time for bed.

So now I’m rambling about blogging again, for the second night in the row. I’ll cut that part of the post short.

One good thing…let me rephrase that…One Wonderful thing that happened today was a realization I came to about website development. I’ve always heard these things about relative paths and absolute paths and whatever. I never really gave it much attention. Lately, I’ve been trying to get the site running as fast as it can: cutting back on file size, image size, cleaning up code, etc. The thing that has made it run slow is how I’ve been linking to parts of the site. I’ve been doing the whole coding out like this, for example: http://www.dark-autumn.com/art/index.php when I should have been just putting /art . It’s as simple as that, and the site is running much smoother. Of course, I’ve had to go through all of the files and change all of the links and includes and all kinds of stuff. I haven’t finished completely cleaning it all up yet. That may take a few days to catch every little mistake.

Tomorrow (or should I say today) is my last day of finals. And yes, I should have been studying for those all night instead of working on the site and losing precious sleep. It’s not a big deal though. Most of the stuff is of the either-you-read-it-or-you-didn’t variety. I might give a breakdown on each class and its highs and lows sometime or another, just depends on my mood. I plan to anyway.

That leaves me at the end of this post. I’m off to get a few hours of sleep before my big day.

LAST DAY OF EXAMS!!! YEAH!!!