Both Sides of the Fence
I have been on both sides of the fence.
I lived in the same house at the same address for 18.5 years in a suburb of Detroit, MI. I used to joke that ‘deep south’ meant going to Toledo, OH. If I had continued at our local community college and remained in the area, I would have missed out on so much. However, there is much to be said for the feeling of security of not moving outside your comfort zone.
I jumped over that fence when I got on an airplane and traveled to Alabama for WAC basic training. I found myself celebrating my 19th birthday on a beach in Florida. I celebrated a very homesick Christmas when I was 20, in Zweibrucken, Germany. I gave birth to a baby in a hospital in Taegu, South Korea where no one around me spoke English except my husband. These were all growing experiences for me. The more cultures, climates, and circumstances a person experiences, adds so much to life.
This made me a mother hen who encouraged her chicks to fly away where the jobs are. I am still secure in my motherhood; there is email, snail mail, cell phones, etc. When I left home, I managed to maintain a close relationship with home through letters, photos, and occasional visits.
Where is this going? I see to many students afraid to interview for and accept jobs in places other than Augusta, GA. There is a whole world out there waiting to be explored, new people to meet, places to see, and opportunities not to miss. Whether its a job in Macon, GA or San Diego, CA, give life a chance. Of course you must consider the cost of living in other places when accepting a job and you must willing to take the first step away from your comfort zone.
Or you can stay in your comfort zone. It is your choice.
A good first step to expanding your world is take advantage of ASU’s study abroad program.
Recent posts by Nancy
- Why it can be difficult for a non-trad to do any study abroad!
- Like a runaway frieght train, this semester races towards the finish.
- Jaguars and Tigers
- Seventy Five Percent Done
- Both Sides of the Fence
- Connections
- How do I spell success?
- Pardon Me, could you please get a life?
- Everyone comes from somewhere
- My keys were not in hand
- Time Management (TM)
- The ABCs of Parking at ASU
- Life, Loss, and Love
- A scholarship can be so meaningful.
- Who knew a Newton was not a fig bar?
- Why does a person return to college?
- Voting as a 'Rite of Passage'
- Oh where oh where has my 'Motivation' gone?
- Textbooks can be intimidating!
