I just signed the master promissory note for my grad school loans. Yikes! I have now signed in blood that I won’t default on the repayment of my loans. This is all very new and scary territory for me, and frankly I don’t like it all that much. Sometimes I wonder if I am doing the right thing in taking on all this debt. Hopefully the rest of graduate school won’t be this nasty.
June 2008
Monthly Archive
June 30, 2008
June 24, 2008
The Road Less Traveled
There are certain quotes/sayings/phrases that I have picked up throughout my life and stored away in some corner pocket of my brain. Every now and then I like to dig deep into that pocket when I am seeking motivation. One of my favorites is the last few lines of ‘The Road not Taken’ by Robert Frost.
| Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— | |
| I took the one less traveled by, | |
| And that has made all the difference |
In April of this year the following e-mail appeared in my inbox.
“Congratulations! You have been admitted to Yale School of Public Health!”
In that instant, my life changed. Moving far away for graduate school isn’t too far off the trodden path. People do it all the time. However, for me…….moving clear across the country, to a place unknown, unexplored, and COLD is so out of the norm, that it has blown my comfort zone to smitheries. I have never lived more than 80 miles from home, and suddenly I find myself making plans to reside more than 2,000 miles away. I have never been in debt, and suddenly I get a financial aid package from a school where the tuition per year is equitable to a brand new Mercedes Benz.
I must admit, that for a while, the thought of moving to the East Coast for graduate school scared the living daylights out of me. I pictured myself standing on the street, freezing cold, with blue lips and only my cup of ramen noodles to keep me warm. And then I thought…..”Do they even sell ramen in Connecticut??? I had better bring my own from California, just to be safe.” But then, the more I thought about it, and the more my friends and family encouraged me, the more I realized that it was going to be ok. No, it was going to be more than just ok, it was going to be fantastic! I’ve always been a big believer that the most growth occurs when you stretch yourself to the furthest reaches of your ability, and from there, push just a little bit harder. And now, this is my chance. Now is my time to let go of my safety blanket and allow myself to flourish.
Two roads are diverging, and I am going to take the one less traveled by. And I know……it is going to make all the difference.
