This & then some of that too

It’s time for an update, and I decided this time, to give an update of what’s actually going on with me.

I’m starting to look at potential graduate schools. Senior year is fast approaching, and with that comes GRE, applications to graduate schools, senior thesis, and figuring out what I’m going to actually do with the rest of my life. I visited Mississippi State because they had a program called “Anthropology and Middle East Cultures” (AMEC), but after visiting the facility over Spring Break, I was disappointed to find that the appropriate name should have probably been “Archeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures.” My interest in Anthropology unfortunately does not spill over the Archeology at all, and as far as I could tell, the Middle East Culture part seemed to be quite nonexistent to me. That got nixed from my list of possibilities. As far as the other options go, I’m finding that Anthropology and Middle East Studies is actually a RARE master to have, and the only professor in Anthropology that I have found who specializes in the Middle East so far is actually at the University of Arkansas. Strange that the UofA would end up being my first option for graduate school.

In about a month, I will be heading to Jordan to work with my parents in their work in Southern & Northern Jordan (a majority of my time will be spent in Southern Jordan, though). I’ll be out in the villages, chit chatting with the village women, possibly teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) classes, jewelry making classes, working with this Peace Corp girl in her work in the area, and working on an Archeological dig site. (When it comes to Archeology, I like it if I can dig.) I’m trying to raise money through churches and colleagues and friends of my parents at the moment, and hoping to at least get the $1600 plane ticket covered; although it would be great to get my living expenses covered as well for the 3 months that I am there. Any little bit helps with the expenses though, even if it is just the plane ticket that gets covered.

There’s a lot that needs to be done before I head to Jordan though. I found out a couple of weeks ago that I am needing to be moved out of my current apartment by April 30th. However, I need a place to stay for an additional week before I head to Jordan, so I am trying to figure out how to get that all worked out. So, in this month that I have left (or rather, 3 weeks), I need to pack up all my belongings, decide where to put it all in storage at for the summer, sign a lease on a new apartment & pay a deposit so that when I return in August, I’ll have a place to move into, and finish up school with papers and finals.
I am trying to remain as unstressed throughout this month as I possibly can, but some days prove more difficult than others. With all that, as well as some underlying things as well, I am trying to tell myself to take one day at a time and not to worry too much about tomorrow. Getting a paper written is all I need to worry about for today, while tomorrow I can worry about checking out one-bedroom apartments, and the next day packing up unused items to put into storage somewhere (which I will worry about the day after that).

And that is what has been going on with me so far.