So I apologize for my inconsistent blogging as of late. I have been up to other things, like planning travel and my future. No big, right? All assistants have the chance to extend their contract to work until June, and lately teachers have been bringing it up quite often. They have even began talking to me as if this is what I have decided to do. I never signed anything, and honestly, I was really back and forth for a while. I need to be back at the end of May for a wedding and for Alumni Weekend on the first weekend in June. My contract originally ends at the end of April, so I have almost all of May to wander back to the United States. 

There are several options I have available to me:

1. Go home immediately after my contract

2. Travel until I have to be back for the wedding in upstate Wisconsin

3. Work May and rush back home for the festivities

What would you choose? Staying is incredibly appealing. The more I travel, the longer the list of places I want to go increases. I have one friend who competitively compared passports with me this week, and I can’t dim the allure of trying to beat him before going back—the varsity athlete in me definitely shows itself in this way. I haven’t revisited Berlin or Madrid, but I also still haven’t been to BudaPest, Morocco or Greece!

On the other hand, I really want to be back home. I miss my friends, my family and Chicago. I am beginning to see my behavior as neglect towards my friends and selfishness that I’m allowing friendships to slip just because I want to be able to say things like “Paris in the morning!” (This was true, by the way. I was there on Saturday). More time in Chicago would definitely be worth it. 

My third consideration is stability. It’s officially been a year since I left for my 7-week Eurotrip last year. Since even before then, I was living at two places simultaneously and pretty much out of a bag. This sort of lifestyle just isn’t sustainable. Frankly, I’m tired. It would be an incredible change to be able to live with all of my clothes and precious belongings in the same place for at least 12 months. That’s really all I’m asking. It’s also time for me to start my career and become occupied again. Unfortunately, this won’t be in Chicago. 

Over the weekend, I decided that I’d chose to favor stability, friendships and career over continuing the lifestyle I’ve been living for nearly two years. So, after my move back to Chicago in May, I’ve decided to make a “final” move to the East Coast in June. Ideally, it will be for the summer publishing program at Columbia University, but even if it’s not for that, I’m NYC bound. 

So, dearest friends, I am keeping my contract where it is, to end at the end of April. I’ll make a few final trips to visit friends and places that I haven’t yet and then heading back. I’m hoping this to be within the first two weeks in May. Wish me luck, and see you sooner than later! <3