Thursday, February 28, 2008

Some introductions

These days blogs are like assholes; everybody has one but few are worth looking at. At the risk of foolish redundancy and reckless time embezzlement, I too will attempt to transform my random and pointless thoughts to written text for your enjoyment (or disgust).

Why do I do this? I supose it must rank as one of the ultimate clichés - to write (no even worse blog) about a trip or some form of adventure. While I admit it has been done before, perhaps too many times, I remain willing to engage in the ultimate of hackneyed and prosiac exercises, if only for my own contemplation and satisfaction. So I appoligize if you are a friend of mine and reading this at my own behest or encouragement. I promise to include as many pictures as I can and limit the word vomit to a minimum.

I am about to leave the North American continent for a job on Guam. While initially this was not an easy decision, I have become increasingly comfortable and excited at the prospect of this adventure. Why was this a difficult decision? Guam is a tropical paridise with a surprisingly comfortable climate that few have an opportunity to visit in thier lifetime, yet I was not certain that I should accept the job.

Since 2005, I have been working towards a master's degree in Public History at Middle Tennessee State University. Although I have completed 42 hours of coursework and passed the written and oral comprehensive final exams, I have yet to finish a thesis required to complete my degree. Frankly, I had already assumed that this job was not going to happen and resigned myself to return to Tennessee to work and finish my thesis. Once I set an plan of action for the future complete with concrete goals, objectives, and expectations, I find it difficult to fundamentally alter the agenda, let alone completely scrap it. So despite the tremendous opportunities that Guam presented (tropical paridise, dream job, bennefits, travel), I was intially reluctant to accept it. After forty eight hours of contemplation, I decided to accept the postion.

Guam here I come.

1 comment:

Gretel said...

"Go to Guam, Ben. Duh..." That was my reaction. I'm glad to see you headed off to paradise. Paradise with snakes. Paradise about war. Thanks for sharing your beautiful and generous spirit with those of us here at Manzanar. I'm confident you can drink mai tais and finish your thesis both. Good luck.