The ostensible ego in me keeps drawing me back the
blogosphere. Honestly, how long could I really go without talking/writing about myself? It's all just too predictable, if you ask me. Somehow, someway, I knew I'd be back...and you knew it, too.
Cliff notes: Let's recap the last year or so, shall we?
Summer comes and goes: When we last saw Ari, the healthcare practice at her ho-hum consulting job was falling apart at the seams. No, matter...it was summer, and lots of fun left to be had...including a few regular trips to Assateague Island. The best of the last few shining moments of what would be her last summer in Washington...for the forseeable future.
Professional props and pratfalls: The fall started off with a bang and a great surprise - a promotion and a long-term project in Atlanta! Ari became very excited about the prospect of seeing Moms and Pops more often and settled into a fairly cushy gig...or so she thought (to be continued)
Hoya Paranoia! The winter didn't seem too cold as the Hoyas fired up the basketball court, dominating the Big East and making their first appearance at the Final Four in a looong time! Ari didn't miss a moment as a first year season ticket holder...she even witnessed the best.weekend.ever with some fellow Hoyas in Atlanta for the tournament.
All is not lost! Poor, pitiful Ari (tongue firmly in cheek) was nearly sideswiped in March by some unexpected news: her company's practice wasn't doing so hot, so she got laid off! Not to worry, as always, Miss Ari landed on her feet and found a cool new position just a week later...but it could only get better from there...
So long, sucka!
When you wish upon a star: Unbeknownst to many (except a small, determined band of friends and family who greatly tired of hearing about it) during much of '06, Ari had been hatching a plan to leap from working to graduate school. After studying for the GMAT during the winter and working and re-working scores of essays and personal statements, Miss Ari learned her fate:
"Congratulations! On behalf of Harvard Business School, I am genuinely pleased to
offer you a place in the MBA Class of 2010.""Congratulations! I am pleased to offer you admission to Harvard University ’s John F. Kennedy School of Government ..."You've heard the saying that it takes a village to raise a child...well, it takes two cities, multiple prayers, countless friends and family members, and a lot of anti-anxiety medication to get Ari into Harvard! Seriously, though, anyone who has ever been through this process can attest that it is a
loooong, sometimes lonely, journey of self-reflection, but I wouldn't change a thing if I had to do it all over again...except I wouldn't apply to so many schools, thus saving myself a few hundred dollars.
So, there it is: for the next three years, I will freezing my
tookus off in Boston, studying both business and public policy (
healthcare and international development are my focus areas). In 2010 I hope to graduate with two master's degrees and the inspiration to achieve pretty much anything I set my mind to do. I am still, four months after receiving those letters, overwhelmed, humbled, excited and terrified about this transformational experience. Just don't ask me what I want to do after I graduate...I can't even think that far ahead.
Summer 2007: All in all, it's been interesting. I've been working at a hospital with people I absolutely adore, living it up on a beach with new classmates while saying goodbye (for now) to old and dear friends, and just generally trying to mentally prepare myself for the next steps. As my parents and I can both attest: no 25-year-old should be living at home. I've definitely worn out my welcome, and I will probably have to write to the Vatican to ask that my parents be canonized for what they've had to put up with this year. They still love me and are proud of me and support me no matter how awful I've been...and for that, I owe them. Big time.
As for the blog, well, I expect this will become a place to capture my next life experiences for posterity and preservation. Hopefully I can keep up. You've been put on notice,
blogosphere:
The mack is back.
