Speeding Back into the Unknown

It looks like I’m back on that speeding roller coaster carrying me on a crazy ride to destinations unknown. While this change was something I’ve been looking for, now that it is here I feel overwhelmed with the speed and the unclear destination at the end. Will I crash into a brick wall? Will I be flung off the track into the icy waters lying below? Will I pull safely into a station and be welcomed with open arms? Only time and the ride will tell.

Okay, time to leave this metaphor behind and be specific.

At the end of August, we are going to leave Kansas and move to Massachusetts as Nathan has accepted a position as technical director at Worcester State University.

There are both positive and negatives to this move, the biggest negative being a pay cut (especially since I don’t know how long it will take me to find work). But, given the insanity of his job in Kansas, and the fact that it has really caused chaos to our marriage and our family (one of the things I haven’t really written about) we decided that this move was something that had more benefits than negatives.

I move back into the unknown, with no clear job, no clear role, and (as of yet) no clear address to move into.  I am starting all over again, and I’m not sure what that means. Despite all the interesting projects I’ve done over this past year, I still have a career path that has so many twists and turns it is almost impossible to decipher.

I don’t know who or what I am anymore. I don’t know how to market myself to  get the job of my dreams, because I’m not sure what that job is.  Here is the description of myself that I put on LinkedIn a long time ago,

Overview: I am a person who takes on challenges and makes them happen. I welcome learning new things that help me achieve goals. I welcome diversity and unusual opportunities. What this has led to is a diverse and complicated career that is hard to pigeonhole. I am looking for more opportunities and projects that will take advantage of my intelligence, desire to learn, creativity, leadership ability, passion and love of language and culture. I am:

• A Theater Artist & Educator: I have worked in theater in numerous roles including director, stage manager, playwright, and designer. I have directed shows for adult audiences and for child audiences. I teach classes to children and adults. I have collaborated on new works. I am passionate about the power of theater to change lives. I am looking for opportunities to collaborate on interesting and meaningful creative projects.

• An Interdisciplinary Educator: In addition to teaching in college theater departments and arts programs, I have taught in other disciplines, including: writing (composition classes), education, library research, general studies and honors programming. I’ve developed interdisciplinary classes that incorporate theater with other disciplines. I also have mentored students in a variety of ways. I am looking for opportunities that allow me to share my love of teaching and mentoring in creative ways.

• Writer: I write. I’ve written everything from a doctoral dissertation to articles for children; grant applications to a novel for young adults (as yet unpublished); blog entries to journal articles. I am as passionate about writing as I am about theater and education. I am looking for opportunities to write, in any form.

• Manager: I have worked as a stage manager, house manager, festival coordinator, and producer. I have helped start three theater companies and organized volunteers for many events. I am looking for opportunities that allow me to combine my organization skills with my creativity

As you can see, I am a complex individual. But, where this will take me, I have yet to see.

All I know is that here I go . . .

Anyone have suggestions of where to go from here?

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