359 Days

Success!

Although sales at Last Thursday were minimal, luck has sided with me as I have just accepted a position as a research assistant to the lead medieval art history professor at Portland State University. The pay is substantially more than the other interviews I have lined up for the week, therefore I will not have to return to food service at this point in time. The best part of this new position is that I did not apply for it, I was sought out due to my diligence and research capabilities exhibited in prior coursework. You know what? Hard work does pay off!

This is the stroke of luck I have been working towards, as this job will boost my resume, aid my scholarship-obtaining-potential and definitely make a huge contribution to my savings. Not only that, but the hours are flexible so I will be able to keep my position at the Dirce Toulan Library.

My graduate school goals are within my grasp, and I cannot wait for the day I take off to Dundee!

ONE YEAR

It's official, I am within the year mark of my Scotland sojourn!

I have finally concluded summer term, and I'm happy to report that I have received a 4.0 GPA!  I took the past week off to rest and catch up on some TV shows as my 7 day a week schedule for the past 12 weeks was finally starting to wear me down. Now that I'm rested and rejuvenated, my search for scholarship money continues. There is still a lot of planning, budgeting, scheming, writing and drawing ahead of me, and I'm excited to continue on!

Now that I am within a year of my travels, it feels more serious and imminent. I am actually starting to feel nervous, anxious and a little voice is creeping into my head exacerbating my hesitations. What if I can't come up with the money? What if my visa is denied? What if I get there and I hate my flatmates? What if I can't find a job? What if I don't want to come back to the states?

They are practical concerns, but teetering a little too much on the negative side for me to give them attention. If I remain positive, keep focusing on my work, applying for scholarships and working as much as possible, I know I can do this. 

Some updates:

-I will be participating in Last Thursday, the street fair held monthly throughout the summer on NE Alberta Street here in Portland. At this event I will lug out all of my drawings, paintings, comics and prints to sell. It's free to set up, so it doesn't hurt trying to make a little extra money. For myself, this is a win-win event as I get to socialize, make some money and simultaneously downsize my belongings. 

-Budgeting has been made easier now that I can eliminate my monthly grocery bill with the newfound discovery of the PSU Student Food Pantry. This campus gem allots students 5 items per visit along with unlimited 'freebie' items such as produce and bread. With proper meal planning, I should be able to completely eliminate food costs and bolster my savings! 

-Monday the 31st I have an interview with a coffee shop for part-time work. With any luck, I'll land the job and be able to resign from my volunteer activities. As much as I do love being an intern and volunteer, it is time for me to really focus on completing my coursework and saving as much $$ as possible. But, that is dependent on the interview, so fingers crossed I'll get some extra work!

Ideal plan for Phase 1 & 2 (now until December):

-Turn in Fulbright

-Kickstart savings via Last Thursday

-Finalize "support" comic

-Get second job

-Re-Open Etsy or the like to sell the rest of paintings

-Craigslist Printer, scanner, computer, etc... 

380 Days

I feel as if I'm in this liminal space where I'm not really connected to Portland and obviously not in Scotland...yet. Fully aware of the year left before I embark on my travels, I'm having a hard time suppressing the wanderlust that is brewing within me. Although I have been keeping busy with finishing the last week of summer term, working 7 days a week and scheming how to fit my life into a suitcase, the travel bug will not get out of my mind. Along with reading comics studies essays (as mentioned in the prior post) I've been reading travel books and travelogue comics in order to be as prepared as I possibly can when I leave. I don't know if it' helping or hindering my wanderlust, but at least I won't be completely clueless when I embark. Also, reading the travel and memoir comics are truly inspirational and insightful of what I hope to create regarding my own journey and dissertation proposal. Here's what Ive been reading this week:

How to Travel the World on $50 a Day Matthew Kepnes
The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost Rachel Friedman
Lonely Planets Best Ever Travel Tips
Age of License Lucy Knisley
Carnet de Voyage Craig Thompson
Truth is Fragmentary Gabrielle Bell

I've found little nuggets of priceless information from all of the texts so far, especially when it comes to booking flights and accruing air miles via credit cards. Another helpful company mentioned in several was FairFX.com, a way to get currency before I travel so I won't be hit by ATM fees while exchanging money at the airport. As I'm on a budget now, I'll be on a tighter budget while I'm traveling until I can secure part-time employment in Scotland, so discovering ways to lessen fees will definitely help in the future.

As far as preparations, there's not much I can do at this moment except wait patiently (hence the liminal mindset). I have a paper to wrap up for my early medieval history course, and a zine release party to attend on Wednesday for my senior capstone. I have a list of miscellaneous things I'd like to work on when classes conclude this week, such as improving my life drawing and urban sketching. Since I've made a travel watercolor palette, I'm excited to enjoy the end of summer while filling my sketchbook.

BUT! August 31st, my payday, I will finally have enough money to get my PASSPORT! Hot dog hallelujah, I'm so stoked. Getting my passport is my first big goal to mark off my list, and once I do it, the ball will officially be rolling towards graduate school. As I've read on other travel sites, you're never serious about traveling until you get your passport, so I hope I'll get some sort of validation from the universe once I get that pocket-sized blue book.

Other than that, I don't have much to report. Until my next milestone, I'll keep plugging away at downsizing my belongings and saving my pennies.