Avoiding the cardboard box...

Yeah, I cliff hangered on that last post, but if I'm going to start a blog, I can't spill EVERYTHING all at once. I can't promise it will never happen again, but I CAN promise my stories will make more sense than LOST ever will.

I said it in my last post, but I honestly never planned to move out of Michigan at this point in my life, since have a partially finished master's degree, and have found fairly steady work in the Ann Arbor area. For two years I've worked for an arts advocacy organization at the University of Michigan. I adore the work I do there, the people I work with, and being on the campus I love. I always knew the job wouldn't last forever though. It's a student job, and I've been lucky to have it for as long as I have. I got official word that my work ends this April, and when that decision was made, I had two choices. I could go into another Michigan-based job search (something I just finished in December when I got a part time job in retail), or expand my horizons.

I don't know if you've heard, but the job market in Michigan sucks. Sure, the rest of the country is pretty bad too, but Michigan has a full time job in sucking lately. Also adding to the suckage is the fact that the state got rid of the department of History, Arts, and Libraries in winter of 2009. And lucky me, the most important things in my life right now involve art, and libraries. Sure, there's organizations within the state that took over the role of H.A.L. but it definitely hasn't made job hunting in the arts any easier. It's because of all this, coupled with the fact that I know a lot of people in Ohio, I decided to test the waters.

I have a strange and diverse background, and fall into that awkward over qualified for entry-level, but under qualified for corporate area that makes college graduates insane. I was burning up careerbuilder and craigslist with my resume but kept getting nowhere. Just as I was starting to get frustrated and come to terms with the fact that I was doomed to live in a box with nothing but my macbook to keep me warm... enter stage left, the YMCA.

I got the call to interview with a YMCA (located just outside of Cincinnati) extremely quickly after sending my resume, and was rushed into an interview. It took all of five minutes to know I was in the right place. The YMCA is an incredible organization, and their dedication to incorporating the arts into the lives of young people is inspiring. After hearing their mission and how their programs ran, I was totally smitten, and hallelujah, they were too! I accepted a part time position teaching music to all ages, offering group and private lessons in guitar and bass, and I start April 20.

Oh, wait. You noticed that I said part time position? Don't worry, I'm keeping my retail job, just transferring. If you're hoping to hear stories about my adventures selling computers, you will not find them here. I absolutely adore my work in retail, but have to respect everyone's privacy there.

...Unless it involves being accosted by a Buckeye fan, because that's DEFINITELY blog-worthy.