Dreaming Big and Bigger

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." Henry David Thoreau

When I transferred to Western three years ago, I registered as an English Major with a Music Minor; however, after finishing my LACC-required second year of German, I knew I wasn’t quite ready to be finished learning the language.

During my junior year, I switched my minor to German and started studying the language more intensively. I also applied for a summer journalism program in Berlin through the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). I’d been dreaming about a trip to Germany since spending my eighth grade lunch breaks in my favorite teacher’s classroom, learning the rudimentary building blocks of the language. The day I mailed that manila envelope containing the application, I knew I was shipping my dreams out with the daily post.

When I received my acceptance letter for that program, I was ecstatic. And I started dreaming even bigger: What about teaching English in Germany the year after I graduated? What about applying for a Fulbright?

After my summer in Berlin, including a 5-week internship at a daily newspaper, I had just started feeling like relationships with my German coworkers and friends were beginning to cement. But before those friendships had time to set, it was time for me to leave.

I got home from Europe at the beginning of September and rushed to pull together the final elements of my Fulbright. I met with Michele and the search committee, and then the waiting began.

Opening the letter announcing that I had been awarded a Fulbright paid English teaching assistantship in Germany instantly culminated the months of waiting and sparked a celebration. One of my first calls was to my friend, Allison Glasscock, who had also applied for a Germany Fulbright. She hadn’t received a letter that day, but I was thrilled to receive a call from her the next morning confirming her own Fulbright Award.

“Maybe we’ll be able to have an Allison-Erin Christmas,” Allison texted me later that Tuesday.

I quickly fired back an affirmative response, smiling at the thought of spending a year teaching English in the same country as one of my best friends.

Granted, the actual location of my teaching assistantship pends the committee’s receipt of my satisfactory bill of health. And, of course, I do have to actually graduate (as planned) in June.

However, although I’m thrilled Allison and I will both be teaching in Germany, I am thoroughly looking forward to integrating myself into the specific community to which I am assigned. My time at Western has centered around writing and involvement in the campus—especially through my work as a Writing Center tutor and three years of working with the Western Oregon Journal—and I’m excited to implement the technical and interpersonal skills I’ve learned in a new environment.

Outside of teaching, my expected community project in Germany will include some sort of theater endeavor—either hosting improv workshops or perhaps staging a full-fledged play. Theater’s been one of my passions since childhood, but since it wasn’t a career move, it’s been waylaid the last couple years.

After Germany, I’m planning on pursuing a journalistic career. Even though experts forecast a bleak future for journalism, I’m optimistically letting opportunities waft like clouds through a bright blue sky.

When talking about career goals, I toss around terms like New York, The Times, and Pulitzer Prizes, but as long as three crucial elements remain constant—travel, people, and writing—I’m content to follow other avenues, too. Moving to Germany in a few months is still only the beginning.

Busy as always

Four years ago, as I headed into the final stretch of my high school career, I was debating which college to attend (Note: Western was not on the list at that time). Having been involved in almost every plausible venue at that school, I found it strange that my next step seemed so unsure. The funny thing is, now, almost four years later, I find myself in much the same position.

Last night, at our Journal staff meeting, everyone answered one question as a fun introduction. “If you knew you could not fail, which dream would you attempt?” Listening to the responses bubble from around our conference table, I demurely acquiesced to the first thought that came to mind: go to New York, work for the “Times,” win a Pulitzer.

If I were in the right place at the right time, perhaps that dream would be plausible. But the fated question failed to take step one into account, namely, “What are you going to DO to make that dream come true?” Honestly, the thought of picking up and moving, alone, to NYC, finding whatever job I could and living in a little studio somewhere does not sound quite so appealing. I like big cities, I do. I’ve lived in Seattle and Berlin for brief stints and could picture long-time residency in similar scenarios. However, I guess I’m still a country girl at heart—small town, close relationships, laughter shared with colleagues, new stories everyday, clean air and beautiful scenery—that’s more like it.

Shuffling backwards again to my senior year in high school, I also remember feeling overwhelmed by the amount of responsibility I had heaped on my plate. The leadership positions, sports and theater productions filled every moment. My social life consisted of people I saw because of the different events and organizations in which I was involved. Thankfully, those people also happened to be my dear friends.

Again, not much has changed in my current situation. The people with whom I most often trade conversations are co-workers and colleagues. Talking to a dear friend a couple weeks ago about when we could schedule a get-together, she told me, “I have time. You’re the one who has way too much to do.” That reply stuck itself immediately to my consciousness, even as I compile to-do lists for the next two weeks that require more time than is physically available.

I want to be successful, but not at the expense of relationships. If I practice what I preach, then I’ll find a way to include people in my life. For all the Veggie Tale fans, I don’t ever want to be singing the refrain, “I’m busy, busy, dreadfully busy. Much, much too busy for you!”