Pacific Northwest or Bust

Today has been a semi-productive day, and I've also decided that I might need to do some much needed traveling this summer. Last night, I decided to take the time to write some letters to friends, and also finish up my B&B surprise to send to my friend Ryan in Cleveland since I had not done that yet. I sent off my letters and package today, so people should be hearing from me very soon. I also set up an appointment to meet up with an advisor at MUM next Wednesday. The more and more I think about going back there, the more excited I get. I think it would be nice to get things wrapped up there, since that's where I went to school for so long. The small classes/campus was nice, and I think that it's easier to really get to know your professor and build relationships there. I'll figure it out next Wednesday whether I'm going to go back to MUM or not. If I do go back there, and find out I'll be able to graduate at the end of the next school year, I'm going to do some research on possible graduate schools/ opportunities through Americorps. Which brings me to my next topic.

The Pacific Northwest is calling my name! I've always wanted to visit the area, and I think this could be a great place to work if I choose to try the Americorps route after my Bachelors (which I'm definitely leaning towards, since they usually offer money for post-graduate education once you complete your program). I think this summer, I might try to swing a trip out to the Pacific Northwest (particularly Seattle and Portland area). From what I've heard, these cities are fantastic, and I could really see myself living there (from what I know about them). I wouldn't want to take a position to work out there with Americorps without knowing beforehand what the area is like. I just looked at Amtrak, and I can get a US Rails Pass that would cover all my long distance travel for less than $400. My tickets would be for the coach cars, but I was fine with that when I came back from B&B, so I think I could do it again for this trip. Also, it apparently doesn't take as long to get from Chicago to Seattle as it takes to get from LA to Chicago (which makes sense if you look at a map), so that will be cool. I would be able to travel through the northern US, which I've never seen before. If I can find some cheap hotel rooms for a few days in each city, I might actually do this. This would be a great opportunity, and I could even check out some colleges while there too. I hope I can make it happen. After my summer of travel last year, I'm really hoping I can manage a trip somewhere this summer. It's one of my favorite things to do!