Grad schools #1 choice

 Okay so I've picked the one school I really think I would do the best in and who's course catalog best matches what I want. 

University of Alabama - INTERDISCIPLINARY MA

https://online.ua.edu/degrees/ma-ms-in-interdisciplinary-studies

Application deadline for the Fall is July but thats also when they disperse financial aid. So I will want to apply in January/February with fafsa so I can make sure everything is good. Once I start applying I will figure out how the letters of reccomendation can be sent in. I will ask Dr. Knox, Jack, and Dr. Weiland/Dr Mathews if she will have me. 

I will wait to hear back on what are considered core classes but; if there are no specified core classes then I already have 16 different classes picked out, which if it follows the pattern of most programs then 10 is how many I would need - that includes at least 1 class of thesis ( Which means if I take a full course load, 3 classes a semester, I can finish my degree in 3 semesters; less if I take during the summer.) 

I would opt to take the thesis route. 

For my thesis I would want to do an ethnography of devotion to faith; I would probably cover monks, priests, rabbis, and Wiccan priestesses/priest through the circle sanctuary group. 

What I need to get in:

• 3 letters of reccomendation
• Statement of purpose, which would also outline my chosen fields and why
• Resume
• Transcripts

Cost: $440 tuition + $15 college fee per course hour

$455 x 32 hours = $14560 so I will round that for coverage and say $1700 to include books.

Financial Aid:

- Fafsa ... good ol student loans

- The Campbell–Ellis Endowed Scholarship 

Classes I would take:

1. Thesis  - 3 cr
3. ANTH 519 Myth, Ritual, And Magic
4. PHL 381 Philosophy of Religion
5. LS 543 Traditional & Digital Storytelling
6. ANTH 521 Ethnography 
7. ANTH 538 Anthropology of Art
8. ANTH 550 Probs In Anthropology
9. ANTH 581 Anthropology is Elemental: Teaching Anthropology in Primary and Secondary Settings
10. ANTH 600 Research Design
11. ANTH 641 Culture
12. REL 501 Social Theory and Religious Studies
13. REL 502 Public Humanities and Religious Studies
14. REL 521 Self & Society
15. REL 523 Discourse & Practice
16. REL 525 Identity & Place
17. REL 565 Religion in Culture Applied

I have a runner up school but I am not sure how well I could make it fit to my preferences. 

2024 Money talk

 Alrighty. So the first few months of 2024 is going to be REALLY tight - they are saying not to expect bonuses Jan - March pretty much. But I am finding that in general we get $250-300 on average as a bonus which is like an exta $175 a month so thats what I will add to "income" because aside from the first few months thats what I should see in 2024. 

 income: $3087 + 175 = 3262 = 3260

$1250 rent and utilities --> staying, unless maybe moving into Rachael's house? O.O

$271 loan

$75 (25 and 50) credit

$35 payment for flight up there to look at apartments.

$70 Joint membership - chiropractor - that can't go. quality of life. this is health care for chronic pain.

$235 car payment - its debt but also equity so not bold. 

$100 insurance 

$30 internet (spectrum)

$370 health insurance through marketplace

$170 student loans 

$200 groceries - need to be very cautious with this 

$90 pets

$17 subscriptions ($9 hulu, $7 pandora, $1 cloud space)

$10 humu medicine ($20 every other month)

$150 gas (might have to ask for a little gas $ when I visit mom. OR will go down if i Move in with Rach)

$75 savings 

-------------------------------

3148.... not by a lot but we are not in the red! 

Math for pets:

34 lb weight watcher blue buffalo last 3 months ($65)  = 22

Dehydrated food (55 last 5 mo)   - 11

wet cat food monthly 25

dry cat food $20 for 2 months = 10

Greenies 32 for 4 months  (if snow doesn't get into them and eat them ALL AT ONCE= $8

Meaty bones = $20 (2 months) = 10

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86... round to 90

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Starting in January I will need to re-factor. 

1) Work will be a little closer, so hopefully that will help lower my gas a bit. 

2) My health insurance will go up because my current one does not cover long term therapy. And... ideally I would like long term therapy. (more than 10 sessions or spanning more than 6 months)

My new insurance will be:

Anthem Silver Blue Preferred/Broad 4000 (3 Free PCP Visits + $0 Select Drugs + Incentives)

POS - Plan ID: 79475WI0530017

$370

3) We will be getting better bonuses starting January (Feb paycheck) - currently all employees get an even share of 10% of that month's profits. Starting in Janu

School... but what?

 I need to go back to school. 

I keep coming back to it. 

I know I want to be able to teach anthropology, folklore, religion, maybe literature. But i'm not overly concerned with contemporary issues in those areas - I'm more interested in learning about what exists and then teaching the foundations. 

I keep bouncing from subject to subject... so why pick?

What I need is a masters in interdisciplinary studies. (Anthropology & Literature as primary 2; Religion and Folklore can be worked in there additionally as needed or through those 2 veins)

Now I find that most have limitations; these are some that I think could be possibilities:

•  https://osuonline.okstate.edu/programs/graduate/interdisciplinary-studies-master-of-science.html 
• all online
• about $18K if I do the non thesis option. about $16K if I do the thesis
• does not seem to have a limit on the disciplines mixed
• 32 credits
• Looking through the course list and there is not much related to what I want to study. 
• https://online.ua.edu/degrees/ma-ms-in-interdisciplinary-studies
• all online
• I will know more after speaking with an adviser
• https://www.uncg.edu/degrees/applied-arts-and-sciences-m-a/
• next to no info on the website; however 2 disciplines: Humanities and Social Science
• May be the easiest to get into 
• https://degrees.apps.asu.edu/masters-phd/major/ASU00/ASINTERMA/interdisciplinary-studies-ma?init=false&nopassive=true
• next to nothing is provided other there are 4 mandatory classes and 18 credits open for anything - to be planned with an advisor. 
• No Anth classes as all. 
• https://www.usd.edu/Academics/Graduate-Programs/Interdisciplinary-Studies
• very interested in this one. Not any folklore or religion courses but I could see doing some independent studies and making something kind of like my anth of religion class from undergrad or  motherhood of god class. I could basically do my own curriculum in that field. Lots of options there and it would be predominantly research. I would basically act as if I was going to teach a class on that subject and do all the research and notes... then turn it in as my class lol. I could write probably about 100 pages of notes (not in paragraph form). 
• Also has adult education as one of the disciplines I can pull from... so while I won't be able to do any internships or teaching assistantships.... I can take classes on teaching. 

Most of these are 30-36 credit hours; 10-12 classes. That is easily split into 2 years if I take 3 classes a semester (which is full time for grad school). 

My current job is the best job I could have while going back to school. I get home anywhere between 4-6 everyday. I go to bed about midnight. that leaves a solid 4 hours (lets face it. I'm going to need a few hours to decompress) to work on school, plus weekends. 

I don't have many friends - I can count on one hand the number of friends I have made and I see each of them maybe once every other week at most, so I could maintain that. Plus school would keep me so occupied I wouldn't have time to be lonely. Plus if I am literally picking my classes and designing my degree it will be atuff that I am interested in and nothing gets my heart and mind going like learning things I am interested in. 

And from there I will look into PhD's. but for now I need to orient my life back to what brings me joy. I need to get out of business and into academia. I have to. I will not be satisfied until I am and I need to find that joy again. Forget "practicality". It does not bring JOY or PASSION...and without that... its not living. Its just surviving. I want to LIVE. 

Alternative; more practical degree that sort of plays off of my current masters:

- https://www.goucher.edu/learn/graduate-programs/ma-in-cultural-sustainability/mission-and-outcomes

In the rare chance that I manage in in person school this would be a good idea:

- https://cfs.osu.edu/programs/graduate-options/gis-graduate-curriculum

While I do my PhD... I could work as an adjunct professor. (They get paid SO poorly though so I will definitely need a roommate no matter where I live at that point in my life. unless I can get a stipend for living expenses) - I could pick an area of focus for the PhD... or I could do another interdisciplinary study.

• https://grad.berkeley.edu/program-options/interdisciplinary/
• https://socialthought.uchicago.edu/
• https://grad.msu.edu/interdisciplinary-graduate-study
• https://louisville.edu/humanities/graduate/phd

Reflections cont.

 So what is it I actually want in a partner? 

(I have also realized wording is important and so I have removed the word SIMILAR and put COMPATIBLE) 

1) Compatible values- goals in life, goals in relationship, priorities  (this is where spirituality/religion, relationship type, specific personality types, etc, comes in I think)

2) Nurturing/Kind - someone who genuinely looks out for those around them. Open mindedness and acceptance for others & genuinely wanting to know more/show appreciation.  This ties into the whole automatic sincere respect for others. (Which may be the difference between nice and kind to me, now that I’ve had it demonstrated.) 

3) Communicative - I need someone who will talk with me. Talk with me about anything and everything. Talk to me about their hobbies, ask me about mine, tell me about their work, talk to me about their feelings - joys, fears, frustrations, and successes. 

4) intimacy - this is way more than just sexual compatibility. This is about deep emotional connection. Being safe and feeling safe to be open and vulnerable and intimate gestures of trust and affection. (To me this is where kink comes in because kink to me is actually very intimate - regardless of whether it leads to sex or not.) physical and emotional intimacy. Closeness. Connection. 

5) beauty - this one is harder to explain. Sure there has to be a level of aesthetic attraction, I need to find my partner beautiful and I need them to find me likewise; but there’s more to it. Beauty is not necessarily what is projected to others but something shared. Theres beauty in the little things. Beauty in life and being able to appreciate it. Idk. I really don’t know how to explain this one but in my mind it makes sense. 

Reflections

 Alright so after Viking man and Airforce boy, I realized that I had a new turn on - being treated with respect. 

The brief flirtation with the Italian guy made it clear there is a big difference between politeness and  respect. 

While on this (work) vacation in Jamaica I realized another level.. sincere kindness and automatic respect to others. 

I did not realize just how attractive it is for a person to not only give basic respect and politeness, but genuine kindness to other people as a default setting. 

That level of warmth? Is that how I use to/ sometimes come off to other people? 

I’ve been told I’m personified sunshine but I met someone on this trip that personified actual sincere and kind warmth. it’s magnetizing. 

I don’t know if it’s a crush or not and honestly I don’t care either way, I just want to be able to hang around this person. 

Romantic update

 Oh btw

I don't have a roster. I still see Steven but only as a friend. 

Its been over a month since I heard from (former) Priest. If he EVER reaches out I will be over the moon, but I do not put my life on hold for anyone. 

I had a brief stint with an Italian guy Lilith encouraged but it just wasn't for me. He wanted to be chased and I don't chase. Plus there really just wasn't enough in common for any kind of connection. He was super interesting though, I'll give you that! Probably one of the most interesting people I will have ever met - which goes to show connection is mandatory.

But anyway, nothing new on the romantic front. Still not hunting super hard, its not my top priority. But I def won't be doing casual dating. If I meet someone and I don't feel a possible connection in that first date, thats it. no more humoring people, no more giving someone 3 tries. 

Just because someone treas me with respect (bare minimum) does not mean I owe them another date.  Just because they are nice and seem really cool - does not mean I owe them another date. 

And tbh... I think I'm entering a more sapphic phase. I'm sure I'll return to a preference for men, but the preference has shifted a bit. 

Ya mon!

 ITS HERRRRRRRRE

We leave for Chicago on the bus this afternoon, then tomorrow morning super early, we fly out to Jamaica!! 

With everything thats been going on, I know I know... I need to post an update soon; butt the biggest one isn't my secret to tell.....  I need this vacation. 

I've been on my bipolar meds very steadily. I've been taking my new anxiety meds and actually it really helps. I'm now on birth control and so far the only symptom has been acne and a little weight gain. 

I'm ready to be in the sun, be in the ocean, and just forget about responsibilities and life. 

I am not ready to leave my pets though. at all. T_T