When our year began, I was employed full-time in a 9-5/8-8 office job managing administration & human resources for the Electric Sheep Company. And surprisingly enough, that lasted half the year, until I officially left on June 1 to do a month-long program at NYU in arts administration. I’m not sure exactly what I was thinking, quitting a FT job and throwing down $3500 on a program where the outcome and benefits to me were uncertain. While learning how to manage nonprofit finances and write grants, I met two amazing ladies from Germany and Turkey who became my first official overseas friends. I interviewed at a Chelsea gallery and for two positions at MoMA, only to realize a certification sometimes is not all it takes to get the job of your dreams (curses for not getting those four weeks of vacation).
When it came down to it, a girl can’t stay unemployed for long—and this was before the world officially declared its full-on recession. I joined the staff at Joe: The Art of Coffee in the West Village, and the rest is history. Serious Eats welcomed me with open arms even without a background in food writing or glamorous words for describing my meals. I came in with a beginner’s perspective on how everything works, and now I can declare myself the passionate, obsessed with simple ingredients, ice cream, French fries, and everything you loved as a child. (Not only, but during the summer I tried duck and rabbit for the first time, leading to my obsession with weird cuts of meat and butchering.)
I visited San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle for the first time, and ate at more take out spots, restaurants, and food trucks than you can shake a fist at.
And then I finally decided to attend graduate school in library science, with future plans of working in the field of digital archives.
Does none of this make sense to you or have any coherence or relevance? Of course not. This is the life of a girl who collects experiences, revels in meeting new people and forming new friendships, and thrives when life’s circumstances throw her in vastly different directions. I love where everything is going, and somehow I’ll combine every last one of my interests into a career where I’m like a walking encyclopedia. (In a way I already am, and I can’t begin to divulge how many people have asked me where “library science” even came from.) I can only say I’m predisposed to providing information where people need it most. And making sure there aren’t any unanswered questions.
What a year! Glad you are going to pursue a library studies/science degree! I went to UCLA and believe me, there are lots and lots of people who are coming to librarianship and archives as a second, third, fourth career. I think in my class we had 2 PhDs, 3 law degrees, and a mess of other masters. I was in non-profit accounting before heading to school! And I’m really happy with my decision. All your experience will definitely be used in librarianship too! Best of luck with all of it and I hope you blog about it! Happy New Year! – mary the food librarian