It’s long bothered me that of the six adults in my immediate family, I am the only one without an advanced degree. Both of my parents have their master’s degrees (at least one apiece) and all three of my siblings have gone on to graduate school in their respective fields.
I’m still rocking that bachelor’s in journalism from 1999.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not actively searching for a graduate program. Occasionally, over the years, I’ve toyed with the idea of going back to school to pursue a master’s in fine arts, English or education. There was even a time I thought about going to law school online.
This time of year is especially tricky as I look around at all those recent high school and college grads with high hopes and stars in their eyes as they pat themselves on the back for a diploma well earned and move forward into the next phase of their lives. Then again … I don’t want to step forward. I like this phase of my life.
If I were to go back to any type of schooling, it would be to obtain my yoga instructor certification. (And if only the classes weren’t on weekends, I pretty much would’ve done it already!)
So for now, I’m concentrating on doing the work that is before me, and learning everything I can from my job as a freelance writer and copy editor. In the last year, I’ve done active research on everything from hybrid apple brands to distilled spirits, popular wedding cake alternatives, cryotherapy, kidney stones and the ideal size and cut of whitefish to use in a Door County fish boil. This research isn’t getting me any sort of a diploma, but if I had to put all my accumulated knowledge together, it might be worth an engraved piece of paper. Maybe I could call it a master’s of freelance writing?