Rubber Balls

In two months I won't be able to call myself a student anymore. I won't qualify for my father's Blue Cross Extended Medical & Dental. I won't be able to save $10.00 on a Greyhound round trip to Kamloops. I won't be able to verbally (and, more importantly, mentally) fall back on my usual response to the annoying question of "what are you going to do after you graduate?" with "I don't know. I'm still just a student" because as of January 1, 2006, I won't be one.

This, to me, is both frightening and exciting.

The frightening part of this is that I really don't know what direction I want to take from here. I always thought that I would know by now. That I would just have to.

When I graduated from highschool and entered my first year of university, I was comforted by the fact that I had at least four more years to figure it out. That, surely, my courses, my life experiences within this time would point me in the right direction. And, I guess, in some ways they have. I do have an idea of what I enjoy and an even a better idea of what I do not enjoy, but I'm hesitant to investigate this further. To pin it down to something in particular. To commit. To make a decision. But more importantly, to make the wrong decision.

I know what I'm feeling right now is not unique. It's the curse of my generation. A generation which knows too many options, but is too scared to pick one lest it be the wrong one.

A generation that seeks excitement and thrills instead of RRSP's and other long-term investments.

A generation that views settling down as growing up, perhaps even giving up.

A generation paralysed by the notion that once you commit, that's it.

Finit.

So instead of committing, we bounce around for a while. Perhaps working an okay job here and there. Something that pays the bills, our student loans and, if we're lucky, funds a trip to Europe/Asia/Australia/South America/Africa (take your pick). The type of job we can leave without much regret because it was just "okay". It wasn't what we really wanted to do with the rest of our lives. It wasn't our "passion". We're still trying to figure that one out.

Last week Sean and I went to BCIT's (British Columbia Institute of Technology) Big Info Night. It's the type of college that offers career oriented programs. You work your ass off for 1-2 years and at the end of it you're given a certificate/diploma; a magical piece of paper that is supposed to gaurantee you a good job: a "career".

A few of their programs did catch my eye -
Occupational Health and Safety Diploma of Technology Program
Technical Writing Part-time Associate Certificate Program
Human Resource Management Full-time Diploma of Technology Program

So, now I must make some tough decisions:
1. Do I even want to go to BCIT?
2. If I do, what program do I want to take AND
3. Will I move to Burnaby (do I <3 Vancouver too much to ever leave it)?

However, what I do know is that before I even consider going back to school I need to save some money and do some traveling.

So, I guess it's back to bouncing around for a while. Perhaps working an okay job here and there. Something that pays the bills, my credit card balance and, if I'm lucky, funds a trip to Europe/Asia/Australia/South America/Africa (Actually, I'll take all 5 please!).