New beginnings

Greetings all!

I figured with 2 months (to the day) before I leave for South Africa to start a new chapter, that it might be time for an official blog update.  I wish I had been writing more since I’ve been home, but that just hasn’t happened.  It’s been a very uninspiring year filled with mamadrama, dead end jobs, and general malaise.  Apologies for not being more vocal.  I just haven’t been up to it. 

But now I’m headed on a new path.  A loving path, I hope.  I’ve decided to go back to South Africa for good, for now.  Not for school this time, but for love.  It’s kind of a crazy proposal, but really would you expect anything less from me? 

The path back to veterinary school has been filled with hardship.  I found out earlier this year that decisions I needed the University of Pretoria to make so that I might be able to fund my education will not be made until the end of 2010…and even then this decision might not be made in my favor.  This pretty much leaves me with no financial options to continue school now, despite extensive research on my part. 

Many people have said to me “but Lynsee, why don’t you come home and continue vet school in the USA?”  A good thought, y’all…but this whole funding dilemma also caused me to realize that lately I have not been happy pursuing vet school.  I did not enjoy being at Onderstepoort.  I did not enjoy Pretoria.  And, frankly, with other talents and opportunities that have come about since those early days when I decided I wanted to be a vet…well, there are just other things that I have found that make me happy.  And right now becoming a vet is not making me happy.  That is a problem. 

I truly believe in a natural flow to things.  You know an “it just came together” type of situation.  Hard work and sacrifice are important, but this vet school thing has been forced so much by me that it was becoming unnatural.  I was not enjoying the struggle.  I am not inspired enough to keep myself going.  I had to think to myself “why am I doing this?”  Why am I killing myself to fulfill a childhood dream that I don’t even know for sure that I need?  I’m unhappy and I don’t want to do this anymore.  At least not right now.  It seems very forced and unnatural.  It’s time to back off a bit and let the universe unfold as it should.

So…what next? 

And how does going back to SA fit into all of this?

Well with no money for school and a sneaking suspicion that my life career path to date might not be working out for me…I basically have to begin again.  Reconfigure.  Pick myself, dust myself off, start all over again.  Get that dirt off my shoulder.  That type of thing. 

I was planning on going back to SA this December no matter what happened.  While I was initially planning on going back to start school again…that plan has obviously changed.  But I still have a plane ticket and a little bit of money saved up from working.  So, even when I first arrived home, my worst case scenario was to go back to SA this December and have a little bit of a relaxing holiday before I need to really engage life again.  Maybe catch some World Cup action in June/July 2010.  Just let myself be free after a whole year of being cooped up at Mom’s house stressing about how to put my life together.

But now I have another option to explore.  This time one involving a young man…    

While in South Africa I met a fella that really means a lot to me.  Although I guess we never officially “dated,”  we have known each other for almost 2 years now.  We’ve spent a bit of time together in those 2 years and have been in touch the whole time I have been home.  His name is Charlie.  He’s 29.  An engineer.  And probably one of the funniest people I’ve ever met.  And he’s cute too ;)  Sorry…I had to say it.  I know a lot of you probably have many questions about the man, questions that will not be satisfied by the informational tidbits above, but I guess you’ll just have to take my word for it that he’s great.     

So…since I have decided to scrap vet school now (for financial and mental health reasons) and will have to start over again no matter where I am…well, I decided that I want to start over again in South Africa with Charlie.  Charlie thought that was something he wanted too so that’s what we are going to do.  I don’t know if being with Charlie is a forever type of situation.  But I do know that it’s not nothing and I can’t, in good conscience, throw it away because of something stupid like geography. 

It looks like Charlie and I are getting a place somewhere around Pretoria (Centurion, I think).  I’m not sure the details cos that is part of Charlie’s job before I get to SA.  Charlie has a job as an engineer and I will start looking for work when I land.  I have visa issues to sort out so I can stay longer than the initial 3 months I am allowed to stay and I don’t think it’s going to be easy to find work.  But despite various challenges I am hopeful that things will work out because they have to in the end.  I haven’t quite figured out what I’d like to do and might just have to scramble for any job I can.  Ideally I’d like to work in radio (as a producer) but would also be interested in getting a job in science of some sort.  A job in my field (animal sciences/livestock) would be great…but we’ll see what happens.  There’s an American embassy in Pretoria that might also offer some job opportunities. 

If any of you have any leads on jobs I might be able to find around Pretoria or Joburg…let me know!  I’m going to be on the prowl soon :)  Also if anyone has any tips I might need to know about visas and such then feel free to contact me.  I’m pretty sure I’m going to need all the help I can get. 

I know this whole thing seems like kind of a crazy proposition, but the funny thing is that it just seems like the right thing at this time.  I am anxious about some aspects of starting a life in SA, but that seems pretty normal for any starting over situation…whether it is happening in Waukegan or Chicago or Cleveland or South Africa.  One thing that doesn’t make me anxious at all, though, is the  prospect of starting to walk a path together with Charlie by my side.  That makes me feel really really calm.  Which is kind of a welcome change…

As always…keep the faith and spread it gently

Love, Lynsee

Postal Experiment

Dear loyal readers

I would like to conduct a postal experiment which really means this is a shameless attempt to get you to send me stuff in the mail.

I am pretty much a religious believer in the power of mail. Hear that US Postal Service? In this electronic age, there are still believers! I send at least 1 letter/card per week and sometimes a lot more. I just can't get enough of making letters and stationary and sending people a smile in the mail. The sucky thing is that people never really send me stuff back. And I'm kind of resigned to the fact that output never equals return. I don't really expect others to send me stuff back cos that is just setting myself up to be upset.

But now is your turn to participate in a movement of postal love in the direction of Lynsee. So sharpen your pencils, break out the nice stationary or wacky postcards, and get scribbling!

You can send me stuff at:

Lynsee Melchi
2918 Brookside Ave
Waukegan, Illinois
60085
USA

Send whatever you'd like. Postcards, full on letter, other postal silliness...I'll take it all. There will be prizes: 1st letter to come to me, letter from farthest away, wackiest letter, letter from someone I don't know. So...don't forget the return addresses!

I am leaving this address on December 17th...so what can you all do in that time??
Bring it on!

I suppose I will write an update some time soon cos there is a lot happening. Life changes and what not. And I'm writing a book. Yeah. So, stay tuned.

Much (postal)Love
Keep the faith and spread it gently
Lynsee

Musical jobs

Butcher, baker, candlestick maker...surprisingly these are 3 jobs I have not held...yet.

I meant to write a long and hilarious account on the ups and downs of being a substitute teacher in Waukegan Public Schools (my job since March). It may still happen...we'll see. I just got caught up in time. Months piled up and now school's no longer in session. Musical jobs begins.

Musical jobs has made me start to think about all the jobs I've held in my 28 years on this planet. My first real job was at 12 so I guess just about 1/2 of my life so far has been touched by the working world. While I'm no Homer Simpson...I'm starting to amass quite a wacky list of trades.

To date I have been employed as:

paper delivery girl
veterinary assistant
secretary
textbook associate
note taker for university classes
summer camp counselor (arts & crafts director, nature assistant)
waitress
sheep farmer
phone interviewer for surveys
supervisor
stock girl for Toys R Us
foreclosure data collection
voiceover artist
research assistant
genetics lab monkey
pond manager
housesitter
petsitter
drunk lady sitter
meeting hostess
(and maybe a few other things)

Since I've been home I've worked as:

flower delivery person
substitute teacher
photo shoot assistant
driving instructor
"lead procurement" for local business

Many of the people I went to school w/in SA had never had jobs. I don't know if it's a cultural thing, as in Americans LOVE working (it's part of our identity). As in many African families take care of their kids and don't want them working (or don't expect it). As in the job market in SA is a bit tighter. Probably a combination of those things. All I know is that I know more people in SA who had never worked a day in their life, while at their age I had already had about 7-8 different jobs.

I was fortunate enough to not have to work while in school in SA. A first for me. So I can see the value of not working while in school. I get that argument. But I also thought about all the things (good and bad) these people have missed from not being a part of the working world: boss bullshit, time clocks, taxes, hungover summer morning wakeups for work, general job bullshit that comes from the "you pay me to do stuff" contract we enter into, financial freedom, all the people I've met, all the fun and random things I've done from raising dragonfly larvae to shearing sheep to cruising around bringing flower joy, all the skills I've acquired through job duties. I can't help but feel they've missed out a bit.

A friend of mine is your classic workaholic. He would spend 20 hours a day at work if they let him. We were once talking about work and freedom and he said "I don't know what I would do if I didn't work." My reply: "Anything you want!" Imagine if you didn't have to go to work everyday...you could literally do anything you wanted.

Our formative years are spent preparing us for the working world. Wake up early M-F. Go to this central location. Do what you are told (and certainly don't question the authority of those telling you). And we are told this is something you must do to get anywhere in life. While this may be good training for the masses who aren't thinking outside the box and crave being told what the structure of their life should be...I certainly think it's not a system set up with anyone's best interests in mind. It's just something we "have to do." Suck it up! This must be achieved!

Right now I'm supposed to be a most ferocious work machine. A model that has never suited me. I've almost always taken crappy pay jobs so I can retain a modicum of freedom and flexibility all while getting experience "for the future." That's why sheep farmer appears on my laundry list of employment as opposed to more lucrative positions. It's also why I'm broke as a joke. Win some, lose some.

So "school's out for summer" and I've hopscotched my way into a new job doing "lead procurement." Some fancy marketing word for getting the word out and enticing people with our services. I call folks on the phone or contact them otherwise to tell them about the business and services we offer. Anyone I contact that uses our services means bonus money for me! The company is a document storage and shredding company, so it's services I can get down with. I'm not working for the devil or selling people crap they couldn't use...like a new vacuum cleaner or knives. Seriously if you are in the market for storage/shredding...talk to me! We operate in Southern WI and the Chicagoland area...so get at me if you need something like that. It's a small company so no job is too big or too small. And there's a sweet reward in it for me :) You can check out their website at: accessyourdocs.com

I'm also training to be a driving instructor. Hilarious...considering I haven't owned a car in about 7 years. Provided I pass the test next week, I start teaching immediately.

Eish! The things we do for money...

If you take nothing else from this conglomeration of working words then take this and think about it:

What would you do if you didn't have to work???
...anything you want!

Keep the faith and spread it gently
Love Lynsee