The Beginning in the End*

Let's be real, people: the first post of any blog is awkward. The new author has no idea how to start what they believe to be the most exciting, on the edge of your seat, mind blowing blog. I'm here to tell you that this might not be any of those things. It could be the most boring thing you've ever read, and that's okay. You want to know why? Because this has less to do with you and more to do about me. 

Three days ago I graduated with a Masters of Arts in International Peace and Conflict Resolution. The jury is still out on what that means so you know, feel free to take some guesses. What I now know is that I am a newly turned 25 year old who just mastered something and I'm about to enter the world for real.

By 'for real' I mean, I'm job searching and praying to God that I'll eventually move out of my parents house and maybe if the universe is really on my side, pay back my student loans before I am 99. It also means that I get to officially take everything I have learned in school over the past 20 years and put it to go use. It means I've come to a point in my life where classrooms and books aren't going to cut it. Instead, I get to experience first hand the ins and outs of adulthood and the many difficult questions that come along with it. 

The mention of difficult questions is a nice segue to explaining the title of this blog. For any of you reading this, whether intentionally or because you have stumbled across it, who participated in Alternative Breaks throughout your college careers should recognize the term pretty quickly. For those of who have didn't get that life changing experience let me give you some context...

Often times Alternative Breaks at colleges and universities are assisted by a organization called Break Away. They provide schools with informational materials and training in order that these break trips can succeed and foster 'active citizens'. Break Away provides Alternative Break programs with what they call the Active Citizen Continuum. The idea of this continuum is that as students, faculty and staff participate in Alternative Break trips their experiences will allow them to not only continue to serve and volunteer but to strive to ask bigger and more thought-provoking questions. The continuum ranges from Member, someone who isn't really concerned with social issues and just along for the ride to Active Citizen, someone who believes that people and communities are a priority and value in their life. 

Prior to my undergraduate career, and even through my freshman year old college I would have most certainly placed myself in the member category on the continuum. However, as I have been provided with opportunities to experience different places, cultures and groups of people through a great summer job and the Alternative Breaks program, I found myself moving right along to active citizen. 

Even three years out of college and two years since my last Alternative Break I still consider myself to be in the active citizen section. With that being said, however, there is always room for growth. As you will see, the title of the blog is not just 'Active Citizenship'. The 'Unpacked' part of the title is the key to all of this. It is one thing to classify yourself as an active citizen, or any other label you give to yourself. It is another thing not to reflect on why you are that way or how your newly changed world is effecting that classification. 

This reflection is the point of this blog. This open space will be an opportunity for me to explore the never-ending, difficult questions that come along with adulthood and being an active citizen. It will be an open space to explore the possibilities of what comes next; of how to navigate through it all; of how to ask the bigger questions and strive for more. 

It's an open-ended, free flowing, adventure. I think it'll be pretty exciting and I challenge you to read on because you never know what words will change your life (or when I'll have you on the edge of your seat!).




*This titled is borrowed from an episode of Bones. It seemed rather fitting seeing as though I just graduated from grad school. Normal people might have not added this note, but I just spent a good part of my life citing things in a thesis; it is in my blood.