Last week at SCAD

Well, it is a little surreal- but my last week at SCAD has finally arrived. It seems odd that nearly four years have already passed... but I'm also excited to finally be a part of the so-called "real world". I've had so many great times in Savannah and have learned so much- both about Metals & Jewelry and about myself. It feels so strange to realize that after 7:30 on Thursday, I will be a college graduate. Its even stranger to think about moving away from Savannah- the place I have called home for the past number of years. It has its quirks- but it really is charming and beautiful. I feel like I took my surroundings for granted quite a bit while here. It is a stunning and unique town, and I'm actually really glad that I wrapped up my degree this quarter with a class on the architectural history of Savannah. I've lived here for years, but this class really made me see Savannah in a way that I had not looked at it before. I'm definitely going to miss this city- and all of its beauty and peculiarities.

That being said though, I feel that my life is heading in an exciting new direction and will be taking me to new thrilling places. A change of scenery and a little adventure is always nice. All my life, I've heard, "you can be anything you want to be". That's what they teach in school. You just need to "set your mind to it" and "get a college education". I'm realizing that now, I have completed both of the requirements- and it is finally time to be what I want to be.

I really feel like Friday is the first day of the rest of my life. I guess every tomorrow is the first day of the rest of our lives... but this one is different. Its not just another day of school, another day of meeting deadlines, another day closer to my degree- it is the first day in the next chapter of my life. It is time to begin my hugest journey yet: Life After College. I've been making jewelry since I was 12. All I want to do is be a jewelry designer. I want to see my creations in stores or being worn walking down the sidewalk in New York or LA. I'm so excited that now is the time that I get to make my dreams become reality. I am thrilled to move to New York in January. I can't wait to study jewelry design at the Gemological Institute of America, hunt the dream job, and network with other young designers. I want to make the most of living in one of the fashion capitals of the world. Not to mention, I can't wait to experience the glamour and romanticized hype that is New York: Empire State of Mind, Sinatra's New York, New York, When Harry Met Sally, Sex and the City. I can't wait! I'm sure my life there won't be nearly so glamourous. And my living space will probably be a fraction of the size of Carrie's closet. And it may be overcrowded and overrated and smelly and frustrating... but I also think it will be kind of magical.

So, though I am sad to leave the friends and city that I have loved for so long, I am really excited to begin my new adventure. I rushed out of high school on a mission to grow up and do art. And now I've rushed out of college on a mission to grow up and be a designer. So on Friday, I declare myself a (mostly) grown-up! Maybe if I do it right and become the best designer I can be...I can have a Carrie sized closet someday! A girl has to have a dream!

I thought that my new life chapter deserved a new blog! My blog will now be separate from my professional website. So this is where you can find  me, my stories, and a report on my ongoing quest to become (as my friend MC would say) a "jewelry designer extraordinaire"!