What's not next

I am a big fan of brainstorming, writing, and list making. That is pretty much how I think, make decisions, and live. Helloooo my name is Alex Schueler.

Senior year of college rolled around. I realized there were only two places in the world I would consider gracing my presence with next: New York or Spain. I was pretty split. So what did I do? I tried as hard as I could to get a job in both places and figured whatever option(s) came up I would make the best of.

Networking, networking, networking. I must have spoken to over 60 people, friends and strangers about what they liked about their job, if there were opportunities in the field, what they recommended during such a grim job market and what steps I could take next. So what happened? I was in the library frantically making my final edits to my 40page senior thesis, something I had worked on all semester that would determine my entire grade and was my last assignment in college. I finally felt it was as ready as it would ever be (and please God let me graduate on time) and clicked "print" when I simultaneously heard my blackberry vibrate and the email icon lit up. It was an email I had been waiting three months for. I had been accepted to teach in Spain for 2009-2010. It was frightening how symbolic it all seemed. There I was in the library about to submit a document that represented the culmination of my entire college career, and not a moment later was an email outlining what the next chapter of my life could be. Nothing substantial in NY surfaced so I made some pro and cons lists and made a decision. Spain.

I came to a similar thought process the other day when it came time to decide if I was going to re-apply to teach here for another year. My initial reaction was of course I will apply just to have an option. Then I thought well I might as well have more than one so I will apply to teach in Madrid also, or maybe I could be an aupair and take Portuguese or French classes, or even go to graduate school here or get an internship in London or...and then my mind was racing to all possible ways, my mouse was clicking on all possible links for how I could stay in Europe doing something productive for another year.

Then I came back to reality. The reality is that I made an amazing, unregrettable, genius decision for my first year out of college. Kudos to Schu. However, after making some mental lists about what I like about living here, what I've learned and what I want out of the future I came to the epiphany that I don't even want to give myself the option to live in Europe after this year. I want to focus all of my energy and time into finding a job in New York. I will not be applying to teach in Málaga, Madrid or any foreign land of the sort, para nada.

I love Europe. I love speaking Spanish. I love being on my own. I love being immersed in a different culture. I love(/hate) being challenged by everything around me every day. It makes me feel alive.

The main, simple reason I can make this decision is because I do not want a career in Education, and what has been reconfirmed to me since I've been here is the only legal way I can work in Europe at this point in my life ( primarily, since I don't have a European passport), is by teaching English. I would love to eventually seek out global work opportunities once I am established in a company, but one step at a time.

So Schu what is next? Well I am not sure what's next, but what's not next is another year in Europe.

Lo siento España, Nueva York me llama.