My favorite VeggieTales movie is Esther: The Girl Who Became Queen. It starts with a quote that I think of often:

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them” – Shakespeare

I resonate with those different perspectives on how great things occur, and that challenges can occur in similar ways. And that there are times when it feels like destiny is deciding what happens next. Where chapters are written for you. As a writer, I always appreciate an engaging story.

When I was finishing up graduate school in Pennsylvania, I wanted to move to Portland, Oregon. I had been there once or twice (maybe) and had no memories other than a skating rink in a mall. It did not matter. In my gut, Portland was where I belonged. Four months and 80 job applications later, I moved to Portland for a full-time role at a local college.

After a few years in that role, I started searching for where I was headed next. Once again my gut had a plan for me: Concordia University. Again my experience was minimal, maybe a run in the neighborhood. My first application was submitted seven years before I finally earned a full-time position.

Portland is my home, and I am so grateful that I moved here.

Unfortunately Concordia will not be my home much longer. Due to finances the university that I thought was #NextChapter is closing in two months. Now I wonder what #NextNextChapter will be. So far my gut is saying writing and editing.

To be continued…

“We are the spark, that will light the fire that’ll burn the First Order down” (Poe Dameron, Star Wars: The Last Jedi). – #52sparks is my year-long writing series for 2020, based on an art prompt challenge. The spark that lights a fire to toast a marshmallow or to ravage a forest begins in the space of an inch. This series is to explore what hundreds of inches and words can do.