The Waiting Game

It's been a quiet couple of weeks, after I found out that I was accepted into Sotheby's Institute of Art I thought that I was going to be busy filling out applications for visa's and such. That's not the case, nor will it be until mid April. When looking over the visa requirements I found that I couldn't fill out the student visa until the CAS (Certificate of Acceptance) number came from the school. As I found out they don't give those out until sometime in April. Now I know why they stop accepting applications in mid May, mainly because it takes forever to qualify for a visa.

Don't get me wrong, i'm still excited about London, I just wish I had everything filled out and done, I hate waiting, I hate that I probably won't be able to work and go to school. I can fill out forms for that and I can get a maybe get work visa, I have to look that up. Since the Master's program is only 14 months long it's very intense, which doesn't leave for much time to have a life. So hopefully I can volunteer and have internships once I get over there (crossing my fingers).

So while I wait I have to work on a couple of things, the first is write a paper to qualify for a scholarship, which is due April 1st, and i've only just begun, chalk it up to writers block. I haven't written a 2,000 word paper since I graduated from Eastern in 2009. The second thing I have to do is fill out the financial aid form, which I will get to once I get the paper done. The list goes on, but a lot of it I can wait to do, like fill out a loan application so I can have help paying for school. Another is to transfer my money to just one bank, so I don't have to worry about two bank accounts. The Institute has been helpful in replying to my questions, i'm glad that they stay on top of things.

So for now I just sit and wait and write a paper, it's the waiting game and I may not like it but I have to get used to it, because i'll be busy in no time. I also need to find a part time job, but there isn't much out there, so i'm glad i'm working for my mom, oh the joys of real estate. While I wait and write papers and figure out what the next couple of months are going to bring, I want to visit friends that are in New Mexico. I can't just hop on a plane without a care in the world because i'm pretty much living week to week, figuring out what my next move is.

Changes are a comin

It's been a while since I last posted, at least 5 months, since then not much has happened other then trying to figure out what i'm going to do with myself, because:

1. I realized after 5 weeks of backpacking around Europe that I wanted to travel more
2. I did not want to work in real estate my whole life
3. I still didn't have a direction that I was heading in
4. I wanted to do something different with my life.

I got to the point where I knew I wanted to go back to school for my master's degree, however I wasn't sure what it would be in. Would it be in photography, marketing, would I go back and get a degree in physical therapy? I was looking around at schools that offered photography and happened upon two or three, the first was University of Illinois in Chicago, which has a great MFA program in arts, especially in photography, another was Sotheby's Institute of Art which offered a Master's of Arts degree in Photography. After about a month or so of thinking about this I applied to Sotheby's in January, I applied, I had the interview and then I had to get 2 letter's of recommendation. Oh man did I screw up on that one, I didn't know about the letters so I asked 3 people to write them, and it took them about 2 weeks to get them in. I had to keep reassuring the Institute that things were on the way. Yes when it comes to having things together that isn't me. After about 6 weeks of waiting beginning from the interview and ending this Friday. The last 2 weeks I began to doubt if I was going to get in the program at all, I emailed them last Thursday and Friday morning they responded that I have been accepted!!!! How awesome is that? I get to live in London for 14 months, albeit on a very tight budget, as crazy as it is, I don't think it has truly sunk in yet. I just have so much to do, here's a little list.

1. Get a second job
2. Apply for a student visa
3. Apply for a work visa, if possible
4. Find a student loan that suits me
5. Pay the deposit at the school
6. Search for a flat

As hard as everything is going to be I am definitely welcome to this huge change and ready to move on with my life. I have found something that I truly want to do, this master's program is 14 months and I should add what exactly the Master's of Arts of Photography is


"This programme is aimed at those who wish to study in-depth the significance of photography in modern visual culture and to pursue a career as a specialist in photographic imagery and objects. 

The primary focus of the course is the critical analysis of the ways in which the earliest photographic experiments through to the latest contemporary photographic images have established a significant presence in private collections, public museums, commercial galleries and publishing. 

There is a varied programme of guest lectures by distinguished scholars and experts as well as study visits to museums, art fairs and collections in the UK and abroad. 

Graduates go on to pursue a variety of careers, often within the photographic gallery and auction network or the contemporary art world."


So what I want to do with this degree, which ties in nicely with my public relations degree is become a photo archivist, yes I do need to build up my resume but like I said i'm ready for something different. I'll update this blog every now and then with updates on how things are coming along, but definitely update it when I leave and move to London where i'll have adventures galore, whether it's exploring London or my classes or whatever.


It takes some people longer to figure out what they want to do, and that's fine, it took me a while to figure it out, but i'm happy I took my time.