Photo by Tudor Costache
The Taken by the Wind blog has sort of been taken out to pasture lately; neglected, abandoned.
I could say that it’s because I’ve been too busy apartment-hunting or studying for the GRE to write, but the truth is that I just think that I’ve grown tired of this subject-matter. I mean, how much longer can I continue to write about Japan, teaching English and traveling when I’m no longer doing any of those things?
Obviously if this blog is going to last, then it’s going to have to undergo a serious transformation. But the problem is…into what, exactly? Frankly I think that I just need a break from writing about myself. I’m beginning to think that there is such thing as too much introspection and that I could really benefit from just relaxing into the uncertainty of it all. Take a hiatus from over-analyzing life…because damn, it’s exhausting living this way.
I know that working for an airline will probably provide me with ample blog subject matter, but I don’t want this blog to become like one of the many flight attendant blogs, where I write exclusively about bitchy passengers and juicy, behind-the-scenes airline industry gossip. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I just don’t think that’s my thing.
As for my future, welll…
I’m taking a writing class. If I had to make a comparison, I’d say that it’s a lot like group therapy, although technically it’s a course on how to write a memoir. Each class, we sit around a circle and scribble a few pages of fuzzy memories and then share what we’ve written with one another. People write about overcoming drug addictions, coming out of the closet, rape and incest…it’s pretty intense. I walk away from the class depressed; images of blood spurting out of slit wrists and a 12-year-old getting jumped by a mob of racists in 1960’s San Francisco.
I’m hoping that the class will provide me with the motivation I need to just write a damn book already. Maybe one day (fingers crossed), you’ll find it in the travel section of the book store, right next to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love…
Well, I can dream, right?
I’ve also decided to go to grad school. There’s a program called Masters International that partners with the Peace Corps and allows participants to do graduate work while volunteering for two years in the third world. I’ve only just begun the application process and I’m at least a year or two away from going (if I get accepted), but at least I now have something to work towards.
And that’s it, really. At the risk of sounding totally corny, I wanted to thank you for reading and for taking the time to comment or email me with your support. While it’s been an incredibly odd experience having complete strangers comment about my personal life on the Internet, it’s been really validating as well. Sometimes I worry that I’m this complete weirdo and it’s nice to know that there’s at least a dozen people out there who don’t think so.
I’ll sincerely miss hearing from you all…
Until next time,
Reannon
Ah…I don't even know what to say but I wanted to say something. Though I haven't been reading for THAT long, I feel that in such a short time you've made this huge transformation ~ and I find your thoughts on things incredibly insightful. As someone of the same age (I think), I can really relate to what you are saying though we are living very different lives. I guess what I'm trying (unsuccessfully) to say is that I'm really hope your next post isn't too far off, no matter what the subject matter is.
Take care!
i will miss reading your writing. i think you have an amazing talent
and just for the record, your book will be SO much better than eat pray love. pah. your writing is so much better than hers.
good luck with everything x
Aww..thank you! I'll probably start writing again eventually. I just really need to get my life back in order right now and I'd rather say that up front then leave ya hanging and wondering if I've died or something.
A blog is more work than I can handle at the moment, especially starting a job that involves working nights and weekends. I'm gonna be crazy busy!
But I'll probably start it up again in a few weeks or a month or two. We'll see….
Sarah ~ You think my writing is better than Elizabeth Gilbert? Wow, that's such a compliment but I gotta say that I think I've got a long way before I can even begin to compare. I loved Eat, Love, Pray…it's actually one of my favorite books. You didn't like it?
Oh no! Reannon I love your blog! It's the first one I read every time I open my favorites list! I like how your writing style combines elements of humor, insight, and creativity in a really well blended manner. My creative writing profs. in college always stressed to us that if we wanted to become really good writers we needed to try to write everyday. In other words your blog benefits all. I've been meaning to continue mine..I think it's been a little over a year since I last updated(for shame), so I do realize that life gets in the way. Anyhoo, I hope the job turns out to be simply marvelous!!
honestly? no i didnt!
i thought her writing was trite.
i liked the idea of the book. and i loved the places she went and the things she did, but i felt like she wrote the book to make money. have you ever felt like that from a writer?
i honestly do think you write better. its from the heart
Oh no! My sister and I started reading your blog before going on a family trip to Japan–we wanted to get a North American perspective of living in Tokyo. Little did we know we would become totally hooked! For the past couple of months it's been like "Did you see Reannon's new post?". It's been such a treat to read such insightful, intelligent writing and we'll really miss it! I can't wait for the book!!!
Aw guys, you're too much! Your comments were so touching. Thank you so much.
Well I leave on Tuesday for my airline training in Florida and I'll be gone for two weeks but I when I come back I promise I'll post an update on here.
Keep checking back! : ) And thanks so much for reading…really. It means a lot.
Good luck with grad school and writing! I am completely on the fence at the moment about whether to make the grad school plunge or not…thankfully, I already got the GRE's out of the way.
I'm sure you'll do well and hopefully I'll stumble across your rave-reviewed book sometime in an English language bookstore somewhere overseas.
Best wishes!
Well, I guess you're gone on training by now, but thanks so much for writing. I've been reading this blog for about a year now, and it'll be strange not to have it updated. I hope you enjoy flight attendant school! 😀
Sorry to hear it's not doing it for you. Sometimes you just have to take a break I guess. Don't kill the blog though, maybe just evo it into something else.. fiction maybe?
[…] probably come back to the blog eventually. I mean, I’ve quit this blog before (remember summer of ’09?). I guess I love writing about myself too much to stay […]