Dear Diary

Hey cats and kittens, dudes and dudetts: A quick tip from the Tuckerbag. Over the past few days we've talked a bit about sharing our stories and the reasons that people are often so willing to talk about their lives. There are two reasons that did not come up which are very important ones everyone can benefit from.

​

First, talking about your life, stories that you have and things you've done, can be therapeutic. Sometimes people just need to talk through their good points and bad points so the whole thing make sense. The big picture is often more clear than the ins and outs of daily life.

​

Second, we tell stories to refresh our own memories. Talking about our lives reminds us where we've been and gives us a better idea of where we're going. We get joy from remembering what we've been through, how we handled it, and how it shaped us.

​

For both of these reasons (and a host of others) I highly recommend keeping a journal of some kind. Even if you don't have time each day to write a full page, just jot down what you did, who you saw, or what you were feeling. There are a few ways to do this on the road or in the bricks.

1. Keep a physical journal and write in it each day or a few times every week 
2. If you're mobile and can't spare the space, use an online journal. Here are some suggestions
• Penzu
• eDaily Diary
• Dear Diary
3. Maybe you just don't like to write. Get a digital audio recorder or borrow one from your local library. Your spoken journal can be uploaded onto your computer so you can really remember what you were feeling at the time.

Let's be honest; you're living a pretty interesting and unusual life right now. So write it down!

Teach for America

Two professors have handed out guidelines for midterm papers. Didn't I just start classes? first semester is flying by and I've been forced to consider my next move. I went back to school so that I could get better jobs and make more of an impact, but in spring I'm going to have two fancy degrees and I have no idea how to use them.

​

Last night I put in an application with Teach for America, a organization that provides teachers to low income or high need areas in the US. I had to list my regional choices and picked New Orleans as #1 and Boston as #2. Where every I go I'll be there for two years and get some good experience. I was talking to a rep the other day and she said that doing Teach for America would allow me to "postpone the real world" for a while and figure out what I wanted to do next. Fact is, this is the real world and I've chosen a career path in which I will be perpetually broke. When all's said and done, I think it will be an interesting life, but right now it's a lot of running around and planning. I almost want to settle down for a little while.

​

Speaking of settling down, I'm house/dog sitting this week for a friend while she's at a wedding. Last night I cooked on a stove, watched television, and slept in a  bed. You might say that it shouldn't be so strange, having spent so much time in New Hampshire with Julie and family over the past year. The fact is that it's different when you're able to do all these things alone. No one there, no one talking to you, no one giving you weird looks as you light your tin can stove. It struck me that I could yell and no one would notice. It's been a long time since I was anyplace where that could happen.

​

It's a rainy day here in the northeast, so stay dry! I think those northern vehicle dwellers should make a weekend date for sometime in the spring. I've been hearing from quite a few people who will be wintering in vehicles and I'd love us all to meet in person to swap stories and ideas. Think about it.