I've been publishing articles under The Odyssey for the past seven months now, and I've decided that it's time to say goodbye.
I was ecstatic to begin writing for The Odyssey in January. It was the first time in my life I had the opportunity to share my views, interests, opinions, beliefs, and values on a genuine platform, content that wouldn't just be seen by a professor or the occasional friend. I had spent a lot of time writing and making stories up when I was younger, and writing for The Odyssey sparked my creativity all over again.
I've had the opportunity to write about so many issues that I'm passionate about. Feminism, politics, the media, family, friendships, pop culture, spirituality, religion, and relationships are just a few of them. My writing skills drastically improved over the course of these seven months, and my opportunity to write was extended beyond the sphere of academia and into the sphere of creativity and artistry.
Writing is tough work, though. And even though publishing one article per week doesn't seem like a lot of work, with an internship, a full time job, babysitting, classes, and extra curriculars, publishing articles, as fun as it is, became another additive to the mountain of things that I do to improve my professional life and further my education. On top of job hunting and focusing on a full credit schedule and my student organizations, I decided that it was time to give The Odyssey a rest in order to maintain balance, and, well, not go completely crazy.
I am so grateful for my experience writing for the Odyssey. I not only got to improve my own writing, but I was able to explore the content published by so many other creators and young writers. As a matter of fact, I was relatively shocked at how easy it was to start writing for the Odyssey.
After seeing one of my friends from school publishing her own content, I was fascinated to see how I would be able to do the same. With one Google search of, "The Odyssey application," and a brief but exciting phone interview, I was officially on my journey to being a creator for the Odyssey.
The great thing about The Odyssey is that the only requirement for writing is that you be located on a college campus, within a specific community that hosts a chapter for The Odyssey. I like those odds, especially considering that many other established newspapers, blogs, media platforms, etc. would require that you have so much published content out to begin with before they even consider adding you to their time. Point being, writing for the Odyssey is fun, easy, and YOU should give it a go.
There were many people who supported the opportunity that I received to publish my writing, including friends, family, and in particular, my grandfather. Thanks, Pop! But ultimately, I would like to thank anyone and everyone who bothered to open up any of my articles in the first place. It's you, dear reader, who made a big part of this experience so great.
Here's to new priorities and adventures, but also for a well-needed rest for my brain. Thanks, Odyssey.
