In theory, when you start something or join something you plan on staying or doing that one thing for a long time. However, life happens.

I started writing for the Odyssey in December 2015. I was the first writer hired for the UALR community. I saw the Odyssey as a great opportunity to further my writing career. I took my first article seriously. I even had my brother read it and edit it. Although the article did not publish at the right time (a month late), it is one of my favorite articles.

Through the Odyssey I have been able to express myself and write about things that I care about. For me, it was not about the shares or the likes. It was about getting good content out there. In fact, I realized that quality is better than quantity. The article that I did receive my record amount of shares was about my school. I was happy for that one to get so many shares because I love my school, and I wanted to connect to other Trojans. The fact that over 200 people connected with my article was pretty amazing.

I would still like to thank my friends and family for reading, liking, commenting, and sharing my articles. The support is very much appreciated.

My journey with the Odyssey has not been easy. I have struggled to come up with topics to write about, and I have even missed submission dates because my life got so busy.

I write all of this to say that my life has become too busy to balance a role with Odyssey. I am student teaching this semester, working, and taking my final English and education courses. Though it's heartbreaking to let go, our separation is what's best right now.

Thank you Odyssey for being such a great writing outlet for me. Good luck UALR Odyssey community! I will miss you.

Love,

Blaise