"Writing is the painting of the voice," as said by Voltaire. For the past year and a half, I have been a writer for the Odyssey Online at West Chester University. Writing a weekly article, with the exception of a few occasions, that means I have written about 60 or so articles. It has been such a pleasure and learning experience writing for the Odyssey that I can honestly say I would be slightly lost had I not taken this opportunity.

When I first received an email from the Editor in Chief, I literally felt like a giddy little kid again, filled with excitement of a new experience on the horizon. I have always loved writing and it has certainly been one of my stronger areas academically. Most people I know dread writing a paper for class, but I would take a paper over studying for an exam any day! So when I began pursuing a Communications Degree with little to no idea exactly what I would want to do with it, I looked to what I love (besides horses). It was there that I realized my love for writing could leave me to a meaningful and potential career. With the Odyssey, I was able to find my love of writing again and was inspired to improve and write as many articles as I could think of.

Writing a weekly article usually allowed me to get my thoughts and opinions out on paper. No matter the subject, every time I wrote an article, my words became meaningful; my words became heard. It encouraged me to write or type my thoughts out when I needed to work through something and could not figure it out in my head. When words were too hard or painful to be spoken, I could say everything I wanted to in writing, and I came to realize people love it just as much. I learned about a completely new way to express myself and in the long run it has helped me to grow as a person. My creativity has increased, and I found myself reading another article online or hearing a story and thinking, “Man, I could definitely write a great article from this!”

So thank you to all of my family and friends who have helped and encourage me through this experience! Thank you to all of you for allowing me to use you as my subjects sometimes and beg you to give me an article topic when I was suffering from the forever daunting disease of, “writer’s block.” Hopefully in time I can bother you all again when my hectic schedule allows me to be a writer again. Thank you to the staff and fellow writers of The Odyssey as well, it has been a great pleasure!

Some say the written word is dead, but from what I can see, it is just getting started! Technology is creating a whole new era for writing and allows everyday people like myself to share our thoughts and written masterpieces all over the world. I am not worried in the slightest about writing dying. Yes, print may be dying, but the written word itself is here to stay, waiting to tell all of the many stories of the world. With that being said, my journey in writing is nowhere over and this will not be the last you hear from me!