I have been writing on Odyssey for a year now. It has been such a wonderful experience, and I will miss it very much. For my final article, I would like to give everyone a glimpse into who I was as a writer before I began writing on Odyssey, my time with Odyssey, and what I hope for my future as a writer leaving Odyssey.
Before I began writing on Odyssey, writing for the sole purpose of fun was not something I had done in a very long time. In high school, I was part of a creative writing club. There wasn't a lot of interest in the club, however, and it ended within a few short months. Without my peers to bounce ideas off of and with the overwhelming anxiety of high school, my writing voice was lost. I didn't know Odyssey existed until winter break last year. About to begin my senior year of college at the time, I was pretty wary of taking on the task of writing once a week. I knew my senior year would be a struggle, considering I would be taking the most hours I had ever taken at my time at Miami. However, I made the decision to give it a shot, and I am certainly glad I did.
During my time with Odyssey, my articles were the only thing that kept me sane. All of my courses were expecting me to write and read all the time, and I never had a chance to just express my opinion. My articles gave me a chance to write about what I truly cared about and enjoyed. I was worried about coming up with topic ideas, but this never became an issue. I would have an idea at the most random times for an article. It also gave me a chance to meet some people that have a lot of the same interests as me and interview some very special people.
Writing on Odyssey helped me to get my voice back. I never want to lose it again.
I recently made the decision to leave Odyssey. I am beginning student teaching in January and don't feel I can give both Odyssey and students my full attention. It bums me out leave Odyssey, but I know it is for the best. I am forever grateful for the time that I have had with this wonderful community of people. To my fellow creators, thank you for giving me feedback when I needed it. Thank you for writing such thoughtful, powerful and overall fantastic pieces of work. I have enjoyed reading them and will continue to do so. To my hardworking editor in chief(s), thank you for believing in my writing when I didn't. Thank you for being understanding when life got in the way. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to get my voice back. To all my readers, thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to read my work. I appreciate it greatly.
Goodbye, Odyssey, and thank you for giving me back a part of myself I had lost.
