Roughly one year ago at around 3:30 a.m., I was laying in bed, scrolling through Facebook and avoiding going to sleep, as per the usual. I came across a post by a friend of mine that was encouraging people to send in applications to write for this website that I hadn't heard of: The Odyssey Online. Since I was going to be unable to work for the summer, I was looking for something that would help me to pass the time and possibly make some money (at the time, the person with the most popular article of the week within your university's writing community would earn a small cash bonus of $20). I thought to myself that it wouldn't hurt to apply, and the worst thing that would happen was that I would be rejected. So I filled out the application, hoping for the best but anticipating the worst. Within a few days, I received a phone call and answered a few questions as part of the interview process, after which I was told that I was accepted as a writer for Odyssey and that my first article was due the following week.
Every week for the past year (with one or two exceptions), I have written an article on any number of topics, from writer's block to depression, podcasts to video games, YouTubers to studying abroad, and beyond. It has come as no surprise to me that my writings have not been extremely popular or widely shared. Despite some of my best efforts, I am certainly not a great writer by any stretch of the imagination, and I admit that I don't try to write articles for the sake of being "relatable." Gaining popularity through Facebook shares hasn't been the point of my writings. Not only has writing for Odyssey given me something to do during my post-operation recovery, but it has also allowed me to get in touch with myself and vocalize some thoughts and feelings that I have struggled with. To the dismay of some, writing about my negative feelings toward my deceased mother has helped me start to move forward with my life. Writing about the circumstances surrounding my car accident last year has allowed me to spread my warning to others so that they won't make the same mistakes that I did.
It's often said that writing about your circumstances, thoughts, and feelings can help you to work through your problems and that many people find it to be therapeutic. Over the past year that I have been writing for Odyssey, this has proven to be completely true for me. Despite applying to be a writer on a late night whim, I couldn't be happier with where this strange, whirlwind journey has taken me, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the future of writing for Odyssey has in store for me.
