grad school day in my life

Life has been CRAZY lately. The ups and downs have been wild. I don’t think I expected schoolwork to take up my whole life the way it has. I feel like I’m either in class or doing class work and trying to make plans with friends has been next to impossible.

All in all, we’re just trying to make the best of it. Grad school is truly a path I never would have chosen until it was the only path I could take (lots of job rejections have happened in the past year). Anyway, friends, here’s an insight into the life I’m currently living. Hope you’ll give me a little insight into yours.

Wednesday, October 4, 2023

I woke up this morning and headed out to a cover letter workshop. My grad school offers them so much but I’ve managed to miss all of the others so far. I make my way to Manhattan from Brooklyn. It takes an hour but this week I’ve been getting really into Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. It’s incredible and every recommendation is true.

I stop and try to make sense of my life according to Columbia’s calendar instead of my own. I feel both heady with excitement and overwhelmed. Our schedules are already packed to the brim with reporting and somehow we’re supposed to find time to make ourselves employable.

I duck into a different room once the workshop’s over to try and get my sources to work with me. I’m working on an enterprise story aka a story you find with your own volition. I listen to my professor Steve and stop beating around the bush: I pick up the phone and call.

I am amazed by the interview that happens. My source, a dude I thought was who was dodging me, is a little gruff at first but opens up. I feel a moment of euphoria when they talk about feeling welcome. It’s the first time in a little while since I felt like I’ve been doing the right thing. 

Outside Columbia’s new president has her inauguration. It’s funny. When I was at UVA, I watched President Ryan also get inaugurated. The symmetry is weird and yet is right.

I leave after emails and that one successful phone call to head over to the Episcopal Church nearby. I am always rushing to this church. I’m not sure what this says about me. I am not Episcopalian, to be clear. I’m not sure what I am, except Christian and most days, Protestant. But last fall, I spent months finding myself with books that somehow ended up to be about Episcopalians. So maybe there’s something to this church.

I go to the 12:15 service, and the guy that always allows me to follow along isn’t there. It’s my first time without him there. I get the Book of Common Prayer and try to follow along. I fail. The fan is too loud to hear the announcement for the page numbers. Luckily, my time in the Roman Catholic Church does not fail me. What does it say that the liturgy stays with me, even if I decide not to stay in the church?

I end up in a discussion with Allie about a vocational program the church holds. We duck out of the church in a side entrance and I find myself in a hidden green space. It’s tucked away in all its beauty. She mentions growing up Nazarene and I Catholic. We exchange numbers and I promise I’ll attend a prayer night soon.

It reminds me of the Study Center I spent my days in at college. Community is such a gift, and I’m glad Jesus finds a way to give it to me.

I head back to school for lunch and in exchanging emails, decide to head to the Bronx for some historical information I need on the story I’m working on.

I call my dad and let him know where I’m headed. My dad’s voice is probably my favorite. And his hugs too.

Though I’m adept at taking the train, I feel nervous about the bus. I’m always afraid I’m going to end up stranded since bus stations aren’t necessarily on the same street, even if the route is the same. 

I end up luckily finding my way to the Bronx Historical Society. It’s nice to be a journalist sometimes. I feel like I’ve been taken so seriously. Which is weird for someone as short as I am and a face as young as I have. (When I was a college junior, I was assumed to be a high school junior.) I take a million photos then head back to school.

I make my way to St. Paul’s chapel. It doesn’t feel as convenient as the chapel in college. I have to intentionally make my way here. I brought my Bible and journal in my bag, and I pray. I read psalm 148. I’m overwhelmed by grief and I’m not sure why. I miss my aunt who passed away from COVID. The people we love live on in our memories. I wish I called her more. I wish I didn’t assume that there would be more time. 

At the jschool building, I eat more of my lunch and end up on a call with a lovely source about our class’s story. She’s always willing to be so helpful. We chat briefly and then I head to the library for my first Bible Study of the semester.

I see a juggler and I am so proud. 

I head to Bible Study and it’s a great unloading. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve felt that understood and heard. We all need people who understand what we believe and can encourage us in hard times.

I get home and see the neighborhood cat I’ve adopted, Buddy. I would show you a picture of him (he’s such a cutie!) but it’s in front of my house, and that’s not internet safety.

My friend Magin is wonderful and made a lovely little presentation for when we talk about the Golden Bachelor. As a long time Bachelor fan who left the franchise for its lack of diversity, the Golden Bachelor gives me a little of what I desired. Honestly, anything in the vein of Jewish Matchmaking or Indian Matchmaking. I just wanted a show that wasn’t divorced from family or religion or culture. I feel like the Bachelor became a reflection of individualist automaton America where all people care about is feelings but not honor, integrity, or community.

And then I definitely scrolled TikTok before bed.

Thanks for joining on this day. My days don’t usually have this much religious activity but I quite enjoyed it. I also spend way more time in class than this, so hopefully, I’ll share that soon!

Signing off, 

Gigi