Great point! This is advice I try to keep in mind when I'm feeling close to succumbing to that terrible women's disease, Imposter Syndrome.

This is such a great pep talk with excellent advice. I think it's important to embrace the unknown, as panic-inducing as that can be at this stage. You really don't know where you're going to end up, or how you'll get there. Example: I had never even heard of "InDesign" when I started my job 4 years ago, but after being thrown into a Design/Communications role, I discovered I had both interest and (at least some) talent. It's been a really satisfying discovery, and a path I never intended to pursue.

I've been on the hiring-side at both my organization and the restaurant I manage, here's my tip: for the love of all that is holy comb your resume and cover letter (and any other application materials) for organization-specific details! The majority (yes, majority) of internship applications we received this spring had something wrong with them. Some were addressed improperly, some were clearly originally intended for a different art museum, some had glaring typos, one in particular made it very clear that the applicant had no idea where we were located. It is extremely imprudent to begin your relationship with a new organization with an eye-roll.

Also, I gotta say that my English minor has come in very handy at my job! Granted, I work in an arts non-profit and am not exactly chasing the big bucks, but having the ability to write and edit has been enormously beneficial.

Ah that's great, those options keep re-surfacing for me, thank you!

That's what I keep hearing: the portfolio is everything. I think I am leaning towards doing this part-time (for lots of reason, maintaining my current employment/paycheck being one of them), as cool as spending a year on typography sounds haha!

Joshua Tree is definitely up there on my list! I'm very drawn to Big Sur, but as an East Coast-er the landscape of JT just looks so unusual to me I feel that I should take advantage of it while I'm out there. And thank you for the tip about not freezing haha! It didn't really sink in until some research I did today that it does get quite cold out there (unless I'm inside of a bear's stomach in which case I'll be v. toasty).

SEEKING ADVICE!!

1. Any California campers out there?? I'm visiting my gal pal in SoCal (heh) in March and I'd like to take two nights for a solo voyage to the wilderness. But, not too far into the wilderness because I'm afraid of bears and not extremely experienced. Does anyone know of any low-key camping/hiking sites within a 4-hour drive from LA?

2. Should I return to school and get a BFA in graphic design??? Would only do so if I could on the cheap as I do not want to contribute to my current loan balance, which isn't too high but that's not the point. I'm 28 and have enjoyed the graphic design element of my current non-profit arts job (where I've been for 4 years), and I'm feeling the urge to really bulk up my skills and not have all of my knowledge be self-taught. Has anyone done something like this?

2a. Should I stop seeking external validation and instead just do what I want to do?? Probably!