Why Am I Back In Wisconsin?

Here's why:

Because I intend on getting my masters degree to become an architect. I've spent many years not using my art degree working crappy little jobs and now I want to do something else with my life. I'm hoping to create a positive legacy by designing environmentally "green" buildings that not only are good for the earth, but are also respectful of those people who they are built for. I want to make buildings that people 200 years from now will defend and want to keep around. There are so many buildings erected nowadays that are built without the future in mind. I think it's reckless and disrespectful to create something with such short-sighted vision when that something may be around years after we are gone.

I'm also going back to school because, honestly, I see the position my parents are job-wise and it makes me sick. They have spent much of their lives working for big companies that treat them like shit and I often wonder how they can take it and stay loyal. My mom has been working at evil Wal-Mart for almost 20 years and they treat her horribly. They make her work nights and weekends, they have taken away some benefits, and they won't hire enough help and therefore, work her like a dog. Yuck. My dad works as a maintainence man at a Kraft plant and he's found out that his job may be outsourced to some national maintainence company. If this company were to come into the plant and he wanted to keep his job, he'd have to reapply for his position, interview for it and such, and hopefully get the job. But if he does even get re-hired, he will lose all his seniority and benefits. WTF!

So I've been thinking about my position in life for awhile and now I've finally grabbed the BULL by the horns and applied to MATC's Architectural Technician program. There I will earn credits that I can apply and transfer to graduate school program somewhere else. I'm doing the trade school thing now because:
1. It's far more affordable. My Uncle Kenny recently died and he set up an education trust-fund that will pay for any of my grandparents descendants' college expenses, but it's in probate for awhile. So I've decided to pay $1300 a semester instead of ten or twenty thousand for now.
2. I'll be able to work on an architectural portfolio.
3. I'll be able to build a collection of references I need to get into grad school; and
4. I'll have a useful degree to apply if I ever have to get a job.

This last year in NYC taught me to go and work for what I want. NYC, as much fun as I had there, was a city where you had to be successful in what you did in order to live comfortably, and I was directionless. So I'm rectifying the situation and sending myself back to school. Yay for me!