Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“That’s an impressive goal,” I say. “Are your parents supportive?”
“Oh, yeah. My mom is an English teacher, so she’s the reason for my love of reading and writing. My dad was a journalist for a long time, but found that accounting was more his speed, which always surprises people.”
“Most people don’t go from a writing job to a math one, that’s for sure. At least he’s found his calling. Better to do something you enjoy than be miserable.”
“Exactly! I’m lucky that my parents feel that way. I have friends who are majoring in economics and business and whatever else their parents insisted they major in.”
“My parents were pissed I wanted to major in English – until I told them I’d get my doctorate,” Mark admits. “Knowing I’ll probably make some money in the future helped them come around to the idea.”
“At least they came around!”
“They did. So are you close with your parents?”
Mari smiles. “Yeah, I am. I’m an only child, so I spend a lot of time with them. We’re very close. I talk to them pretty much every day.”
“Do you go to Queens to visit often?”
“As much as I can. They know I’m busy with school stuff. I’ve gone back four times since starting here.”
The semester started about two months ago, so that’s pretty much every other week. I would’ve gone home that often, if not more, if I’d gone to school so close to my parents. Mostly to do laundry, but I liked hanging out with my parents, too. They’re older and retired now, living on Long Island, so they’re close enough that I get to see them whenever I want.
“That sounds great,” Mark continues the conversation. “It’s nice to have family nearby. I didn’t have that my freshman year, and I got really homesick. I stuck it out, but it was hard.”
“I couldn’t survive college without them. Sometimes they help me with my homework or just talk me down from a ledge.”
“I’m glad you have a great support system.”
“Yeah, me too. So now that you know more about me, can we talk about you?”
I laugh. “Sure. What do you want to know?”
“How did you end up at NYU?”
“Well, that’s kind of a funny, accidental story.”
“Really?”
I nod. “I had no idea what I wanted to do after I earned my bachelor’s degree. I loved English, but I was at a loss as to what kind of a job I could get with a B.A. in English.”
“That’s par for the course, I’ve heard.”
“It is. It’s easier now with all of the online resources available on what to do with your major, but back then, the decision was all on me. My adviser was no help. He kept telling me to go to school and become an academic, but that’s not what I wanted.”
Mari nearly spits out her pasta. “Wait, seriously? You didn’t want to go into academics?”
I shake my head. “Not even a little bit. I had no interest in continuing to learn. I wanted to enter the world. I’m better at learning from experience than in a classroom. Going to school for five or six more years was the least appealing option to me.”
“What did you end up doing?”
“Well, my grandfather passed away.”
That news makes Mari’s face fall. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you. It was a long time ago, but I still miss him. We were quite close. He used to tell me stories about climbing mountains in Nepal. My grandfather was an adventurer. He left me a decent amount of money, so I decided to use it to follow in his footsteps.”
“Wow! Where did you go?”
“I went to Nepal, of course. I’ve been an outdoorsman my whole life. I’ve climbed most of the peaks here in the States, anyway. I was ready to give another country a try.”
“Isn’t that dangerous?” Mari gasps. “Did you go by yourself?”
“Yes and yes. I wanted to travel alone. I was twenty-two years old with no one to answer to. It was dangerous, yes, but it was an amazing experience.”
“So you climbed mountains? What else did you do in Nepal?”
I smirk. “I sowed my wild oats while I was there.”
Mari flushes. “Oh. I guess that makes sense.”
“Don’t worry, that part of my life is over. I got it out of my system while I was in Nepal. Nepalese women…they are something else. And no matter where you travel, foreigners are a luxury.”
She laughs. “I can see that. How long did you stay?”
“Two years,” I admit. “I would have stayed longer, but while I was there, I realized something – I missed school.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, I did. I never imagined I would feel that way. I ended up volunteering as an English teacher at a few schools in Nepal, but that wasn’t enough. I wanted more. So I came back to the States, and I started learning again. I got my master’s, and then I got my doctorate.”