There And Back Again | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

There And Back Again

My history with Odyssey and why I am back for more

58
There And Back Again

For some of you, seeing a new article from me is going to come as a bit of a shock, and to be fair, it’s probably more of a shock to me. I put some real blood, sweat, and tears into Odyssey over the past year and a half, and in the act of being as transparent as I can be, I don’t really know if I could tell you what I gained from the experiences I’ve had with it, but I know for a fact that the ability Odyssey provides its content creators to publish content unique to themselves each week is the most authentic guarantees out there right now, and I love it for its quirkiness.

For a little backstory, I came into Clark University’s community page as a writer, as that was what we were called at the time, and for the first month, everything was great. Halfway through November, almost everyone quit, and for fear of losing such a great opportunity, I decided one month was long enough to have the experience required to lead the team, and so I became the Editor in Chief, and built the team back up from two (including myself) to about 14 in a few months.

One of the things that creating content for an organization such as Odyssey requires, however, is consistency, which is one thing that Clark community has kind of notoriously lacked (and that is absolutely including me, just for the record). Anyway, it got to the point where I was in a very good relationship with my Managing Editor and the majority of my team, but I wasn’t setting really any precedence for consistency, so I was replaced. Sure, it was a blow to my ego, and sure, it was kind of out of the blue, but it was also completely necessary and inevitable.

Since then, I’ve been a much more personal writer, focusing on creating my own stories and poems and such, and trying not to launch myself into any heated feuds on social media. Without Odyssey, however, I wasn’t working through my feelings as much with what was going on around me, so I’ve become pretty numb to all of the horrible things that are being said and done around me, and I guess I kind of got tired of sitting around not saying anything.

All things considered, I am studying abroad in Scotland, and my schedule here is nothing like my schedule in the US, so I feel that I have a lot more free time to sit down and commit to writing for longer periods of time than I could at Clark, which is partially why I’m back. The main reason, though, is that I kept Clark’s Odyssey community around for a reason. I knew that Clark needed something like Odyssey because it changed my life for the better, no matter what anybody says. I’ve had some incredible experiences working for and with Odyssey, and want to continue to have those experiences for as long as I can manage it, so to speak. Writing for Odyssey has given me the confidence I have tried so hard to learn on my own, and gives me the confidence to voice opinions I’d otherwise be inclined to keep silent and to myself. I’ve spent my life quiet and reserved, and writing for Odyssey essentially eliminates that social barrier that keeps me that way, and I love that.

And yes, that is, in fact, me dressed as a traffic cone, that is my friend dressed as Lord Farquaad from Shrek, and as I made very sure, he is well aware that ogres have layers. And something about a donkey.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Relationships

10 Facts All People In A Large Family Can Confirm During The Holiday Season

The holiday season can be the best and most stressful time of the year, especially when more people are involved.

923
kids jumping

The holidays are full of lights, sweets, sweaters, and your favorite movies. There's nothing quite like this period from the beginning of December through January. Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Years. The fun of it all.

I don't know about you but with my large Italian family something is always going on during this season. It can be the most wonderful time of the year while also being the most hectic. These are a few things you know if your family is anything like mine during this time.

Keep Reading...Show less
10 things that happen the second Thanksgiving is over
reference.com

To those who celebrate, you just spent an entire day cooking an elaborate meal with all of your favorite foods. You probably ate your body weight in pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes. What happens now? Oh yea, Christmas. It’s time to take out all of the decorations and Christmas themed things that have been sitting in the attic since last year; it’s time to make a reappearance. So, here are 10 things that happen the second Thanksgiving is over.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

18 Things I Want To Do Now That I'm 18

I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

4277
Happy Birthday Cake

For the entirety of my high school career, I was always seen as the goody-two-shoes. I never got in trouble with a teacher, I kept stellar grades, and when I wasn't doing extracurricular activities, I was at home studying. Even when I did go out, it was usually with a bunch of fellow band geeks. The night would end before 11:00 PM and the only controversial activity would be a fight based on who unfairly won a round of Apples-to-Apples when someone else clearly had a better card (I promise I'm not still holding a grudge).

Now that I'm officially an adult, I want to pursue some new things. I want to experience life in a way that I never allowed myself to do prior to entering college. These are the years that I'm supposed to embark on a journey of self-discovery, so what better way to do that than to create a bucket list?

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics

The holiday classics that shaped my life

2628
10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics
Flickr

The holiday season is full of stress, debt, and forced conversation. While we rush through the month of December, it's important to take a step back and enjoy the moments before they're gone. Most families love to watch Christmas movies, but these beloved films provide more than entertainment. Here are 10 life lessons that I've learned from the holiday classics we watch every year.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

202004
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments