Recently I have been asked by multiple people "do you get paid for writing on Odyssey?" and of course, my response is always "no." That usually comes with a follow-up question of "so why do you do it?"

The answer is that I write for me.

All throughout high school, I would always see these links pop up on my Facebook with really interesting and relatable articles. I would always end up clicking on them and then would end up exploring the website for a really long time.

After that, I started going onto the website a lot if I needed help with something or advice or if I just wanted to laugh. I remember when I was packing for college, I went to the website and found a ton of articles about what to pack, and they were so helpful. In fact, I still have one of the packing list links saved on my computer.

Some of my favorite articles to look at were always the relatable ones about my hometown or something that I could personally relate to. I would always read them and think "this is so true" and immediately send my friends the link to the article.

After reading many articles, I always thought about writing on Odyssey myself. So, when I found out that my best friend starting writing for her community, I reached out to her and asked her how I could get involved. She helped me apply and I just couldn't wait to hear back. When I got accepted into the community here at Penn State, I couldn't wait to start writing.

After writing for about 4-5 months now, I can honestly say it has been so much fun. Being able to express yourself every week and write about ANYTHING that interests or inspires you has truly been amazing. I get to be creative and the feedback from people is always the best part. To see people responding to your work in such a positive way reminds me why I write on Odyssey.

So, no I don't get paid to do this, but I don't care. I write because it is a rewarding experience.