Just Me by Trish N.

I had to go to a work party tonight, a small departmental gathering. It was an intimate setting, expensive wine and lots of polite and (office) politically correct conversation.

I do have this rule now, when Annie, my colleague, goes home, I have to leave too, because I always get into trouble when she's not around. For some reason, I can't mix free food, happy hour and work people on my own. She's my trusty barometer for allowed drunken behavior. So, I leave early, at a decent hour, quite proud of myself for being a lady and not saying the wrong thing, at the right time, to the wrong person...which I've done before – sober. BUT,On my way home, who do I run into - my Boss (!), the only person who wasn't at the party, taking the same train at the same time in the same car with me. (Me: tipsy. Him: innocent bystander and slightly confused).

To say the least that was the longest eight-minute commute ever for both of us combined. Life has a real funny sense of humor sometimes. Unfortunately, I don't when I'm tipsy. Now, I'm really sure he'll have a word or two with me...



Trish N. Bio

After leaving the corporate world of banking and finance, Trish N., an aspiring New York writer and yoga enthusiast, has decided to take cabs home from now on. Currently she dreams of living in a Brooklyn brownstone someday with her beloved kitty, but Manhattan will always be her first true love...

Major Decision by Mayra David

Few decisions I've made have been as profound as my choice in college majors. In high school, I knew some who were completely clear on what they wanted to study in college, but I was not so fortunate. Of course I was looking forward to experiencing college. And I liked the notions of 'campus life' and 'study abroad' but those words might as well have been 'whole world' and 'my oyster'.

I hated getting asked what I would major in. I wish I had known it was alright to say I'm keeping my options open, thank you very much. Instead, I often said 'International Relations' – several in my family were in the foreign service, so it made sense. Thank goodness for freshman disorientation. Overwhelmed, I basically stuck to the requirements during my first year. This left me more time for courses of my choosing in the following semesters, but more than that: it bought me a year's worth of time.

I started taking classes in political science and world history, trying to get a taste for 'international relations' (whatever that meant). At the same time, however, through the friends I made and the activities I was drawn to, I became very involved in the artistic community of the college. I loved my writing courses and I was getting great roles in theater productions.

Soon, I was spending all my time in those disciplines and my performance in non-related courses suffered. My parents were not happy; neither was I. Many discussions ensued where the words 'sensible' and 'passion' collided. I learned that 'passion' is a word of inherent dichotomy – it can bring about both focus and confusion. I was passionate about traveling and languages, writing and the theatre. But I had to admit to myself that my interest in international affairs was just that – an interest. My future was in the arts and I wanted to focus all my energy on that major.

Once decided, I wanted to declare it to the world! Or at least to the Registrars Office. Fortunately, despite feeling like I spent time in clashing disciplines, in reality all my courses thus far complemented each other and fulfilled requirements for a double major in writing and theatre arts. I hadn't been as divided as I thought.

Though my parents were worried about the lack of security a non-traditional career, I remained firm in my dedication to it. They knew that if I don't care for the work, my performance – and rewards – were going to suffer anyway. On average, a person will hold 12-15 different jobs and will change their careers 4-5 times in their lifetime. In light of this, it would be easy to listen to those who say just get a degree, any degree. But I say, it means don't worry: keep making choices for yourself that keep you happy and productive.

Mayra David Bio

Mayra was born in Seattle and raised in the Philippines, Germany, and the U.S. due to her mother's work as a diplomat. She graduated from RCNJ in 2002 with a B.F.A in Writing and Theater and with no more concrete plan than "moving to New York City to pursue my dreams." Of course setting that plan into action proved far more difficult than she originally anticipated what with rent, security deposit, student loans and fierce competition to deal with. You live, you learn, and learn that being practical and savvy turns dreams into goals. She is happy to be a part of YWW and hopes her experiences thus far can be a help to young women navigating their own working lives. Mayra currently lives in New York City.