What’s Next?

These are two seemingly innocuous words, at least on their own, but together are much more dangerous. There’s the implied motion. Moving away from something to the great wide unknown new next. Aside from that, there’s an expected explanation. You can’t just say “tacos” or “face tattoo” and walk away. Noooooo. You have to explain your plan of action, as if you’re setting out for the territories or attacking a medium sized country. Where’s the explanation from the asker? Are they not expected to provide a thesis on why they care so goddammed much? Ok, maybe they’re your parents or your landlord, BUT STILL. Leave me and my tacos in peace.

Lately I’ve been bombarded with this and similar types of questions, and usually I laugh it off, making some joke about what a good question! I don’t know either! HAHAahsobha. The question is never malicious or ill-intentioned (or else I’m a complete idiot), but I can’t seem to come up with a good answer.

I probably could now complain about the lacking resources of my alma mater, that no one gave me an idea of where to go after college, but let’s be honest: that class would’ve been boring as hell. A useful class would’ve been one like Adult Small Talk and How To Walk Away Without Getting the Cops Called After You: A Practicum.

But I digress. To be honest, I don’t want to come up with a good answer to this question. I’m not interested in talking about what I plan on doing, I’m simply interested in, for the first time in my life, doing something that doesn’t hinge on grades or success or peer editing. I want to do something new, challenging, terrifying, fun, unusual and maybe slightly conversation worthy.

So what’s next? Tomorrow.