Why a Master's Degree

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If you knew me five to eight years ago, you would know that I adamantly refused to ever get a Master's Degree. I was done with school, I was ready to go out into the world and teach, I was ready to feel like an adult. But then I tried teaching, and then I traveled, and I came to the conclusion that I should get a Master's. So why did I finally decide to get a Master's?

One reason is because I wanted an excuse to keep living abroad. I didn't look at any schools in the US, I didn't even think about it. So I researched every English speaking program in Europe and narrowed down programs in Nordic countries. Each one seemed like something that I would be willing to study, everything seemed interesting enough. So why not? What's two more years of school for the sake of living abroad?

The more I fed into this fantasy, the more I got to thinking: I really do want to get my Master's degree. It seemed like a very logical option for career advancement. It would open a lot of doors and windows for me and provide me with great life experiences. The more I thought about it, the less I could think of any reasons as to why I shouldn't apply. 

This was all occurring during the summer of 2015, during the huge refugee crisis in Central Europe. I read about the horrors and the human rights violations that people were fleeing from and the racism and discrimination they faced along their long journey. I decided that I didn't want to be a silent bystander just watching these events unfold. I figured that getting a Master's would be the best way to help in the long run: it would help me get a job in a non-profit organization, in a museum, or even as a teacher. 

I've always been better at being a student than anything else. Maybe I'll be a perpetual student, in and out of school my whole life. But I've also enjoyed teaching; I've been told that I'm good at it, apparently. So with a Master's I can teach at higher levels, or teach exactly what I want to teach. 

So with all of this in mind, I decided to take a break from constantly traveling in order to accomplish a difficult task. And I have become more and more motivated by the opportunities that may present themselves in the future. But of course these opportunities will always include travel.