Academic advice & secret societies

My dilemma about studying abroad may not appear to be a dilemma at all, on the surface. I understand that going abroad is a rare opportunity, one that will improve my language skills and practical understanding of the culture of Morocco, and that I am very, very lucky to even have the possibility of going. It's also the only way for me to earn my degree in 2011.

Here's the thing; I haven't been unemployed since I was 18. Even that was just for most of a summer. I work. It is what I do. It is how I survive, how I remain independent. Not having a job for 3 months (especially having to give up my current job which I love) and having no certainty of any job (or, for that matter, any money) when I come back is terrifying.

Other cons:

-The Moroccan dialect of Arabic is not widely spoken or understood outside of Morocco, and is not my first choice of dialects to learn.

-The program involves a 3-month home stay with a family. While I appreciate my previous homestay experiences, the idea of spending so long in one family's home seems overwhelming and frightening.

-It is expensive. Very expensive. Lotsa expensive. Plus airfare, plus travel expenses, plus no ability to work while I'm there. Eeeesh.


So what do you think, should I go?





In only sort of related news, when I got home tonight I found a fancy envelope from the "Golden Key International Honour Society" letting me know that for only $80 I could become a member of their society, apparently something I qualified for due to "academic achievement". This is my standard response to any invitation to join a society:

To Whom It May Concern,

Thank you for your invitation to become a member of GKIHS. While GKIHS sounds like a prestigious and ancient society, I have to be selective about my society membership, due the volume of invitations I receive. Please answer the following questions about your society, and return by mail in the enclosed envelope before 3/15 for priority consideration.

1. How secret is your society?

a.) Top
b.) Less secret than before that hack pulp writer outed us
c.) What society?
d.) We literally admit any one who pays us $80

2. How much behind-the-scenes control do you have over global events?

a.) We control the weather
b.) We control international finance
c.) We control the media
d.) We control your mind

3. Who is the celebrity face of your society?

a.) A former President
b.) Tom Cruise
c.) Grand Dragon __________________ (Insert name here)
d.) The Pope

4. What is your society's beverage of choice?

a.) Blood
b.) Wine
c.) Kool-Aid
d.) All of the above.

5. How much animal sacrifice, in general, does your society require?

a.) Constant
b.) Every meeting
c.) Every full moon
d.) We require human sacrifice.

Thank you again for the invitation, and I look forward to hearing from you. Due to the volume of invitations to secret societies a personal response may not be possible if your society is not selected. Good luck!

Sincerely,

Kelsey