What. Am. I. Doing.

Having graduated from college, a move on the horizon, and not enough time in the day, what am I going to do with a blog?

Hey friends! Having you read this statement means the world to me (even if you stop reading here)!

I am at the cusp of my life as an adult and while it may seem scary, I'm ready to take the plunge. I'm not one to be irresponsible which means I need to start studying my bank account like we've all torn apart a study guide before a big final. This isn't a cat that has nine lives, this is my life. Am I putting too much pressure on myself? Maybe. My greatest fear in life is to be homeless and I will not let this happen any time soon.

So - This is my way of minimizing a little bit. I want to learn a few ways to be more frugal. I want to develop a lifestyle.

I've been contemplating hobbies that are fulfilling, are inspiring, and are cheap. The latter has been hardest to find in the midst of a beautiful summer in Boston. Not to mention my last summer in Boston. I'm an experience guy and have never found much satisfaction out of an afternoon lounged in my bedroom - I've found outlets in the past through dancing, working out, rock climbing, and golfing, all of which cannot exist without professional development aka this stuff can't be done in my bedroom aka costs money every time I want to do these things.

I sat down one afternoon recently and made a list literally entitled "Hobbies That Don't Include Money" and this is what I came up with:

Songwriting

Playwriting

Book Reading

Yoga

Parkour

Researching

Journaling

Job Searching

Choreographing

Youtubing

Book Club

Photography

Parkour?! I was searching high and low for cheap thrills clearly...

I was pleasantly surprised how thought oriented most of these ideas were. I did not grow up as a huge reader/writer. In High School, I would rarely read assigned texts. I don't know how I made it by, especially since I took AP English and was required to read nightly articles and chapters of books in order to respond to prompts. I could always read plays, however. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams was one of the few "books" I read in that class. Maybe that's why I now hold a BFA in Musical Theatre. Somehow, I made it through.

After I deciphered this list, I surprisingly chose to give myself another chance at reading. I chose to pick up 2 books at the local Barnes & Noble and dove in to my new "cheap time consuming activities". Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen was up first and was a surprisingly easy read. I always used to think that a book over 200 pages was a beast - this 300 pager wasn't a breeze, however, I found it extremely relaxing ending my day with a few pages of this book each night.

I soon realized that, while reading was great and all, what I was missing from this experience was me. Though engaging mentally, I found myself thinking, "Why do I need to finish this? These people aren't real. Why does it matter if there is a resolution for their predicament?" I sadly put the book down and have not returned. It was worth the read simply because it reinforced the idea that I am a visual learner and need ideas based in reality to find true entertainment. I didn't see myself in the story - I couldn't relate to the upper class lifestyle of these middle-aged New Yorkers, nor could I relate to the abused Hispanic handyman who worked for each of these couples and was so poorly treated. I couldn't see myself in it. It's natural for me as a performer, to want to see myself in the stories I read. Anything could be a possible role for me! I am constantly searching for different ways to put myself into the world and I knew reading was not going to fulfill this need. I brainstormed song cover ideas and reached out to pianists to bulk up my YouTube channel.

I knew that while this would be great for my career in musical theatre, it wouldn't satisfy all of my needs. Part of the reason I made this list of hobbies was so that I could grow as a human, not just a person. I wanted to find a way to show off my style that I've cultivated, my passion for cooking, and my DIY sensibility. That's when the idea of a blog came to me.

A blog is a way to combine communication skills and technology skills while sharing all of my passions with people I love. Not to mention, it's a way to keep me sane. Beginning my life as a young adult, I'll have some tough breaks and difficulties. To have a blog could center my life in a way that reminds me to focus on the lifestyle I want to have for the audience that I write for.

I'm not expecting this to blow up. I'm not expecting to gain a lot of followers on instagram. I want to do this for myself because I have always had ideas and opinions that I believe can be articulated well enough to share with my peers and family. So get ready for the true Michael here. With ups and downs. I'm ready to see where this takes me.

I still don't know what I'm doing... but at least, I'm saving money!