Now what do I do with my life?

[vict0r]

Hey folks. Life situation discussion time...

I am a native born norwegian living in Norway. Last year or something equal, I made the choice to go to the states and study animation. More precicely, I wanted to go to california and study animation. I planted the idea in my parents heads at an early stage, and it grew on them to the extent they said they could pay for the first year as my goddamn dumb fucking goverment don't give any form of financial aid (no loans, no scholarships) for the freshman year. I have yet to find a reason for this, but it's a fact so fuck them.

I introduced the idea of going overseas to study for my best friends and they digged it. The though grew on them as well and they passed the seed of thought on to their parents who eventually agreed on the same thing as mine. As time passes we talk more and more about doing this, and I'm at this point pretty much certain I'm going. Once in a while my parents talk with me and encourage me. These processes keep their natural flow for about a year or so. Until last week.

Now I'm eating dinner alone with my mom as my dad were in some foreign country doing stuff needed to be done. Anyways, we're talking about everyday stuff when conversation suddenly swerves and lays itself in the serious lane. Suddenly, my mom starts talking about economics and how we are pretty economical stable but not extremely wealthy and stuff like this. I'm at this point pretty surprised and generally stunned as I didn't know where the serious tone and topic came from, but I think "okay, I'll let her do her thing" and listen. So she starts to talk about how my brother has applied to this fucking circus school in London, and how she needs to talk to him about wether or not this really is a good choice of school. Blah, blah, blah, conversation/monologue continues and now I'm involved. "Is San Francisco really the best place for you? This school in Volda is supposedly really good, and it's supported by the goverment!" Suddenly, rage mixed with confusion and a slowly growing understanding about what's going on here slowly starts to build up inside me. The conversation goes more and more onto this point. Within ten minutes she has more or less concluded that they can't really afford me going to the states. Fuck. Dreams swirl into a dark vortex of shit.

Ever since I was a little kid, I've been wanting to get the hell out of the, both social and political backwash I've seen Norway as. Even though I live in the capital, it has become far too small for me and I have always longed for other countries and cultures like for example Japan or the USA. I don't blame my parents for this. Sure, they should probably have checked better up on living and tuition costs up to their own economy before letting me apply and getting accepted (yes, sorry, forgot to mention this. I already applied, paid an application fee of 500 united states dollars and recieved a letter telling me I'm accepted) but so should moreso I have done as well. I have to emphasize that my mom has worked a whole lot to stabilize our family's economical situation for a very long time now, with my dad setting up a taekwondo institute nine years ago that took about 4 years to actually not loose any money on. There is also little to do about it now, and I see not much reason to hold any grudge against them. But what the fuck do I do?

Now I need to get out of this country. Even this part of the world! What do I do? I've been thinking of moving to the Carribean for a while, trying my luck there. Having worked exclusively with customers and guests in an amusement park earlier in my life and working in a hotel these days I have a lot of experience with tourists and customer-treatment in general which should leave me in some state to get a temporary job in some sort of resort or hotel or whatever. Where I get work is not the point, but the fact that I have some work experience to get me started. I could take up the writing that I've been wanting to try out for a long time over there and try my luck with that and see where this takes me. Again this is not really important, but I'm just making the point that I have thoughts and plans for how this could go.

What do you think of all of this rambling of an anxiety ridden 18 year old norwegian kid? Am I a fool to want to escape from what I do? What should/could/can I do? What would you do in my situation? I'm sorry for the wall of text, but if you skipped it all and read this, please take at least a minute to get the highlights and give me a though for I am in desperate need of one!

[miguel]

Hi vict0r,
I'm not sure this is something you're going to like hearing but I think that school in Volda is actually your best move to make and I'll try to explain why.
18 year-old kids only have their school paid by their parents (generally speaking, of course) in northern European countries like Norway. Down here you go to public school and that is if you don't have to start working at 17 (like I had to), specially if you have brothers or sisters.
Working in tourism in the Caribbean may sound cool but do you know what you're going into? I've worked in tourism all my life and if you don't mind the long hours, the after hour-hours, the no weekends policy, then fine!
Will you still write when you're tired or just needing some time to stress out?
It took me more than 15 years to get some reward out of tourism (I own a bar/pizza place) and believe me when I tell you that it's not f...... funny any more!
How I wish I was 18 with the opportunity to study animation in bloody Volda!
Take your time man, you're still young and there is plenty of time for you to study or work in Japan or the USA.
I hope you don't get upset by the straight answer but I believe it's better than the "go for it dude, chase your dreams!" story.

[Andail]

Start by applying for all sorts of scholarships in Norway, they're often more than you think, so really do a proper search there.
Second, if you're set on going, take a bank loan. Interest rates must have dropped in Norway as well, at least in Sweden it's pretty cheap to take bank loans now. Hopefully, your parents can at least agree to being creditors.
Work stupidly hard once you settle in the States. Work more. Take any job you can, share a big flat with other poor kids, don't buy anything, just study and work. Pay your mortgage. Eat noodles and cheap vegetables, beans and stuff.

If this is your dream, staying in Norway will just get you depressed.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

I don't think you'd have much luck in the Caribbean, to be honest.  Most tourist spots are crashing hard right now due to western culture's slow realization that it can't exist merely by consuming and living on credit.  Places like Jamaica are particularly hard hit right now from what I've read, so don't leap from a relatively stable situation into a complete mess.  As far as art school goes, I realize your apparent distaste for your country but thinking realistically a moment, I have a question:

Are there any art schools there that offer what you want to do?

If the answer is yes then I would get a degree there and then relocate with a work visa, since there are so many lazy bastards in my country you'll probably have little trouble getting some kind of work while you build your portfolio.


That's my advice.

[rharpe]

Victor, I don't want to sound insensitive to your situation, but your parents are right. Here in the States we have a big mess... if your country is stable, now is not the time. (Remember this one thing, timing is everything!)

My off the topic ramble of timing...
I was about to go visit my friends with my wife and daughter in Texas when all of a sudden Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. I was still considering to go to Texas because nothing had happened to it, (and I had told my friends I was on my way,) so it was fine... but was it? After a little hesitation and clear thinking, I decided not to go down... and with good reason too. People were evacuating from New Orleans rushing north toward my state where I live and many to Texas and Florida. If I would have went down I would have been in a mess larger than what I would have liked to be in. Also, the after effects of Katrina happened to reach the lower part of Texas where my friends were at... talk about making the best choice even though I really wanted to go down there!

You are young and full of aspirations and dreams -- If you want them to happen get a job, work real hard and pay your way to California.

Good luck man, I hope you succeed with this life long dream!