Dear Mr. Erich Burnett,

The truth of the matter is, I am having a quarter-life crisis. There. I put it out there and that is the truth. They say you have to write about what you know and I know for a fact, that I am having a crisis. Perhaps more of a “Return to Saturn” episode since I’m already 27. Literary giants call it a, “Coming of Age Story”. I like that.

Believe me when I say that this is not an easy feat to admit to.

There is something strange about putting words on paper. As much as you know what the truth is or how it feels inside, there is something about putting it on paper that makes it real and substantial. It is almost as if your emotions and thoughts are running rapid in the universe and words are able to somehow encapsulate those feelings, like a fishing net or saran wrap. Writing it down makes it literally tangible because the words are there and there is no denying them.

In the process of writing this cover letter, I am moving past the stage of denial and moving towards accepting the fact that I am having a quarter-life crisis. You never thought it would happen to you and yet, here it is. I feel as though I have just been swept up by a giant twister and everything is spinning around me: my career… my home… there goes a tractor and a cow… my dog… my soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend. I have no idea where I am going and I have no idea where I need to go. All I know is that I want to get there already and I want to take the carpool lane.

In a desperate attempt to find direction and answers, I found myself standing outside of a sketchy apartment building in Georgetown. You know the type; a redbrick building with a store below, a few tourists and bums loitering around the area, just a classic scene. A sign drew me to the building and it read, “Jessica. Palm reader. $5 Special. Past, Present, & Future”. This is exactly what I needed.

Jessica was a frumpy, middle-aged woman who did not need to be a psychic to know that I was looking to find myself. She lit a cigarette and asked me to take a seat on a tattered chair, covered in faded red velvet. I looked around the room for a crystal ball but there was none to be found. What a shame. Sometimes you need a little cliché for effect.

She began to tell me that it was impossible for her to give me a palm reading because it was not up to her to tell me what I needed to hear. She said that I had a special, old soul and that her gift was not her own to control. It was her calling to give me a complete aura reading and this would only cost me $20. Score! I knew this was a good idea.

My life changed this day with a just a few bits of information: 1) I would die of old age, 2) I would find love by the end of the year, and 3) Writing and Music are in my future.

I didn’t really know how to take in all of this information; because I have always been weary about believing in psychic powers. I am not a strong advocate of the supernatural, but I have had my own encounters with the unknown. I was a very strange child growing up. My family moved around a lot and I had to play alone most of my childhood since my siblings were too old for me to play with or too young to talk back.

With in that mind, my imagination has always run wild. I always knew deep down inside that I was different because I could close my eyes and literally feel the universe. My body would transcend beyond the skies and the weight of the universe would rest upon my little body. I no longer have those skills.

As ridiculous as this all may seem, it was at this very moment, with Jessica the Psychic that made me realize that I would become a writer. I imagined myself to start living a bohemian lifestyle of thought and inquisition in search for love, beauty, and truth. I vowed that I would finish my Master’s program and then pursue a life as a writer. No one ever tells you how difficult it would be.

I am 27 years old and I have been working as the Editor-in-Chief of an Editorial Press Agency based out of Los Angeles. I have had the pleasure to work with and be published in some of the top fashion, cultural, and lifestyle magazines from around the world including: Vogue, GQ, Elle, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Nylon, Swindle Magazine, Soup Japan, MTV News and many others. I graduated at the top of my class and I am passionate about building my craft. My peers believe that I have already reached success. But there is a sole cause to this entire crisis of mine…

During my lonely childhood in rising above the universe, I saw my potential. It was there and we said hello. I promised that I would someday come back, but my potential warned me that I might lose my way. I never believed it. I was far too confident to believe that I would forget how to reach my potential. I know that it is out there somewhere and I have somehow lost my way.

It is my intention with this letter, Mr. Burnett, that I ask you for the opportunity to participate in your Doctorate program. I know that you have produced some of the most influential and prominent writers in the industry and I would love to have the prospect of apprenticing some of the best. This opportunity, Mr. Burnett, would mean that I would have the resources to develop my skills and reach my potential again. At this time, I do not know how to get there; but with you riding along with me on my journey to success, I would not be alone in the carpool lane to finding myself.

Again, thank you so much for your consideration and all the best to you!

Very Truly Yours,

Samantha Nguyen

To celebrate Pride this weekend, we ventured through Hollywood via BMX and Spiderman was most excited!

It’s official! Friday, June 12, will be the last day that TV stations will broadcast an analog signal.