Chloe, you have a foundation for your life in place already.  What you need to do is to put the kinds of blocks you want in place to make it stronger.  When I graduated from College in 1961 there were few opportunities for women except teaching, secretarial work, or nursing.  Being a secretary/bookkeeper was boring and I didn’t like blood so in general the only job for me was teaching.  I was a History/Political Science Major and enjoyed reading, writing and research activities.  I also knew that I couldn’t teach High School because my brother was still in High School and I could act just like him and his friends—not good would you are the authority.

I taught in the Elementary School for thirty-six years and used my interests and skills to make a place for myself in that field.  My interests in reading, writing and research gave all of my students, regardless of grade level or ability, the skills they needed to be successful in life.  If we needed a book on a subject to practice our skills I wrote it for them or the class as a whole wrote a book. 

My parents gave me a very firm foundation as I grew up.  Dad always said, "Don’t complain about something if you don’t have a solution to the problem."  He firmly believed that every problem had a solution, you just had to find it and many times that meant lots of trying to find it.  1949 when I was having difficulty learning the Multiplication Tables, Dad solved it by giving me lots of practice doing the extention of the billing for his business.  Mom taught me that I could make anything.  That meant homecooked meals, learning to knit (at 6 years), painting, making my own clothes, ironing, etc.  These activities all had a purpose, nothing was done aimlessly.  There were no limits as long as what I did, did not infringe on any rights of another.  Learning never stops, your entire life.

At 70 years that foundation is still in place, with many blocks added to make it even stronger.  I still write and read daily, strengthing those blocks.  I received my Masters of Science, in 1985, in Computers, another block.  Everything you do adds strength to your foundation.  Only you can build that foundation as an adult.  You have an excellent start and it will only get stronger as you gain more experience. 

Have a great and beautiful life.    

Dear Chloe -  I’m sure you’re familiar with the term "Reverse Culture Shock" and I suspect you are experiencing it. When I got back to the States after a two year Peace Corps Volunteer assignment, I couldn’t seem to find my bearings. For one thing, I was overwhelmed by all the "stuff" in stores; even the supermarket seemed to have too many choices. There was too much noise and too much traffic; too many people carried purses, shopping bags and umbrellas (thank God cell phones wasn’t available then!) and television seemed to be everywhere. It was sensory overload and it lasted for almost a year. Going from one vastly different culture to another, even if it’s back to your "home culture", takes time. I hope you’ll be gentle with yourself and take this opportunity to document your experiences in Ethiopia. I can assure you that the details of those memories will be important to years from now. Spend hours with those who love you and want to hear about your life there. Get reacquainted with your city and your surroundings by exploring…especially those neighborhoods where English is not the predominate language. Breathe in the scents.  Years ago, I had the privilege of meeting a young Ethiopian pilot who spent 9 months training with an airline in San Diego. He was homesick so he opened a tiny restaurant where he cooked 15 Ethiopian dinners each night. That was it. First come, first served. There was always a line outside at least an hour before he opened, and he made good friends.  If you have time, volunteer for an organization you believe in and where you have real people contact; it will help as you readjust. Remember that ESL teachers are always needed. I am confident that you will recognize your next step when it appears because you are bright and aware and open to new adventures. Best of luck to you.

I would find an activity, whether it’s volunteering or working part-time or something, that gives you some sort of schedule or structure. I’m close to your age and had similar struggles in the first year or two after my graduation. Volunteering weekly for a nonprofit organization gave me a consistent schedule and the leadership opportunities helped to boost my confidence when applying and interviewing for jobs. It’s also good to just get out in the world - it’s great to be focused on your writing, but it’s also great to have the human interaction. It made me feel a lot better about my under-employment to get out every Saturday and reconnect with a consistent group of people. There are plenty of volunteering opportunities that will make use of your writing skills (tutoring - try 826nyc, Minds Matter, etc.), plus, it’s also an excellent networking opportunity, especially if you volunteer in a field related to your career goals. Plenty of Manhattan professionals spend evenings and/or weekends volunteering, and they may know of opportunities for you or can introduce you to other people who do.