Day one (and again, and again)

Its no secret at this point that I was planned to leave many days ago, and am a little behind schedule. As someone who has never done a major move like this before, there are two things I vastly under estimated:
1. the amount of time/coordination it takes to say goodbye to everyone
2. the possibility that the extra stress on your body will make you physically ill

Trying to get the word out, rally my people, and spend enough individual time with them to feel like it was a "legitimate" goodbye is complex and takes many days and/or interruptions while packing. Even my last night in Baltimore people were still shocked to hear I am moving to LA. I tried to set up small group hangouts, dinners, lunches, random stop-ins, and a big finale party etc so that there were multiple opportunities for everyone texting me "I want to see you before you leave!!" to do so.

Girls night dinner!

Family Reunion

Planning and thinking about the move itself was something I anticipated - finding the time and working out the logistics to say goodbye to everyone is something I did  not.

Amidst finally getting mostly packed and moved out, I made two last minute trips to patient first and ended up with 4 prescriptions that I took/am taking on the road with me. I thought I had magically avoided any physical side effects from stress, but of course it all caught up with me the morning I was originally supposed to leave. Luckily now multiple tests have been run and mostly found negative, and what we can treat is being treated/shouldn't be an issue.

Given these situations, I am still extremely happy to only be 2 days behind schedule (haha, not that I have an actual schedule). Today I spent the day wrapping up/packing what I could fit into my car and left around 4pm. Traffic through Balt/DC/VA was atrocious and set me back about 2 hours. Finally by 9pm my butt hurt so bad I had to pull into a rest stop and stand up for a few minutes. Around 10:30pm: I was getting tired and hungry, so I found a cheap motel with a Dennys nearby to call it a day.

The city I landed it is Henderson, a few hours short of my original destination (Charlotte). The water may have come out brown when I first turned on the shower here, and my server at Denny's was missing a decent amount of teeth, but this is all part of the adventure.

Denny's dinner

Questionable hotel, but comfy bed!

So day one of this cross country road trip has officially come and gone, tomorrow we start with a new "plan" and see where the day takes us... who knows, we might just end up in New Orleans!

Baltimore to LA - the moving chronicles

I literally forget how to do this blogging thing, but in an effort to avoid telling the same stories over and over again, but still wanting my people to know what's going on - here I am digging this blog out of the depths of back when I was in college.

First I think I need to start off by thanking many people...

Most obviously Luke, who was brave enough originally to agree that moving somewhere far away with great weather would be a fun adventure. Thank you for reminding me that the time is now to make the most of life. We never narrowed down to a specific place, but that first inspiration to get the ball rolling on moving made this timeline realistic. I am super grateful to have had many months to consider what this would look like without having to be too spontaneous (we all know how type A that I am).

Juice after yoga in Long Beach

My sister, who was smart enough (I may have made a very strong recommendation) to move there first. She has had me to visit multiple times, peaking my interest and confirming LA as my destination. She was also one of the first people to take me seriously when I mentioned the idea, checking in always and asking "so when are you moving here?" and now I finally have an answer! Thanks for continuing to be the pesky annoyance in my life that I could never live without. I may be vehemently telling people we are not planning to live together, but I know your checking in has encouraged me to continue pursuing this dream and kept me focused on the end goal.

My parents, and specifically my poor mother, who endured the week+ of packing/organizing/unpacking/repacking/cleaning because it takes a saint to deal with type-A me when I am trying to move from a 1,200 sq ft apartment to one small car worth of belongings. I literally could never have done it without the help. For the record, I was not fully successful and I will have to ship about half my stuff - but hey, I tried! I know that having one daughter move slowly across the country for school etc.over a 3-4 year period is much more manageable than the one who is an hour away suddenly announcing at dinner that I will be 3k miles away within the next 2 months. I know you are sad, but thank you for realizing that I am finding the happiest version of me, and valuing that over having me stay physically close to you.

Peace out storage unit!

My closest friends Sierra, Jamie, and Dana who have been there for me in SO many ways recently besides just supporting my move. Thank you for keeping me grounded/sane and even though you might have tried to convince me multiple ways/times that I didn't actually want to move - I know its because you value our friendship so much and that is the biggest compliment. Mentally, I would never be able to make this move without your constant support, you are my #1 cheerleaders.

My new roomies, who have become a second family to me. Taking me in off the streets (aka craigslist) and letting me do things like quasi adopt your dog, plan tacos nights, and buy disco balls for kitchen dance parties. Thank you for unequivocally welcoming me into your home and your lives, sharing not only a living space but also your friends with me. The space you provided was the perfect cocoon in which I could safely rediscover myself after a huge life change and prepare for this big adventure of moving to LA. I could never have imagined how awesome the dynamic is with us, and how much fun we all had together - we made memories I will never forget! (this includes our newest official roommate Rob + Cooper and everyone I met through Stacey and Amanda, y'all seriously rock!!)

My TV watching bestie

My extended family, friends, and coworkers who have just literally LITERALLY overwhelmed me with support, encouragement, and enthusiasm at every turn. Thank you to everyone who believed in me, who believe in chasing your dreams, and that being truly happy is the biggest success you can achieve in life. Also thank you to everyone who doubted me, because you gave me a little extra motivation too!

Celebrating the day I found out I could keep my job/work remotely!

The most common question I get asked when I say I'm moving to LA is "Why?" To which I typically respond, "Why not?". I am not and never will be someone to settle for less when I know I can do/be/find better. Its easy for any of us to make excuses as to why moving to LA (or whatever similar goal) is not possible, but I've never been one to make excuses - and so I leave you with this quote that I chose back in my senior year of college to represent how I felt about getting along in the world...

“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them.”

College ROI

 Since participating in The Associate competition at Towson, I have learned one of the things employers care most about (and rightfully so) is ROI.  When reading my Businessweek today, I came across a set of interesting articles in the "Education" section - the topic mostly being return on investment of college educations.

I was surprised to find a number of articles saying that the ROI was going down from previous years. Even more surprising was that some deliver a negative ROI - how is that even possible? Another interesting graphic that caught my eye was this one:

[partial graphic // full graphic here: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-04-19/does-it-pay-to-study-at-state]


A lot of schools with low ROI were highly specialized art schools, so I think I will fare ok in the ROI department, and Maryland public universities seem to rank 11th - so I am hopeful.

For more information, check out the link below and search around for related articles - there is lots of interesting stuff (but be careful because its not the most navigable site):
http://www.businessweek.com/reports/business-schools/college-investment-does-it-pay

always,
a

Fall Semester

This semester I have taken it a little easier on myself.  I settled on taking only 5 classes, which has proven to be a really good fit.  I started with 6, but dropped a French class to use the time for homework instead.  These classes plus my internships/jobs have proven to be a good combination allowing me to learn and get real world experience at the same time.

CLASSES

The classes I am taking this semester include Business Strategy and Policy, International Marketing, Business Ethics and Sustainability, e-Business Infrastructure, and my internship class.  The most difficult by far is the e-Business infrastructure class, mostly because it is so technical - and my last computer tech class was a while ago.  That being said, I am proud of the work and learning I have been doing in the class and hope to make the most of it.  I am hoping for all As this semester, but even if that doesn't happen, I know I will be able to secure at least a B or B+ instead.  One big difference I noticed this year is that I have a very small amount of "homework" from these classes. Group projects are the largest out of class commitment - besides those I feel like most of my time is spent studying for tests and quizzes, no bookwork or small assignments yet.

INTERNSHIPS/JOBS

I am lucky enough to still have my internship at Right Source Marketing, where I work 2 days a week.  They are such a wealth of knowledge, it really is a privilege to be able to work with them.  Everyone is so friendly and helpful, plus its clear they are all very good at what they do.  It is also fun to work downtown (minus the commute) and learn what its like to be in the city environment.  I am sure more updates will come when I have the chance to reflect back on my experience here as a whole.

I was also fortunate to have Mile One ask me to stay past my internship, and they offered me a paid part-time position 2/3 days a week - basically doing what I already have been doing.  I really enjoy who I work with there and what I do, so I was happy to stay even though I would have really enjoyed having more free time.  The best part is, they are moving to Towson this coming September - even closer to my apartment!

Last but not least, I have been hanging on to my job at the bank - I love everyone there too! I mostly go in on Fridays to help with big projects they have found for me during the week.  Our most recent is our new Facebook page, which they have decided can be my baby since I am a Marketing major.  That should be a great piece to add to my portfolio.


always,
a

The rest of my summer...

HOBBIES
My newest hobby I started this summer. I decided to make sure I had lots of free time this summer (seeing as it was my last one) and so I picked up what I though would be a fun hobby - extreme couponing.  It was time consuming, but it was relaxing. I often clipped while I was watching tv, and it made me not feel as guilty for vegging out.  I was rather successful with my shopping trips. At grocery stores I was about to save around 50% on my trips, drugstores I was able to save as much as 70%.  It was fun and I'm glad I started, I think its good to see how much you can save if you really put your mind to it. More recently I have fallen behind, with the switch from summer to school, but I have plans to catch back up ASAP.

VACATIONS
I was fortunate enough to enjoy some vacation time this summer.  Actually, before the summer even started I got to go to Las Vegas for my birthday, possibly one of my favorite places in the US.  I did gamble, even though I'm not fond of it, and I made some $$$.  Besides the shopping and sightseeing and laying by the pool, I also got to see a show at the MGM grand.  It was a cirque de soelil show - Ka.  Its the one with the MOVING stage, it was really something else.  Overall, it was a great time and I can't wait to go back again.


Another vacation I went on this summer was a cruise to Bermuda.  The pink sand beaches weren't as pink as I expected, but they were beautiful nonetheless.  I had a great time both on and off the ship, but I might be a little biased because cruises are my favorite kind of vacation.  Unlimited food is also something I can't complain about. I loved getting to dress up and dress down every day. Dinner was always a great time too because I got to see everyone again.  People said things are SO much more expensive there, but I just though they were "touristy" prices, nothing too crazy.


SUMMER CLASS

Besides, jobs and internships, I also took two classes this summer.  The first class was computer science - mostly it was about how technology was being applied practically for the needs of today.  I learned about a multitude of cool technology that is experimental, or along those lines, and how useful it would be if it were ready to use now.  The other class was a marketing class - consumer behavior.  Again, a lot of it seemed like it was common sense to me; the biggest thing these classes do is give me the proper term for ideas I have already seen from my personal observations ( I can't help but think like a marketer, even in my every day life).  This class was online, the second online class I have taken. The first time, wow that was a disaster. I'm not sure if it was my fault or the professor's, but this time was much smoother.  I was pleased with my grades at the end.