December 3 – Moment

December 3 – Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).

Most times, I live outside my body. I focus too much on textures, smells, voices, noises, colors. I’m self diagnosed ADHD, as most times I have trouble truly focusing on one thing and instead take in little bits of everything else.

I find myself drifting in and out of conversations because of the distracting world around me; I really am interested in what you say, but I can’t help but analyze your body language and non-verbal communication. I smell the perfume or cologne you’re wearing or notice how a particular color, pattern, or fabric lays upon you.

Sometimes I love that I do it, but other times it really is quite the burden.

But the first time I read this prompt, I thought of one particular moment; I felt so alive and in the moment---so much so that I don’t recall anything else that happened around me.

I was in a bar with some friends. It’s a loud and rowdy karaoke hole-in-the-wall—my favorite. It’s always bustling with activity and swimming with drunken renditions of Journey and boyband songs.

That one night, I ran into a friend, one I hadn’t talked to in months. It made me sad as we were very close, and then we simply fell apart. I’m still not sure what happened. When I noticed him, it was all I could focus on—it felt weird not wrapping him in a giant hug and exchanging jokes and funny anecdotes. It felt unnatural to treat him like a stranger. But, still healing from the pain of the separation we’d had, I didn’t know what else to do.

Right before he left that night, he came up to me. We hugged. And there in the middle of the bar, locked in embrace, he apologized. He genuinely apologized. He told me how bad he had felt, especially for the pain it had caused me. How he missed having me as a friend.

At that moment, everything came together. Every ounce of me focused on that moment, savored each ticking second. The karaoke, the drunken laughter, the crowds of people shuffling by us—everything faded. I existed right then, and only then, and only in those inches of space between his voice and my ear. The heart deep inside of me that had been struggling to breathe the past few months finally inhaled its first, fresh, sweet breath. I had my friend back, and I never wanted to let go; I was so afraid I’d lose him again.

As he left, I simply stood there alone, wiping away the tears, still lost in a lull of emotion. It wasn’t until someone from a nearby table spoke my name. And to this day, I still remember being startled; I picked my head up and looked around and for a brief moment, I had forgotten where I was, forgotten the bar I had known so well. Everything suddenly felt strange and foreign.

After a split second to get my bearings, life continued on. The karaoke tunes flooded back in, the drunken rowdiness continued. Life was just the way it had left off—except the hole in my heart had been filled.

It was a good feeling.

December 2 – Writing

What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?

Writing is and always has been a hobby of mine, although I realized the other day that I haven’t written in quite some time. I really should be writing every day, just to practice my skills, write down my observations and thoughts.

Overall, it helps me think and process my life. I find it’s easier for me to communicate through writing than through verbal. So why don’t I write every day?

Well, there really should be no excuse (although there are some, of course. ) I think the biggest reason is I save writing until the very end of the day; I need a quiet, comfortable space to write and my bed just before I fall asleep is the prime place. But, by the time I arrive at my destination, I don’t WANT to make my brain function anymore. I just want to veg out and sleep.

Even when I do have good intentions to write, the minute I fire up the computer my ADHD rages. I Facebook. I tweet. I Stumble. I add to half written To-Do lists, I browse through Netflix suggestions, check e-mail, and listen to music. I do everything BUT write.

I need to unplug. Even if I could make a resolution to shut out everything in internetland for 10, maybe 15 minutes and just write, I can only imagine what I could conjure up.

This year, I will force myself to write more. I make a promise to write more, on or offline, even if it is simple observations from the day. I have to remind myself that every piece of writing doesn’t have to be perfect or a masterpiece or incredibly complex; They could be fragmented thoughts, broken sentences, even just words—as long as I simply write SOMETHING each day.

Unplug the computer and boot up the brain and write, write, write.

December 1 – One Word.

Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you? (Author: Gwen Bell)

Word for 2010: Perpetual.

Similar to the title of this blog (please don’t deduct points for lack of creativity, I have a point…promise) 2010 was always moving. Always changing. Moving, whether you’re leading the pack, riding the bull, or trailing behind, hanging on for dear life. 2010 has been about moving forward, whether you’re ready to or not.

I kept my heels out the whole way, tried to slow down this incredible roller coaster of a ride I was on, but nothing worked---College came to an end. I graduated.

Quick, take a breath—First apartment.

Are you still with me?—First real, full fledged, 9-5, salaried, with benefits, ADULT JOB.

Don’t fall off, now—first adult paycheck. ChaChing.

Quick, duck---first loan payment.

Ups, downs, life turned left, right, jarring at every corner. Still, It was a rush. I don’t think I’ve fully comprehended it just yet, to be honest.

2010 was about perpetual goals and perpetual problems. Some of them I reached, some of them I confronted. I failed on some and hid from others. It’s a never ending game but so far—I’m still in it to win it.

Every year kind of ends the same for me. I always envision December 31st as the finish line, and I always picture myself striding towards the finish line, confidently in first place with a big smile on my face. And yet, at the end of every year, I feel like one of the last ones, trailing behind the pack struggling to hold on and just finish.

2010 won’t be any different. But this time, I at least feel like I’m in the middle. I’m not winning, but I’m not losing. And the finish line isn’t quite the finish line this year, although it seems like it for many things. No, this year its simply the half way point.

I’m in the middle of so many things, both good and bad, that they won’t be completed when 2010 gains a +1. But, a new year doesn’t always mean a new you, it just means a new chance to change and refine. And it’s what I’ll keep on doing.

Perpetual love. Perpetual memories. Perpetual flux. Ceaseless. Unbroken, running, uninterrupted, unremitting. For better or for worse, I’m still moving—right on into 2011.

Word for 2011: Color

The past year, I’ve felt like I’m dreaming in black and white. My life is a simple line drawing; it exists. It functions. But it’s a mere frame of what could be a masterpiece. It is the beginning building block. It lacks life. Depth. Perspective. Accents and shadows. Don’t get me wrong, I’m getting there. I’m piecing my heart, mind and soul back together from the damage of the past. Goal for this year? Fill that line drawing with glorious, exhilarating, and fulfilling color.

Despite my fragmented writing (it’s a little late at night), I thought quite a bit about this one. This post will define how I want my 2011 to be moving forward. I’m all about outlines and structures, so I spent quite some time thinking about it. And, since I’m a graphic designer, I broke it down for you based on color spectrum.

Dear Self,

Red—Red stands for passion, love. Discover what you’re passionate about—and pursue it. You’ve started already with voice lessons, but go further. Feel love again; really, really feel it. You’ve closed most of your heart down in survival mode to save it from damage. But you’ve got to learn to open it up again. Love others around you, love what you do, and most importantly—love yourself.

Green—natural, health, environmental. Nature has always been special, a quiet sanctuary of thought and inspiration. I think its why you enjoy hunting so much, the hours in the woods with just yourself and your thoughts. Get back in touch with that. Experience more sunsets. More sunrises. Climb mountains and touch the clouds. Spend an afternoon at the dock. Go swimming in the ocean, Feel the wind, the rain, the sun. Green is also health; take care of your health. Take vitamins, get enough sleep, drink more water, easy on the soda and sweets, and for Christ sake get your butt back to the gym, young lady.

Blue—Security, Space, Trust. I need to learn to feel safe. Sounds strange, but sometimes my body and mind feel like they’re constantly on defense mode, even when there’s no reason to be. I need to feel secure in my own heart, my own mind, and my own body.

Cyan—emotional healing, serenity/peace. This is an important one, especially for the coming year. 2010 was a turbulent one emotion wise, and unfortunately it won’t get any better in the next few months. Life isn’t always rainbows and ponies—its knowing you’re going to get a few scars and just having the Neosporin ready. As the year progresses, heal and finally find yourself in a better emotional state. One day you’ll take a deep breath, smile, and finally feel at peace with everything around you.

Magenta—energetic, strong, artistic. Put energy and fun back into you life. Never forget that underneath the 9-5, health insurance, Flexible spending account, 401k, and student loans, I’m still a kid. Eat ice cream once in awhile. Stay up late. Blow bubbles in your milk. Don’t step on the cracks in the sidewalk. Sing your heart out to every Backstreet Boy and NSYNC song you hear. Dance—in your PJs. Spend a Saturday watching cartoons. Put that little kid in your briefcase and take it to work with you—every single day.

Yellow—cheer, friendship. Frankly, smile more. Laugh. Laugh until you cry. Help others until your heart bursts with overwhelming joy and happiness—and then continue to help some more. Reach out to strangers. Rekindle lost friendships, strengthen current ones, and if you have to, sever destructive ones. You’ll find your support system.

K—Black (absence of color)—Look deep inside yourself, constant internal examination and reflection. Remove everything and simply—be. Focus. Remember where you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re going. Put life in perspective. Realize how far you’ve come and how far you’ve still to go and evaluate your progress. Keep the internal fire going.


In 2011, I want to give color to me. I want to inspire. I want to help others paint their masterpiece. I want t leave my mark, how ever elaborate or simple, on every person, place or thing I come across. More importantly, I want to give shape to my own life. Beautiful, rich, colorful shape.



How will you leave your mark? How will you put color into your life?

Reverb 10

Awaken the blog back from the dead. The social media ninja is brushing off her tools.
The blog's been collecting dust lately.

If you haven't heard, there's this awesome website called Reverb 10 Basically, it helps you examine the previous year and reflect upon it with one thought provoking prompt every day through December. As it's December 20, I'm a little behind. Nonetheless, I looked over the prompts and they really got me thinking about the past year and I figured I'd give it a try. If nothing less, I could look back at my answers in a year (probably when I blog again haha) and see if I made any changes or if I was able to accomplish any of the goals I wanted to in 2011.

Mind you, the posts will be slightly scattered as I meander through the holidays. Regardless, I WILL have all of them answered and posted--at some point in time.

Well, here we go...

I once was lost, but now I am found

So, in case you haven't noticed, I've been a little MIA. I'm a little mad at myself because as a marketing major, I REALLY know the importance of keeping an up to date blog. But, I'm also a senior double major in college who keeps a job and does extra curricular activities...so....


yeah, I know. still no excuse.

But, with things almost winding down, I'm going to try and post more, and I'll be sure to post more frequently as I cross the higher education threshold into the "real world". Time to see what the buzz is really all about, eh?

Anyways, thanks for holding out for me during that, ahem, brief intermission and stay tuned for more posts!

DONE!

I've thought about this day for many years, but couldn't really fathom what it would actually be like....I'm done with college.

Furthermore, I'm done with SCHOOL. Holy moly. Part of me says, "do you actually know how to DO anything other than school? It's what you've been doing for the past, I don't know, 18 years or so?"

But then, my little adult voice scolds, "why yes, of course I do. Im earning two degrees, have a brain full of knowledge and 4 years at a wonderful college that prepared me for the real world."

Watch out world, here I come!

It was actually a really great way to end my college career. My last final was for my Marketing Management class, probably one of the harder classes I've taken at Champlain. At the beginning of the semester, we had 4 clients. Right off the bat, we wrote proposals as to which clients we wanted to work with, and then we were off to the races! The rules were simple: Here's your client. Figure out what they need...and do it. Present your work at the end of the semester. The end.

A pretty daunting task, but a realistic one. This is what it would be like on the other side of the higher education fence. Here's a client. do your stuff. repeat.

All semester, a group of students and I worked with Governor's Institute of Vermont to increase their enrollment in their summer institutes. We created the "GIV It A Try!" campaign, a youthful, fun and fresh campaign targeted at high school teens. The campaign is simple--it encourages students to do just that--give it a try! It's not only about giving the institutes a try, but also trying new things, trying out your passion to see if it's what you want to study, and trying out the college life. Lots of trying going on there. Overall, I think it was a thoughtful, focused campaign and I can't wait to see the results of our hard work!

On top of that, Elaine announced the Social Media Ninjas for the semester. These students were the ones that consistently demonstrated their understanding of social media and executed their skills throughout the semester on their personal branding project. Well, the Social Media Ninjas are:


Corey Grenier and I! (In case you're wondering, I'm doing the improvised "hashtag" sign haha)

The Social Media Ninjas with their S.M. Sensei, Elaine


Watch out, world, here we come!


We were both really excited and it just topped off an amazing final, as we had just finished presenting our semester long work for GIV. (There we are repping the shirts we had made for the GIV It A Try campaign)

For our projects, we both worked on helping other people, but in two different ways. Corey runs a powerhouse blog that strives to empower women and educate the world on equality. She rocks posts about strong women, women in the media and companies that are doing it right...and companies that are doing it wrong and how to change it. She adopted the name Rosie the Marketer for her blog and has become so well known for her blog around campus that people have started referring to her as Rosie! She does an awesome job and I'm confident she'll use her social media ninja skills to do great things!

As for me, I worked over the semester on a blog I created called Hire This Grad. Using a Twitter hashtag that was created last year by our Professor, Elaine Young, I created this idea for a blog and a Twitter that featured upcoming graduating seniors. The idea behind the blog is simple--it tells you who these students are, why they rock, and why you should hire them. It's been a great success (you can read more about the success and metrics of the blog in one of the more recent posts) and I can't wait to see where it goes. So, be sure to check it out!

Now, all that's left are fun senior week activities such as bowling, a catered dinner, boat cruise, etc... and then...gasp....graduation! Im sure it'll be a surreal but extremely rewarding experience.

I'm so full of energy and excitement and relief, all I want to do is a happy dance!

The Little Engine That Could

chug, chug, chug, chug...I'm almost there! Almost finished! It's the last push and I know I can do it!