Australia, I love you. August 20, 2009

My month plus in Australia was one of the most incredible experiences of my life to date.  Sydney is an absolutely beautiful city with so much to see and explore.  I was lucky because instead of being a regular tourist, I was basically plopped into the life of a Sydney university student, living with roommates, experiencing university life (minus the work), and meeting some amazing people.  I wouldn’t have had it any other way.  I am now a fan of footy, meat pies, and Australian Semillon Sauvignon Blanc wine which unfortunately I cannot find anywhere here in the states.

I was incredibly blessed to have two amazing friends to show me the ins and outs of the city and surrounding area. One of the highlights of the trip was going to Featherdale Wildlife Park where I got to pet a koala and feed kangaroos.  You just walked into the park and there were kangaroos and wallabies bouncing around, ready for you to feed and pet them.

It’s hard to fit six weeks worth of experiences and memories into a post, and people constantly ask me what my favorite part of my trip was, and for me it was the simple things like listening to people’s accents and seeing the brilliant night sky in the small town of Bargo outside of Sydney.  I have never witnessed a more beautiful night sky, and it was the first time I have ever been able to see the Milky Way.  The sheer volume of stars I could see was breathtaking and it was a completely new sight for me since stars are different in the northern hemisphere.

I am completely thankful for the opportunity I had, and miss Australia like crazy already.  I can’t wait to get back, and hope that will happen sooner rather than later.

Hands down, best advertising I’ve ever seen July 1, 2009

Walking through the Minneapolis airport, I came across these ads on a long hallway. There was about 4 or 5 large screens with the ad projected onto them, and whenever someone walked by the umbrella would explode.  I think the tagline was something like, withstands anything. genius ad, just genius.  Made me stop and play with the ads for about 15 minutes.

I’m an alumn! June 24, 2009

Wow. What a crazy month June turned out to be. I graduated, went to San Diego, moved out, said goodbyes, and am now heading to South Dakota/Iowa, then Seattle before I head to Australia in July. Keeping busy has kept my mind off realizing college is over and that I may never see some of the people I’ve spent the last 4 years with ever again.  I met some amazing people in college that I know I will be life long friends and am so grateful to U Oregon for that, but I am definitely ready to move on from Eugene and start my life.  Let it begin!

FLUX! June 3, 2009

Today FLUX was released! We had our huge release party at the EMU in the amphitheater, and it was a big success! We had Goodbye Harrison perform, the UO gospel choir, UO jam squad, and many other fun things.  We sold 76 magazines during the event, which is huge since last year they only sold less than 20.  Amazing.

The magazine is gorgeous, I am so impressed with how it came together, and the entire staff are rockstars.  Here is the link to my incredibly talented friend Talia’s article, A List in Question.  Be sure to check out all the other fantastic articles too.

Here’s some pics from the day… fluxing… and me and Talia.

Besides that… one week ish until graduation. It has officially sunk in and I am definitely beginning to grasp the fact that I have 1 week left with all these amazing people. Incredibly bittersweet.

Instant Gratification May 30, 2009

It’s crazy to me that the once hip polaroid cameras that my friends and I used and loved are now vintage.  Polaroid got rid of their instant film cameras last year, which devastated me.  You never expect something like that to happen to such a beloved product.  Now Polaroid is bringing instant film back, but digital style.  Their new cameras are instant digital cameras with a built in printer in the camera so you can print your photos right away.  I get that they are trying to keep up with the digital age, but instant film is about not knowing what you are going to get until is starts to appear on the paper.  With digital you can see the picture before you print it, so you know what you are getting, and it is just another printed digital picture.

I’m not so thrilled with this, bring back the instant film.

Memorial Day Weekend May 25, 2009

I am so glad that Memorial Day weekend turned out to be so nice. I have been waiting about 8 1/2 months for nice weather and I think it’s finally sticking! Yesterday I took an impromtu beach trip with some friends which was amazing.  I may not be the biggest fan of Oregon, but it’s coast is absolutely beautiful.  I haven’t taken a trip to the coast in about a year, so I kind of forgot how pretty it can be.  We spent a lot of time down on the beach, went to check out Heceta Head lighthouse, stopped by the sea lion caves giftshop (we did’t feel the need to pay $11 to see nature when we saw some sea lions at a lookout point down the road) and of course finished up at Mo’s for some clam chowder.   I got a great ring at a street fair that was going on in Florence by the riverfront also, which I was so excited about.  I have been looking for a rolling ring for a long time, one with multiple rings in one.  The guy who makes them is actually from Eugene, but I had never heard of him before.  He also makes puzzle rings, which fall apart when you take them off and you have to put it back together.  I learned the history behind that is that a Turkish Nobleman was so in love with his wife that he wanted to be sure she was faithful to him while he was away. He asked his jeweler to make a puzzle ring for his wife that would fall apart when removed, and he would not tell her the solution.  Hm, clever.

It’s just been so nice to have a weekend free of jobhunting, stress, and worry about the future.  I have become so overwhelmed with it all and taking some time off has been amazing.  We are heading into week 9 of the term, and I only have 3 full weeks left of college, and am just trying to take it one day at a time and enjoy the last bit!

Slow and Steady May 19, 2009

I think I’m finally starting to get the hang of this blog/twitter/linkedin/mobileupdates/youtube/facebook stuff.  Although I still need to figure out twitter etiquette, I’ve been playing it safe and just posting, no re-tweeting or replying.  It really is amazing how useful twitter has been so far though with picking up tips about jobhunting, etc.  I am following danschawbel who is a guru on personal branding.  Last week, a guest speaker in my public relations class recommended reading his book, which I haven’t but figured following him on Twitter was the next best step, and I have been inundated with tweets on tips on graduating in this job market, using Twitter as a marketing tool, productivity, and all around helpful info.  All this information right infront of my face just by logging into Twitter, I’m kinda blown away.

Que Sera Sera May 14, 2009

One month until graduation.  As much as I am frustrated with this economy, the job market, and the fact that my class of 2009 faces the worse job market in 25 years, I am hopeful.  See, we will be the ones in 20 years who will proudly say- we survived the recession.  We will be those grandparents who tell their grandkids about the time when the economy was in shambles, but how we learned to cope, got crafty with jobhunting, and made it through.  We are a major part of history right now, and that is huge.  This economy is forcing us to be savvy, get our priorities in check, and to not take things personally.  I feel much better knowing that I am getting rejected by potential employers along with Harvard grads, who are in a worse position than I am because they don’t know what rejection feels like and can’t cope.

I honestly believe that everything in life happens for a reason, and what is meant to be will be.  It may not be how I envisioned life to happen, but will ultimately be for the best.

be aware of this…. http://tiny.cc/C5jqe

but focus on this…. http://tiny.cc/xIn18

Oh, hello May 14, 2009

I’m finally blogging! I feel a little overwhelmed throwing myself into all this social media at once. Twitter + Linkedin yesterday, getting Facebook and Twitter linked to my phone + blog today, and I realize I probably should have begun this quite awhile ago. Oh well,  c’est la vie.  I am in the process of getting this thing up and running with more of my work and other things, but I have a feeling it may take me a bit to get it all organized and figure this out!