Resolutions for self betterment

Hello! I'm alive!

After another brief period of being generally unwell, I am finally getting back to being my good old self. I have officially been graduated for over a year, and recently was able to watch the members of the Class of 2016 graduate from my alma mater, and place of employment. It was wonderful to watch them walk across the stage while simultaneously trying to get a decent photograph of them and uploading posts to social media (for my job, of course).  

In one year, I will be walking across that same stage once again with my Master's diploma waiting for me. It's wild that I'll be moving onward and upward from my cozy little life in small town America in just a year, but I know that these two years of post grad living will have taught me so much about the real world, that I'll be an even greater candidate for an upper level job in a big city, potentially abroad. 

It is such an exciting time in my life, and I am trying to take in every moment as best as I can, though I've realized that I haven't been doing my best at being my best. Does that make sense? I've been so comfortable and maybe even complacent, the past few weeks that I haven't really been moving forward, but rather staying in the same place. After being sick again and watching at least five hours of Netflix in a single day last week, I decided I needed to make some changes and quit wasting my time. 

Here are a handful of small improvements I want to make a point of implementing in my daily life to help me grow and be the best I can be:

• Work out each day - even if it's just 15 minutes of yoga before bed 
• Aim to do 1 hour of grad school work a day (at least)
• Take my vitamins every day - I've been having some medical issues blah blah blah so a good, proactive thing to do would be to make a point of taking my daily vitamins daily, instead of maybe twice a week, when I remember 
• Take some time each week to plan for the future - my real real life will be starting in about a year, so the discernment and job search process begins, yet again!

What I've Learned One Year Post-Grad

It has been a little bit over a year since I have graduated from undergrad... In that year, I have gone through a lot of change and a lot of growth. I have laughed, I have loved, I have been challenged, I started graduate school and working in an office and at a newspaper... I have learned more than I ever believed I would in a year and I'm certain that I am better because of it.

Though I could write an entire novel on the different life experiences I have gained from one year, I have cut it down to just 20 tidbits:

1. Seeing friends and making plans require a lot of effort
2. Paying rent hurts, but having a place of my own (that I pay for myself) is one of the best feelings in the world
3. Having great coworkers makes going to work a lot easier
4. I love baking
5. Having good friends is the biggest blessing 
6. Not dating anyone is far better than dating the wrong person
7. Spotify premium (at the student rate) may be a necessity 
8. Having a good landlord is truly a blessing 
9. Having annoying neighbors is just something that happens and there's not much you can do 
10. Going out every weekend is overrated and expensive 
11. I like cats! (I've never had a pet before this year)
12. Budgeting is hard
13. Grad school is not any easier than undergrad for the most part
14. Paying off your credit card every month is hard
15. Having a washer and dryer in my apartment is the biggest luxury ever
16. I do quite well on my own 
17. Going to the grocery store can be turned into a weekend plan that you look forward to 
18. "Making dinner" doesn't happen every night 
19. You must make time for the things you actually enjoy doing
20. Driving 40+ minutes to do something fun is normal 

I daresay I have learned more about the working world, humanity and myself in one year of post graduate living, than in four years of undergrad! This year has definitely been one to shape me and make me even better than I was 365 days ago. 

50 things to do for yourself

It is no surprise that I have learned quite a lot as a young female professional and recent college graduate who has only been let loose in the "real world," for a few months. There is a lot of growing up to be done when transitioning from being an undergraduate student to being a young professional and graduate student. Working two different, professional jobs, starting my MBA and having my own apartment has taught me a lot about what it takes to keep it together in the real world. 

I've learned that success starts with yourself. YOU are the key to success (has DJ Khaled brought up that one yet?)

It is important to respect yourself, be independent, rely on yourself and plan for the future. Only you can ensure your own path to your best self, and I think that all female 20-somethings who are trying to lead a successful life should start with themselves.

So here are 50 things that you can do for yourself:

1.  Have a budget 
2.  Create things - write, doodle, craft, whatever makes you happy!
3.  If you don't have a favorite book, find one 
4.  Take yourself out on a date
5.  Be quirky 
6.  Don't let criticism discourage you
7.  Find a routine that works for you 
8.  If you haven't gotten your driver's license yet, get it 
9.  Find a mantra 
10.  Be comfortable with yourself

16 goals for 2016 - post-grad life: month 7

Nothing says "Happy New Year" like a brand new planner! I like to put myself in the category of being ultra-organized, and an awesome new agenda helps me be just that. It usually takes me a while to find the perfect planner, because I am very particular about where I write, but I was so glad to happen upon this one by Gallery Leather from Bar Harbor, Maine.

Something I have learned in 2015, especially by joining the real world after graduation, is that having goals for everything I do can really help me with staying organized, being productive and moving forward, whether that be for a project at work, a set of blog posts, or even just daily tasks.

I have never been good at making and keeping New Year's resolutions, but I wanted to at least try to set some goals for the upcoming year to make it a great one!

So here are 16 goals for 2016:

1. Blog more frequently
2. Run a half marathon (and train for it)
3. Create more
4. Follow God's path
5. Drink more water

Why you should go - Post grad life: Month 6

This past month, the world was shaken by the tragedy of the attacks in Paris, a rapidly growing refugee crisis, and even more violence on the streets of our own hometowns, among other issues. Seeing these events on the news is scary, and can make it difficult to even leave our house in the morning. They can also make us think twice about booking trips to those amazing places that our heart yearns for: dream vacations, numbered points on our bucket lists, ancestral roots, cities filled with history, etc.

Tragedies like the terrorist attacks in Paris can happen anywhere at any time, and there is no way to ensure that we avoid them completely, even if we never leave our hometown again. Events like this are meant to scare us; They're meant to make us think twice about being in crowded places and big cities... but we cannot afford to live our lives in fear. We must continue to live fully and boldly. The only things we can do are to stay vigilant, be smart, and enjoy the time we have been given to explore, learn, and grow. I believe that the best way to do this is to see as much of the world as we can and take in every new experience with an open mind.

If you have followed along with my blog, you will know that I am a huge proponent of travel, whether it be a daytrip to a new town, a hike to new heights, a trip across the country, or a move to a new hemisphere. You will never regret or forget the things that you learned about the world or about yourself while traveling. 

Travel empowers us. It has the power to take us out of our element, show us another perspective, and gives us the opportunity to adapt and grow. Whether we crumble or thrive in this new environment and new experience is up to us, but I promise that you will come out of every trip with greater knowledge and appreciation of the world we live in. Go see it for yourself. 

Launching a University Snapchat Account: The Research

When I took a graduate assistant position at my university's office of communication, I knew that I would be working a lot with social media, as well as writing content for the website, taking photos and helping with various other projects... I never really thought that I would be the main social media person for my whole university!

Though my university is small (about 2,000 students), running all the social media accounts and keeping them updated on a day to day basis keeps me really busy! I never realized how much work it was to find, think up, create and post content that appeals to a wide audience, as well as keep up with my other work responsibilities. It has been a great learning experience. I regularly post on the university's official facebook, twitter and instagram accounts, and then we also post somewhat regularly on Tumblr, Flickr, and Pinterest.

When I began working over the summer, I thought it would be a good idea for my university to get a Snapchat account, since about 77% of college age students use Snapchat every day... which makes it a great tool for a university! It could appeal to both current students and prospective students, and help get the word out about events on campus as well as general campus life.

I began researching how other universities used their accounts. University of Michigan is usually a great place to start... I regard them as university social media gurus... especially since they have a whole social media team. 

Post-grad, real life, impromptu travel: Requesting time off

If you have kept up with my blog or know me at all, you would realize that I quite like to go on adventures. One of the best things that I got out of my college experience was the opportunity to study abroad (twice!), which allowed me to challenge myself, find my independence and access who I truly am! I also came out of studying abroad with new friends, one of which is crazy enough to go on a whirlwind adventure with me to Paris and London! See the background of our insanity here.

Vanessa and I went to the same college, but we did not meet until we both studied abroad in London together during the spring of our sophomore year.

Post grad life: month 2

The summer is winding down and a whole new phase of my life transition is almost upon me... I have been working at my University's communication office over the summer, but things are going to change a lot once undergrads start coming back to campus, university events start, and my own mba classes begin... But I still have a few weeks until then!

Here are a few things that I have learned during my second month of post grad life:

At the Office:

• Avoid office gossip at all times - Though it is way too easy to partake in, it is unprofessional and could get you in to trouble. 

Baked Frittata with Pesto

As you may very well know, last week was pesto week in Angela's kitchen. I made my own pesto and continued to use it up throughout the week. Below are some photos of a pesto frittata that I found in this post. 

6 Tips on facing your fears (from recent, firsthand experience)

I can honestly say that in my first month and a half of living in the "real world," I have faced two of my biggest fears head-on... and not by choice, mind you. No, I am not scared of living six hours away from home or starting a new job... The two fears that I have unwillingly faced recently have been:

• Driving in an unknown place, by myself
• Answering the phone without knowing who is on the other end 

Making my new home my own

Although I totally enjoyed myself while I was on my wonderful European adventure with my parents, there was always a lurking anxiety when I thought of returning to the USA. I knew that I had a total of five days to return to my hometown, unpack, do laundry, organize, repack, say goodbye to friends and family, and move to my new apartment in Maryland. There was just so much to do in such a short period of time. 

My first post-grad summer!

Looks like we made it!

Although it is still hard for even me to believe, I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts degrees in Communication studies and Spanish this past weekend! Four years of hard work and a great college experience had led me to this point. It is an overwhelming feeling which can really only be summed up as bittersweet.
Finals week was a total blur for me and the weekend that followed was full of events such as senior formal, a Baccalaureate Mass, and graduation on Sunday. I remember seeing all my friends walk across stage, and then waiting for the moment where my name was called. I don't actually remember the walk, but I was assured by my friends and family that the announcer read off both of my degrees and I definitely did not trip. Thank goodness!
After graduation, my life still moved at the speed of light. I had to pack up all of my stuff from my dorm room and put it in storage for the summer, since I will be moving back to Maryland in June. I also had to say goodbye to all of my lovely friends for an undetermined amount of time, which was as hard as you can believe it to be. I then made the six to seven hour drive home by car, which left me exhausted.
I got more sleep during my first few nights at home than I had for all of the week before graduation... and this seemed to be the general experience for graduating seniors.
Now that I am home, I am preparing to enjoy a shortened summer break, though one that will be full of adventures and excitement. (I will be posting on my upcoming trip soon!)
After I return from my trip, it will be a quick transition and move back South, to my college town, where I will be moving in to my first real apartment and starting summer work for my university, as well as beginning some prerequisite courses for my MBA... I will definitely be posting all about these exciting transitions later on!
For now, I will focus on unpacking my school supplies and immediately packing up again for my trip.
Stay tuned!

The hunt: My first apartment

     I am both thrilled and relieved to announce that I have figured out a plan for myself after graduation in May! If you have been in my position of being a second-semester senior, about to graduate with a Bachelor's degree and no plans in sight, then you know just how much better I am feeling now that I know that I will be doing something.
     I have never felt more blessed than the moment I realized that I had a plan. It was a whole lot of "being in the right place, at the right time." I had decided to apply to do an internship during my final semester at my university's office of communication. After I got the internship and began working, I was offered a Grad Assistant position, which will be covering the cost for an MBA. I will also be working as a managing editor of a local newspaper.
     Although I do feel incredibly lucky and glad, this new stage in my life is coming up very quickly, and it is a teeny tiny bit overwhelming. Now, I have to really prepare myself for my latest transition, and a very intimidating part of the real world:

     Apartment Hunting 

     My university and future place of employment are located in a tiny town, almost in the middle of nowhere. I recently found out that it is almost impossible to find open apartments for rent online... there are virtually none listed. Most of these kinds of transactions happen by word of mouth around here.
     I was lucky enough to know someone who will be moving out of a two-bedroom apartment at the end of this semester, so I visited with a friend/potential roommate last week. We were not completely sold on the apartment, and we also may be having a third roommate, so we are not sure if this will work out. Now, I have moved on to looking for town houses/bigger apartments in the area. I am also considering a larger town that is relatively close by. We shall see what happens.
     Before I actually started looking for apartments, I thought the process would be relatively painless and I would find a cute, quaint, cheap apartment for rent in no time. Unfortunately, these kinds of things take a lot of patience and I have come to terms with the fact that I will not likely be able to buy my dream apartment just yet.
     Luckily, I feel very supported by friends, the people in my office, and those who I know in the community. Through them, I have been able to be in contact with around four possible places for next year, and I am now working on talking to my potential roommates to see how they feel about these places. I really feel like a grown up now, and the whole idea of living in the "real world" is becoming more and more real by the minute.
     Honestly, I am most excited to decorate my future apartment... even though my budget is very small. I have already started listing some tips and decoration ideas on my "Living Little" Pinterest board.
     Do you have any tips for me about looking for my first apartment?