Tomorrow

Tomorrow night I'll pick up A from the airport, and spend eight days with him. It's the second "in-person" visit of our LDR. You might be saying "what only you're second visit?!" Yes..it's true. But this upcoming semester, we'll be seeing a whole lot more of each which is exciting....in fact, there will only be a short two week span between two of our visits (crazy how things work that way).

Everyday, I'm more grateful for A and our relationship. I'll be happy for the day when we make it out of this distance thing and move towards something a tad more proximal...

One Word 2013: Venture

Instead of making of laundry list of sometimes very unsuccessful goals and "resolutions," I have begun to focus on one word to guide my focus throughout the year.

My OneWord  for 2012 was "choose." I wanted to make a more concerted effort to be more cognizant of the choices I have and more intentional with the decisions I make. I made a lot of big decisions that I'm proud of and am excited to see them take shape over the next few months..and maybe even years. 

For 2013, the word I chose is venture. As I set myself to graduate from college in May and enjoy my last few months of undergrad, I'm excited for what's to come. I'm venturing into the next chapter of my life which includes moving to Grand Canyon state, starting my graduate program in Higher Education, and a myriad other exciting things.

This year, I resolving to venture wholeheartedly into my next chapter; to live and love fearlessly and openly.

Instagram Updates: Road Trips, Connections, End of the Semester + More

As usual, Instagram photos speak louder than words. 

UVM | UVM Davis Center | UCONN SU | UCONN

BSU | Chowder Fridays | Tent City | Pumpkin Froyo!

ThinkFast! | Special trip for VP | Thrifted Camel Skirt | Lists...

Tea | Greenhouse by night | Logo planning | FNL

Wrapping | Thoughtful gifts from friends + A | New glasses

GSC V Part I: To Kayla, Love University of Arizona

Sentinel Peak ("A" Mountain), Tucson, AZ Credit

Yesterday at 4:03pm, I received the best Christmas present ever: an acceptance letter email to the University of Arizona's Masters of Higher Education program. It was overwhelming and exciting at the same time. This has been, by far, the best experience throughout this whole process. Sure, it's awesome to finally apply to schools and then anxiously wait for a decision, but it's different when you finally hear back.

My acceptance to U of A was the best Christmas gift for a few reasons. It's real now. After a year of planning and applying, I'm no longer in this weird limbo period waiting for an admittance decision. I know that even if I don't get the response I want from ASU or any other position I applied to, I'll be moving to Arizona in the summertime regardless. I'll be living out my dream, going to grad school, and starting the next chapter of my life. Another bonus is that A and I only have a few more months left of being in a long distance relationship. Even though there's still more hurdles to cross in terms of securing an assistantship and a place to live; I'm confident it will all work out in the end.


By the way, isn't U of A pretty?

Credit

Credit

So thanks, U of A, for making this the best Christmas ever! 

Seeking the Support and Approval of Others

I have a bad habit of constantly seeking approval and support from others. I grew up in a very supportive home and my mother always taught me to brave and set high goals for myself. However, in my formative years, not everyone who I cared deeply about were supportive or approving of what I wanted out of life or what I sought to do. As a result, I subconsciously began making sure that everyone I ever encountered approved of what I did. This led me down the destructive path of always second guessing myself and being really insecure.

Then one day I woke up and realized that a life of second-guessing wasn't what I wanted. I read Donald Miller's A Million Miles In A Thousand Years, which is all about living out your purpose and making the story that God wrote for you come to life. One of the passages in the book hit me particularly hard:

"Fear isn't only a guide to keep us safe; it's also a manipulative emotion that can trick us into living a boring life."

When I was 17, I was living a boring life because I was always afraid of what others would think and if I would get the significant amount of approval and support for my psyche. I knew that there was a bigger purpose for my life and I shouldn't be fearful of taking the risks necessary to live out my purpose because what is best for me might not be the best for someone else.

Even though sometimes, I slip back in the "seeking out approval" abyss; I'm more cognizant of it now and take the steps to change my thinking. I make strides the necessary to make sure I accomplish all of the goals I have for right (AZ here, I come!).

Take risks. Find ways to get to "yes." Turn dreams into plans. Ultimately, it's more important to live out my purpose than running around seeking approval from others.

Thankful.

I could rattle off the traditional laundry list of things to be thankful for...friends, family, shelter, etcetera. However, all those typical things fall into one umbrella category for me: community.

I am most grateful for community. Whether it be the supportive, network of folks I have at BSU, colleagues from ACUI, my family, friends, or my significant other; I'm reminded everyday of the bonds and special relationships I have with others.

I'm thankful for community, and all of the support, love, and struggle that comes along with it.

Diary of a Social Media Lady: Reflections from #ACUIr1 2012

We have fun in Region I

There are few times throughout the year where I force myself to shift from an introvert to full blown extrovert,  and one of those time/situations are conferences. This past weekend I took part in my third (and sadly, final)  ACUI Region I Fall Conference. This year I had the incredible opportunities to serve on the conference planning team as social media + technology coordinator, as well as co-present two ed sessions, a flash session, and co-facilitate a round table discussion on social justice.

In my time as an undergrad, I've attended two other regional conferences and one international conference, but I have to say that this past weekend was by far, my best experience with ACUI. In 2010, after attending the regional conference at Bryant University, I made the "official" decision to pursue a career in higher education and student affairs and never looked back. After the 2011 regional conference at UNH, I knew I wanted to give back to the Region in some way and decided to apply for the CPT. I was beyond grateful and excited to serve on this year's conference planning team with some of the most awesome people I have ever come across.

As social media and technology coordinator, I was chiefly responsible for creating the conference program book supplement using the mobile app Guidebook, scheduling tweets through the Regions twitter account, and creating the conference social media challenge. When drafting the social media challenge I wanted to create an opportunity for delegates to connect with the Region, Association, and other delegates through the use of mediums like twitter, facebook, and even the new land of instagram. I was referred to several times by delegates as the "social media lady;" a name I wore proudly as I hauled my box full of tiny buttons around with me everywhere I went. The majority of participants in the SoMe "challenge" were undergraduates, which was totally awesome and a little unexpected. I always get really inspired when I read the conference back channel during the weekend and loved seeing what professionals, grads, and, especially, undergrads were gaining through their participation in conference programming.

Today I realized that this was last official hoo-rah with Region I. It's hard to articulate exactly how grateful I am to everyone I have encountered through my involvement in ACUI. I'm forever inspired by the enthusiasm, excitement, and downright love of the field that is displayed by all of my friends and colleagues who are in the profession, full-time. As I continue to follow the path towards a career in student affairs, I can only hope to be a quarter of the professional that they are. I'm also continually overwhelmed and humbled by the support that folks in the Region have given me throughout my short time participating in regional and international activities. As I look to head out west to a new region, I hope that I can continue to carry the excitement, enthusiasm and love of the field that Region I has helped to bestow upon me. My involvement in ACUI revealed the importance of professional organizations for building community within a field, and I'm grateful for the community I found in Region I.