A year to travel

2011 was an exciting year. I traveled to Cambodia, made a documentary, met Blake Mycoskie of TOMS, traveled to Las Vegas 3 times, worked as a freelance photographer, held two internships: Amarillo Bulls and Nobox Creative, met the author of “Where Am I Wearing,” Kelsey Timmerman, became General Manager of KWTS The One 91.1 FM, and started a blog about my life and experiences. Yeah it was busy, but oh so fun. 

Looking back on this year, I’ve had some key takeaways and here they are to name a few: 

  1. Do not be afraid to travel. I’d say this was a valuable lesson learned. I was afraid of moving other places and changing where I was and what I knew about the world and myself. I’ve spent about 61 hours total flying, and that’s not including layovers and driving to different places. Seeing other people, seeing other cultures it’s all a part of defining who you are as a person. You can’t be completely comfortable in your own skin and be certain of who you are without seeing how other people live. Plus I can guarantee you will pick up some knowledge or skill when traveling - I know I did. 
  2. You will mess up, but don’t panic. I’ve messed up a lot this past year. Whether it’s something to do with a school assignment or it’s something relational wise - you will make a mistake. I have learned though, that being honest about those mistakes and learning from them is the best thing. Don’t panic and fret about the mess. 
  3. Never stop thirsting for knowledge. At one point in the year, I had felt burnt out - done with it all. I didn’t really care about what I was learning about in school or what I was doing outside of school. I was bored. Then I found advertising. I became hungry to learn something new, to be creative in a new avenue. It has led to my two internships and I have found that this hunger and yearning for knowledge has propelled me to be a better person. 

I’m not too sure what 2012 will hold for me - well I guess everyone can say that. I do know that I want to land a dream job of mine. I want to be more open with others. I want to continue to develop my skills and improve. I want to find ways that I can come alive. 

Said and done

This past Tuesday I finished my first internship ever with Nobox Creative. It was a very bittersweet feeling to leave there knowing that I wasn’t going to be walking into the finely decorated office with my own desk and working with social media for the clients they have. I know I’ve mentioned the importance of interning and the cool projects I have done with Nobox, but it’s been way more than that. 

I’ve made real world contacts in a field that I want to head into - media. I’ve learned so much about social media and the impacts it can have on a company, it really can make or break a brand. I’ve found out how an office place works and what all goes into every aspect of an ad agency. 

My time spent at Nobox will be greatly missed, but the information I’ve learned, not only about myself, but about the advertising and media world altogether will be taken with me. I’ve discovered that I have a witty writing style and that I can harness that when it comes to copy writing. 

It is always sad to say goodbye, but I also know that I will be rooting for Nobox whenever I see their ads or the team out and about. It has always been stressed to us, whether that be at conventions or by our elders, to intern intern intern. I never fully understood why or what exactly that meant until I did so. So thanks to the Nobox team and all that they have done. 

Vacation’s all I ever wanted

Okay, so it may not be exactly as it looks in the picture above, but you can still dream right? 

This trip back home has been exactly what I needed - a break. The week and days leading up to me coming home weren’t exactly the best. Internships, jobs, and social life were not blending very well together and it was catching up to me. I’ve learned a lot this summer so far, but right now is when I needed to stop and examine. 

With, NoBox I’ve helped put on two different events, one with the Amarillo Sox with McDonald’s and the other with Wonderland Amusement Park. Both of which I am proud to have been a part of. I’ve also learned a lot about social media, the world of advertising, and how to work around clients. This has been a great internship. 

I’ve started with the Amarillo Bulls Ultimate Sports Internship and learned about social media on the sports side of the world. I’ve also learned that with sports it’s more about engaging with your fans and allowing others to interact with you. Sports is about action and that is what people look for. 

My jobs have both kept me on my toes, especially being a peer leader at West Texas A&M Univeristy. It has taught me once again how to engage with those younger than me and to continually look at things with a fresh perspective, even though this isn’t my first run around with the team or what things look like to a prospective student. 

This summer has been great, but this vacation was needed. I’ve taken for granted the friendships and relationships I’ve fostered while I’ve matured into the person I have become. It’s time that I own up. I’ve been selfish at times. I need to live for others as I want to do and serve my life. I apologize if my career goals have allowed you to be pushed aside. I’m growing. I’m figuring out the balance. It’s tough, but this break has allowed me to step back and re-examine. Time to move forward. 

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