Back in Action

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 After about a 2 month hiatus - I'm back.  

I've been waiting for most of my adult life to write this story - but more importantly, to live this life.  I'm not sure why it's taken me this long to put it down on "paper" - but here it is.

In the last two months I've started a new job and picked up everything to move to Washington, DC. It was what I thought I always would do post graduation - but when the time came, I didn't have the courage to do it.  I settled for a job and carriage house in a town I knew and loved.  It was easy and it was comfortable.  I was surrounded by people that loved me, knew me, believed in me and my capabilities and it was good.  But something was eating at me during that 4 month stint.  I felt too still, too comfortable, too settled.  I spent evenings looking up plane tickets, figuring out my next steps, itching for a new experience to the point of constant  anxious moments, sleepless nights, and a general unhappiness with my mental well being.   The weirdest part was the terror I felt living alone in a sleepy small town in the middle of a corn field - a feeling I had never felt living completely alone in a city of 1 million 4,000 miles away from anyone I knew.  I tried it all - running, reading, writing, tea instead of coffee, detoxing, more water - there was something that unsettled me about being in this small town.

Then one day, the universe sent an email asking if I would be interested in an open position.

The 24 hours of deciding to respond and accepting that I had, were filled with more anxiety, pain, and discomfort than I've felt, maybe ever.  I couldn't stop thinking of what could come from that email, the chances I would have to take, the risks, the money, the people that I would hurt, leaving the love and comfort of my friends to go chase a dream.  A great friend reminded me that I was forgetting the most important thing in this equation - myself.   Once the process began I have never been more excited and sure of my capabilities, my skills, and my direction.  Within 2 weeks, I had a new job, a new apartment, drove a U-Haul for the first time, and moved to the big city with my new craigslist roomie (who rocks.)

I feel like I'm finally pursuing my passion - really chasing the dream.  I'm finally back in the political world in DC and I love every minute of it.

I'm really liking being uncomfortable here - I know I'm growing.  I like the pace of the city, the walks to and from work that I use to clear my head and listen to music, metro rides - all of it.  I like that there is so much still to uncover around the corner or downtown.  I'm here and it rocks.  It's a challenge every single day but it's usually a good one.

Cheers to my new life in DC - excited to share more of it with you! 

Storify: The Smart Girls Summit

 I couldn't be more proud to be a part of such an incredible organization.  Unfortunately, my housing fell through for the 2 nights I was supposed to stay in NYC, so I wasn't able to make it up to the conference.  It worked out just fine as I lived through my twitter feed and retweeted like a crazy woman.

I've used Storify to piece together some of the best parts of the day!  Check it out.

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Life Update

A big life update coming at ya!  

Well, if you follow on Instagram you probably already know this.

I have accepted a job at Washington College and have moved to Chestertown full time!  Yesterday was my first day in the "real world" and I loved every second of it.  I will be serving as the Assistant Director of Chapter Programming and Alumni Networking.  If you are a Washington College alum reading this, I will be handling all of the Alumni Chapters across the country!  :) See you at an event!  

 My volunteer work with the Alumni Board and with the senior class gift campaign this past year totally sparked my interest in development, fundraising, and alumni programming.  I am so inspired by the team I work with, the volunteers I oversee, and the alumni I am engaging.  This move couldn't have been more perfect for me and I'm so excited to learn everything about this new realm.  

The decision wasn't easy, and there were days that I questioned whether Chestertown was the right place for me (cough, cough the last two summers in DC, cough, cough).  In the end, what really mattered to me was the work that I would be doing and my passion for it.  I am able to utilize my creativity and harness my ideas and vision for these programs that I have not only partaken in, but already molded and shaped as a student.  

Cheers to the next chapter, I am so happy you are along for the ride! 

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How To: Job Hunt

Second semester of senior year went more quickly than I could have ever imagined.  I felt like I spent more time my fall semester freaked out about the fact that I was going to be in the 'real world' and landing a job.  Looking back, I now know that I should have been more worried about my thesis dissertation, but that's another post for another day.  

I'm in the thick of the job hunt.  Graduating unemployed was my worst fear and I survived.  Still breathing & still searching away!  I know a lot of recent grads in my shoes, so I thought I'd write a post to explain how I'm coping with this new gig, the job hunt gig.  Here are 4 tips to keeping yourself motivated, organized, and on top of you work! 

1. It's a Full Time job - The job hunt IS a full time job.  But actually.  It's something you have to work at every single day.  Whether its sending out emails, doing background research on companies, writing cover letters; it's a lot of work.  

2. Create a routine - It's challenging to create a new routine, especially if you've just moved back home with mom & dad.  At school, I was totally into how I spent my day.  I would typically be up, ready, and out the door at 8 AM and back in my room after dinner or lib time.  It's especially challenging when your parents live at the beach (thanks, Mom & Dad).  There's a beach, bikes, a gym, the pool; so many activities + no homework.  It was easy the first two weeks after graduation to just relax and enjoy, but now I know that I can't do that everyday.  I have tried to schedule a little gym time, pool time, and working hours for my day & it seems to be working!

3. Create a Google Doc/Email Folder - The hours this past year that was spent google searching, LinkedIn browsing, and straight up stalking my favorite organizations and companies for job openings...those are hours I will never get back but boy were they valuable.  Also the amount of jobs that my mom emails me is out of control.  Keep yourself organized by creating a Google Doc on your Google drive with multiple rows.  I organized my own sheet this way: Title, Company, Status, Date Applied, Response, Link, Location, Connection, & Info. 

What helped the most was formatting my Status column by color.  I chose 3 conditions: Research, Communication, & Complete that way I could keep track of where I was in my job search.  It's pretty easy to do!  Right clink on the column and go to Conditional Formatting.  

Once you see this page, type in your key words that will determine the status of that specific job, add a background color & whenever you type that word, it will automatically color code it for you.  Magic! 

I also created an email Folder called Jobs/Networking that I store all of my career related emails in to help me stay organized!

4. Commit - If you want to be in NYC, make it happen. Go there.  I'm not exactly currently located in the heart of the DC Metro area.  But if I want to be there, I'm going to have to commit, as in, travel there frequently.  Make sure that you have saved up enough gas/travel money to make trips to the city/location you want to work in.  Make sure you have friends/loved ones you can crash with, and don't forget the keyword of the last 4 years, #network.  Set up informational interviews with everyone and anyone, they might just give you a piece of insight or introduce you to someone who could make it happen for you.  Reach out to college professors, graduates, old intern supervisors, whoever is there and is willing to help and commit. 

5. Think forward - As you know I've been reading I Am That Girl by Alexis Jones and it is really reshaping what I want out of a first job.  I really want to align my first job with my life goals and my career goals; I don't want it to just be "a job."  It will take longer to find, lots of patience, and resilience but I know that it's out there!  

Here are a few other articles about career that are worth reading.  

Are You Settling for a Backup Career // Levo League

The Questions Manager Want You to Ask During A Job Interview // Mashable 

Finding a Job You Love: How to (Really!) Do It // The Muse

Are you in the job hunt currently?  What tips/tricks do you have for keeping focused and staying sane? 

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Laite

Remember my lovely sponsor, Milk + Crown?  She has launched a new jewelry website, Laite | Jewelry Atelier.   I don't know all of the final details yet, but I know that she's been working super hard!  Her new Instagram account can be found here!  

The full collection will be available April 15th!  I have had my eye on a few pieces from her previous collections, so I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us!

Make sure you sign up on www.laitejewelry.com for sneak peaks of new pieces, discounts, and more! 

Congrats Kristyn!! I'm so proud of how far you have come!  

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Smart Girls

Calling all Smart Girls, have you heard of The Smart Girls Group?

I'm so excited to finally announce that I'm working with the Smart Girls Group on their exec staff as their Bookings Director.  It is such a LOVELY sisterhood and an amazing magazine that brings some of the best women together to learn and grow.  We had our first meeting tonight over Google Hangout and it's amazing knowing that I'm connecting with women in NYC, Austin, and Paris to collaborate on this wonderful mission: to empower the next generation of super star women who make the world a better place.

In addition to my #SmartGirl project, I've taken on communications and strategy work for a Congressional Campaign, and political research for a Women's Magazine called Vitamin W.  

I was worried that I was taking on too much, and then I saw this on Pinterest, and now I'm not so worried.  I'm doing things that I love & I'm so excited to be a part of them! 

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What new challenges and projects have you guys been taking on lately?   

the scariest question

An obsessive, time consuming addiction I've developed.  

Asking myself, "Who am I going to be?"

With this fall semester over and time to myself to work on my thesis and job hunt, I can't seem to turn my brain off.  There is something so powerful and exciting about knowing that there is a whole world waiting to be seen, languages to be learned, food to be tasted, and skills to be sought.  

I'm usually faced with the argument that "now is not the time to worry about that."

So when is the time?  If I'm not mapping out my future now, when is it gonna happen?  My biggest fear is that it will be too late for me to pursue a dream.   But that's the thing about dreams, you can't have them all lined up like ducks in a row.  Sure you can pay your credit card bills, keep your credit high, remember to turn in checks, papers, signatures, buy cards, etc. You can schedule every last second of your day but inspiration, growth, creativity, how do you schedule that?  I think it's so evident in this very structure, this little piece of the internet that I have.  I can't sit here and type a post to you without creativity or desire to do so. It would be forced and unpleasant and not worth your time.  Hence, my sporadic appearances and jolts of activity.  Hi.

I feel like I'm living in a constant vertigo (ha!) of teetering between the fantasy of life's fullness and the ability to be anyone.. and the reality of what will probably be.  Why is that this second questioning of doubt always springs up before I have the chance to develop a second thought or longing.

I could create something new...how?

I could be famous...and spiral into a pit of self destruction?  

I could pursue politics in DC...and end up dead like that guy on House of Cards?

I could be a successful creative and blog for a living...and work from home?

I could pick up everything and move to San Francisco...and have no friends?

I could find a studio and move to NYC and struggle to afford rent...and not eat food?

I could be an actress yet to be discovered...and be in really awful commercials?

I could get over my fear of writing...and? I don't even know. 

I could just travel the world...without any money?

I could pay lots of money to take computer classes..and then find out I hate it?  

OR. 

i could live at home

work at a restaurant at the beach 

take a job from 'dad's friend'

move to baltimore 

What's wrong with safe?  Why am I scared of safe?  Shouldn't I be grateful that I have safe?  Especially when most people in the world are grateful to have a roof.  

With graduation 3,246 hours away, how am I supposed to sleep?  I know that I don't have to have it figured all out before I put the cap and gown on, but shouldn't I have a game plan? Is anyone else feeling like this?  

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Look Out Real World

job search by hilarybadger 

Today is my first visit job visit to meet with recruiters and discuss job opportunities in May.

Am I nervous?  A bit. 

I've had numerous internships and lots of experience, but I'm worried about 'selling myself' and knowing how to market what I want.  Luckily I worked with the career center to polish up my 'elevator speech' for the big day, but never the less, it's still nerve racking!  

This is kind of an awkward limbo for the application process.  It's technically too early to apply seeing as how employers want to fill positions they are seeking immediately, yet not too soon to start looking.  It's actually quite the tease.  I've started compiling a list of all the job opportunities, where they are located, their application requirements, & websites to keep myself organized.  Do any of my readers do something similar?

What are your best tips for the job hunt?

Any life experiences that have prepared you for the post college search?

Guest Post: Sam from Bits and Pieces

It's time for a guest post from my fav fellow blogger friend, Sam from The Bits & Pieces Life.  

Sam has helped teach me HTML and worked on the layout of my blog, which you can read more about here.  I asked Sam to do a guest post so that she can share her story on learning web design and understanding the language of computers.  

Design is such a funny word. In it’s bare bones definition, it’s a creation of a process/plan for an object. When it comes to word “design” people often think fashion or interior designs.  I, for one, still look to my mother to help me out with fashion and I literally just copy the interior designs in Ikea to get a decent looking room. But when it comes to web design, it sort of come natural to me because it blends two of my favorite seemingly clashing worlds, technology and art. 

I got my artistic side from my mother, who encouraged me to sketch and draw, act and sing. And I got my tech know-how from my father, who was introduced me to videogames at the age of two and taught me how to build a functioning computer by the age of seven. As for when I got started in web design, it was in the days of Myspace, where you were able to customize your MySpace profile page with whatever you felt expresses you. I didn’t realize what I was doing was graphic and web design at the time; I just wanted to make my Myspace page awesome. So I learned how to copy the bits of code of profile themes I liked and paste it along with other bits of code until it formed a cohesive profile. I remember tirelessly creating backgrounds with Microsoft Paint (I couldn’t afford Photoshop back in the day.) When I did finish my first profile page that I actually loved, I felt so proud of myself. But then I had a thought creep into my head “I could do more.” Creating something so artful out of little pieces of code lit a fire within me. I remember in high school I spent hours researching and teaching myself basic HTML and CSS, and offering to do my school’s Drama Department site as well as taking commissions online to make blog webpages. However I realized there was only so much I could do with Paints, and with so many talented graphic artists using Illustrator and Photoshop, web design just fell into the background when I started college.

For my minor I had to take a basic computing class, where one of the projects was to actually build a cohesive website. By this point I finally got training in Photoshop and I knew all the basic coding that was covered in class! I remember getting an A- on the project because I didn’t follow the professor guidelines (Even though he made note that I had the one of the best looking sites he has seen a student do.) However, it reignited that spark and I haven’t looked back since. I’ve designed websites for my chapter of my sorority, my father’s budding business, projects my friends started, and I try to keep improving myself every day by looking at other web designers and figuring out piece by piece on how they coded their websites. You wouldn’t think it’s fun, but I actually enjoy designing blogs more than actual blogging!

So that’s how I learned how to do web design and whatnot. If you’re a budding web designer, who has the creative side but doesn’t have the computer chops to back it up, here is my advice. Don’t be afraid of the code. Seriously, it’s just a bunch of characters, HTML is super easy to pick up and if you can’t get something right, there are so many resources that the internet has for troubleshooting, you just got to look. But if you find yourself, knowing the tech sides of things but have trouble getting an artistic scheme to your site, look around! Discover what elements of sites you do or do not like. And just break it down, structurally. No matter what though, when it comes to web design, I just want to say, you might just surprise yourself with how much you actually do know. 

Thanks Sam!  

How did you learn to code?

Events, on Events, on Events

These last few days have been a whirlwind to say the least. 

I have learned so much over the past 5 days it's nice to finally sit down, look over my notes, and write it all down.  

This past Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I spent at the Student Leader Conference for the Alexander Hamilton Society.  We are starting the inaugural year at Washington College this Fall and I will serve as President of the Chapter.  I [had] no idea what I was supposed to be doing, but now I feel confident that we can run a successful chapter.  In addition to hearing from other chapter presidents from across the country, we heard from multiple political professionals and how they got their start. 

There was a reception at Jones Day Law Firm on their rooftop deck where we could network and meet members of the Alexander Hamilton Professional DC Chapter.  With the Capitol beaming in the background, it was a great setting to talk about future career paths, swap cards, and talk of plans post grad.

However:

It was a bit overwhelming, sitting in the same room as a former Ambassador to the EU, Assistant U.S. Attorney General, Fox Political pundit, White House Policy writer, Drone specialist, Colonel who led troops through Fallujah in Iraq, and students from all the Ivy's.  I have to admit there were times when I felt extremely flustered by it all, but starry-eyed and excited all at the same time.  Lots of disbelief, levels of uncertainty, and creeping reminders that in a few short months, I will hold a diploma and be expected to go do all the great things I hope to accomplish.  While sitting in the same room with some of the most accomplished people I've ever met, it's hard to configure my own future and unwillingly measure up.  

While I know Harvard Law is not in my future, I have to remind myself of how hard I've worked to get where I am, and remember how hard I have to work to get where I want to go.  

Still trying to turn all of these experiences into inspiration.  

Yesterday was QUITE the day.  It started with a trip to the State Department sponsored by WISH (Washington Intern Student Housing -- where I'm living this summer) and a discussion called "Foreign Policy Classroom."  We heard from a Foreign Service Officer and how he got his start at State, where he has traveled, and his service throughout the Middle East.  

We were then allowed to ask questions and have a discussion with him about our thoughts on Syria, Iran, and the Middle East Peace Process.  Lots of learning on my end; it was an extremely informative session.

By far the coolest part of my first trip to State was when they paused the lecture to mention that Secretary Kerry walked by while we were there.  Of course all of us (probably close to 100 students from across the country) were all transfixed with the FSO to notice.  It was still so cool to be in the same building with Secretary Kerry as he was swearing in new Foreign Service Officers.  

Dad was in town for a board meeting so we were able to grab lunch at Union Station which was great since I am carless and far from Fenwick this summer.  

Tonight I volunteered at the event, "Cutting The Pentagon's Budget Is A Gift To Our Enemies," a debate sponsored by the McCain Institute and Intelligence Squared.  I checked folks in and helped back in the control room.  It was a great debate, lots of insightful knowledge about national security and our image abroad.

I was so glad I volunteered to help work this event.  It was so interesting and didn't feel like work.  Those are my favorite jobs.

I decided to walk home instead of Metro..I'm starting to feel like I know the city a bit better every time I get lost.  It's worth the initial panic, as long as I make it home with a smile on my face. 

So, time for a break right? 

Never!

Tomorrow will be just as jam packed with a GovLoop conference on WordPress in Government and the G.L.A.M Fashion Event tomorrow evening.  I bought a new jewelry piece tonight from T.J Max to wear tomorrow!  Hopefully pictures to come.  

If you are in the DC area tomorrow evening and have any interest in fashion, nonprofits, and fighting child abuse, you should find your way to G.L.A.M.'s Summer Fashion Event tomorrow evening.  Purchase tickets here.

See you tomorrow night DC!