Friendships

     Coming home is something of a rarity for me these days. And it truly feels like a "break" because, despite the huge pile of homework that I need to do this week, I truly have no where to be other than home. No classes, no work, no going to the office (although I haven't done that in quite some time now). Plus, I really don't live here anymore so it really is vacation. Today is Palm Sunday, which in the Catholic world means a longer mass where we read the Passion of the Christ. Yes, that Passion. The Passion that spawned that very long and grueling movie by Mel Gibson. But I digress. It's the start of Holy Week because a week from today is Easter. So this week there is mass Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Because I am no a disciplined Catholic, I will most likely only go on Sunday (one because I can only handle so many masses in a row and two because my parents won't be around to make me go). It's a week that most people who do not regularly attend mass try to go. So this means that this morning at church I saw a TON of people. I love my church community. We are one giant family. And I mean that. I have so many sets of "parents" that it's unbelievable. And I saw a few today and it was wonderful =).
     But it got me thinking about relationships that we have when we live at home and how they change when we leave. For me, when I left for school, I left behind a lot of friends and knew no one at school. Now, I keep in touch with most of my friends from home sparingly, with the occasional Facebook chat conversation here and there. Some I miss a lot and would like to talk to more and others...well it just wasn't meant to be a lifelong friendship. What amazes me and makes me so happy is the relationships that I have with some of my friends. The ones that no matter how long it's been since I talked to them or seen them, we can just jump right back in like we never parted. Those are the friendships that I love. And hold very near and dear to my heart. You know who are (even if you're not reading this).
     Also, the other night when I first got home and everyone was in bed by 10 (waaaaaay too early for me), I sort of stared around my room for a bit, looking through my closet at all the things that I had deemed unnecessary to bring to college with me. One of those things was a trinket box that I got from a friend for my 16th birthday. We were such good friends then that she had even had it engraved. I haven't talked to her really since that year. So I sent a little facebook note to her to say hello. Ah, the wonder of Facebook. I don't know how we got on with keeping in touch with people before the internet. Those were the days when you really had to put in an effort.
     This was another emptying-of-my-brain posts but I hope you enjoyed it and it got you thinking. Who are the people that no matter where you are in the world or what point in your life you're at do you still want to keep in touch with? My friend Nick made a comment last week that went along the lines of "If we all (my group of friends at school) do not keep in contact til our dying day.....well I'll be sad." The truth is that some of us will and some of us won't. My parents are perfect examples of that. Some of their friendships have sustained over the years and some friends were just there for a bit.
     "Some people were meant to be in your life forever and others are just meant to make an appearance." - Greek

Driving Home

I drove home today to Southern California from school. It was a quick 5 hour drive (catch the sarcasm?). But there was little to no traffic and for the first time I actually could appreciate the beauty of the California 101. Everyone says that the I-5 is much faster and more direct but it's such an ugly ride. I know that the scenery should not matter when I should be keeping my eyes on the road, but oh my gosh, the scenery on the 101 is so beautiful right now! Everywhere I looked, there were lush green hillsides and fields stretching to the mountains full of green produce. Then when I hit the San Luis area, I hit the ocean and the way that the sun gleamed off the ocean was dazzling (yes, I said dazzling). I don't know what it is, but I just was so relaxed the whole way home. Maybe it's because I AM relaxed. I haven't felt this relaxed and at peace since before Christmas. I think. But it's going to be fleeting. I know it. I have a loaded second half of the semester and then a quick pack up of my life and off to Europe. The next 9 weeks are going to FLY.
It's amazing to me how different the scenery is from north to south. Well, maybe it's the proximity to the coast and how the coast changes from rocky edges to sandy beaches. Big Sur is gorgeous. I've driven through once (not my choice..it's a long getting-lost story). But it's all cliffs. You have to LOVE hiking and rock climbing to truly appreciate the beauty. Once you hit San Luis Obispo, the coast is beautiful, smooth beaches with the tall mountains just across the freeway. That is why I love California. We have everything you could want as far as natural sceneries. We have high mountain peaks, sandy beaches, deserts and snow. Such a beautiful state. Ok well I'm rambling again. Off for now.

My Brain Never Stops

     If you read my previous post, you have an idea of what my weekend was like. And yes I am posting this a mere 20 minutes later. But I just had to. I am done with a HUGE project and silly me thought that now I could relax and let my mind wander. Not the case. At all. My mind was literally racing this morning in the shower. This is usually where my mind is most relaxed and I can contemplate my coming week. No. This morning, my mind was thinking of so many things, that I actually had to stop and close my eyes and yell at myself to stop for a second. As soon as I could, I wrote down everything that was on my mind. And well it filled up almost a whole page. Everything from what to do now with PRSSA (which is so much that my fellow board members might throw things at me at our next meeting), to homework and projects I have for school, to a very important conversation I need to have with my parents when I go home for break, along with what I need to pack for home and what I need to do for an event that I want to attend in October. Yes, I said in October (reference to my "Planner" post earlier this week).  It makes me laugh at how no matter how much I want to shut off my thinking process, my brain knows me better. If that makes any sense.
     I named this blog "Extension of my brain" for a reason. It really is. I know I've mentioned it before but it's oh so very true.

Regional Activity - Gone in the Blink of an Eye

     This weekend was busy. I was home for a total of maybe 12 hours. And most of those were to sleep and shower. The reason for this was that my PRSSA chapter hosted a Regional Activity. For those of you who don't speak PRSSA lingo, it's a two day conference for students interested in PR. And we packed the weekend full of stuff. Barely any breaks in action from Friday morning til Saturday mid afternoon. Which means for the board members aka planning committee there were NO breaks and some things over-lapped. This weekend has been taking over my life since the beginning of January. We, the board, lived, breathed and ate it. And just like that, in the blink of an eye, it's done. The participants are already all back home (or on their way) and all we have left is amazing memories, some wrap up evaluations and rest to catch up on (I did that this morning by sleeping for 11 hours...it's not advisable. now I don't want to go to work). This weekend reminded me why I love PRSSA SO much. I have great memories, I learned a TON and made a whole group of new friends and connections. 

     As Travis Murdock from A&R Edelman pointed out, we need to keep in touch with each other after this. Sure we're now friends but most important from the professional aspect, we are the future of the industry and we are now each others connections. These are the types of relationships that will carry you through your professional life. Already, we're doing that. I had a conversation with the Social Director of  Sacramento State's PRSSA about how we should do a joint fundraiser activity with them. Working together will get you places. And even though I was on the planning committee and helped in setting up the panels, I learned a ton. The theme was The Survivor's Guide to PR....and boy did we get advice on that. The thing that stood out most, to me at least, was that you need to make sure that your brand ONLINE is strong. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, along with sites and applications that I hadn't heard about, are our strongest tools now. It's no longer just handshakes, business cards being exchanged and resumes being mailed. It's a constant conversation with your peers and upper level professionals. 

     The memories from this weekend will forever stay with me. We bonded; the board as one, the participants as one and as a collective group. It's great to host other school's chapters. We learn SO much from each other. 

Planner - a person who plans

That's what I am. I'm a planner. Always have been. It's like my security blanket. From day one I have always wanted to know what I was doing, where I was going. That's why I had my whole year planned (for the most part) by January 1 of this year. School January through May, Italy May through August, a week in NY at the end of August and back to school from very end of August through December. On December 17, my planning becomes fuzzy. I don't know what I'll do after that. Well besides go home for the holidays. January 1 of 2011 is blank. And it's making me nervous. Friends say that I need to loosen up and not plan so much. Fat chance. I have a running to-do list (its even "to do" stationary, compliments of my cousin's bridal shower) with varied highlighting. And one of the items on that list is to make ANOTHER list. Yes, I know... a little strange. But it's what I do. I'm lost without it. I can do without it for a little bit but then my brain becomes too crowded. It's easier to have it on paper so I don't have to have it constantly running through my mind.
But I digress. Nothing planned after December 17, besides the holidays. Hell, I don't even know where I'll be working in the fall. The goal is to work at a winery (I have a specific one in mind) but the type of job I find/can work with all depends on my class schedule, which I won't know until mid April (hopefully). Even not knowing that makes me anxious. I know it shouldn't and that I should be focusing on the here and now...but I just can't. I LIKE to make plans. But they're not like itinerary-like plans where I plan out each day. It's an outline or "guideline" as the pirate's code goes. I live by a guideline. And I like it. For instance, I have NO idea what I'm going to do while home on break, but I know I'm going home. And I have some school work to get done. And I want to go to some high school and tee ball baseball games (biiiiig difference but both enjoyable). And most importantly, I want to spend time with my family. The idea of being away all summer is bittersweet. It's my last summer as a student so I know that living it up ( as they call it) is a must but at the same time, I am spending very little time with my family. Who knows, it might be the best summer of my life. I hope so...well up until this point anyways. I want each year to be the "best year ever"...don't we all?
Ok I've reached the rambling point again. It's 1:15 in the morning and I have a midterm at 10:30. Eek. Such is the life of a college student. See, I can't even wrap my mind around the concept of having a day job and ONLY a day job. Sounds nice and relaxing. None of this school all day, work at night THEN homework and studying. And sleep in there somewhere. Ahh sounds nice. That's what I have planned next year. A day job and hopefully only a day job. Ok good night all.

It's March

How on earth is it already March? March 8th, almost 9th (I'm writing this at 11:15 p.m.) to be exact. Spring Break is in 3 weeks but in those 3 weeks I have to do a presentation, write a paper or five, take a midterm or two and help host a weekend conference. OH and work as much as I can which isn't nearly enough. I truly can't wait until I can have an actual day job and not have to work at night and weekends and not have much of a social life. Not that I do right now...

So yes it's been a whirlwind beginning to the year. More like a tornado. That's how I feel lately. Like my life is spinning and spinning faster and faster and there's nothing I can do to stop it. Sometimes I love it and sometimes I just want to stop the spinning and sit and breathe for a bit. My cousin's bridal shower was this weekend and that's when it really hit me how fast time was flying. She has been engaged for 2 years and is finally getting married next month. It's crazy. Our family has been waiting for this with a lot of excitement and it's almost here! But for me I thought it was so far off and boom it's almost here. Three weeks after that is the end of this semester and I'm off to Italy for the summer. No real break in action 'til I graduate and well after that it's life.

All that said, I just can't wait for Spring Break. I am going to get home as soon as I can and enjoy my time with my family. I am still homesick and I do tear up here and there. I guess that's part of growing up. So that's all for now. Once again emptying my brain.