Just for now...

Grab your tissue boxes people, this is going to be the last post from Washington DC - it might get a little sloppy. It is all coming to an end – the internship, the course work, the semester, the year and of course the DC experience. People always say corny things like: “it was so much more then I ever expected” or “I found myself” or “I am grateful for the experience and opportunity to meet the amazing people I now call my friends.” Well, turns out I am one of those corny people…bummer I know, I expected more too.

I was not prepared for this experience. I was nervous about where I was going to live, the people I was going to live with and the opportunities I was going have in the city and in my professional environment. I worried about missing people at school and the TCU football season. I worried about not having enough to do. I worried about changing. In addition to worrying about the WRONG things, I am obviously a worrywart, so annoying.

Well, I live (have lived) in a rough part of town, not the roughest, but definitely on the edge. It has made me a lot more aware of my surroundings and thankful for everything my family has – it also motivates me to strive for better. The people I have lived with have taught me a lot about myself and created quality friendships that I never thought would be possible in such a short period of time. I have fallen in love with DC, but I sometimes wonder if part of the reason I love it so much is because of my better half – she and I have done so much together and made the most of this experience in every way possible – DC will never be the same without her. At dinner one night, we talked about what we liked best about this experience and what we disliked the most – the choice was simple for both (however, I went first and my likes and dislikes seemed to pale in comparison…but I stand by mine) Best: my better half – meeting her, building a friendship and experiencing DC together (the good, the bad and the ugly). It will be difficult to leave (like it was difficult separating for Thanksgiving…we are girls ok? Back off!) but thankfully we are both returning to TCU in the spring so it is just good-bye for now. The bad: the gosh-darn Metro. It seems silly, but I look forward to the day when my time table is no longer ruled by a train that constantly remind me to "Step back, the doors are closing."

I have had MANY opportunities in the city – historical, cultural, political, personal – I never should have worried about that. I rarely sleep (slept) because there is SO much to do and part of the anxiety surrounding the end of this experience is whether we will be able to get everything in before we leave. If not, I guess we will just have to come back! I have missed people at school and the football games at the stadium (RIP) but I have stayed in contact with those people who mean the most and we have bled purple every Saturday from DC as if we were in Fort Worth Texas.

I NEVER should have worried about the opportunities I would have at work – I have become a stronger writer, strategist, communicator and professional. I have been able to develop skills and hone talents. I have worked with several clients, projects and strategies. As I have mentioned before, the Eldercare Workforce Alliance is one of our clients I have had the opportunity to work with and I have enjoyed the entire experience with them. Ok…that's a lie. I had to transcribe fifteen 5+ minute interviews and it got to the point where I was telling the person sitting next to me on the airplane ride back from Thanksgiving what I was doing and who I was doing it for (needless to say, the gentleman wasn’t thinking about the quality of care he would be receiving in 50 years…but he was now – just to clarify, he was probably 10…and he is most likely having nightmares now. But you know what, it is an important issue – the crisis is NOW!) I also have the opportunity to help create an introductory video (using the content I transcribed) for EWA – which is something I didn’t think about needing experience in, but I am up for the challenge and look forward to telling their story.

I have learned how to write a press release, how to pitch to the media, how to run social media ads, how to research clients and information. I have learned how to juggle several different projects and agendas, I have learned how to put together a video (from beginning to end) – all of which will put me far ahead of my peers in the spring when I am looking for a job (ahhhh…I am looking for a job…deep breaths – just keep breathing – song reference? Ehh? Anyone?)

The professional experience hasn’t always been rainbows and butterflies – I have messed up, I have been stressed, I have made mistakes, but learning how to move from those is a skill I wasn’t looking to develop but one I got as a bonus. Working for Tricom has reaffirmed my commitment to public relations and has really got me excited for my career (but I’m not ready to talk about graduation yet, so I am excited in theory at the moment).

I also shouldn’t have worried about changing – of course I was going to change. As some one who hates change and deals with it poorly, I think it's great that I know I am not the same person who arrived in DC three and half months ago. I have grown. I have loved. I have learned about myself as a person but also as a professional. I have become stronger and more confident. And my long term plans have expanded – since being in DC and working on issues relating to politics, I have started to entertain the thought of working on the Hill, which I would have to do NOW while I have the freedom and stamina to do so.

Basically, this experience is in need of several more corny sayings to describe it: “I fell in love”, “I am thankful for this opportunity in ways that I am only just beginning to realize”, “I know that this was the best decision for me and it will be a story to tell the grandkids” and “I will miss the streets, the people, the history, the buildings, the food, the wine, the metro – NO, I WILL NOT MISS THE METRO! – but I will miss everything that made DC such an amazing place to live and work” – I came to DC as a trial run. I hate change and with possibly the biggest change occurring at the end of next semester – I though why not do a trial run…well this was far more successful then I ever could have imagined and maybe I am more prepared then I knew. If you are waiting for the portion of the post where I talk about all the rough times and how difficult everything was, you are going to be disappointed. No matter what happened (bad, worse or awful), I will never let it overshadow what I got – confidence, friends, family, experience, love and education. Kali 4.0 is here people – look out!

Pilgrims and Indians

Four weeks from tomorrow is my last day of work. Four weeks from Friday will be my last roommate dinner. Four weeks from Saturday will be my last day in DC. So the DC experience is almost over - I have started Christmas shopping, picked my classes for last semester and started planning graduation, so not only is the semester over, but college is almost over...I am going to take a few moments to take some deep breaths...and now, I am back.

So before I spend time reflecting on my experiences and being all mushy-gushy...I want to do a traditional thanksgiving post of what I am thankful for this year:

I am thankful for...

Family, Health, Love, Democracy, Life, The Holiday Season, My Gut, Friends, Friends who are like Family, Christmas music, Wine (red, white, slightly too pink...whatever), TCU Football, Uncle Bob, Fans, Taylor Swift, TCU Alumni, the color Purple, Laughing, Peak Foliage, History, Vision, Socks, Pixar, Number Cruncher, Washington Post Top Ten, Luck, Sei, Glee, Growth, Recovery, Pumpkins, White Chili, Austin, New Orleans, Extended Family of Friends who are like Family, Chocolate Pie, Direction, DC, Support, Compassion, Strength, BBM, Zip Car, Water, Light, Sunflowers, Mistakes, Cabs, Parents, Pictures, Humor, Theaters, the Ability to Listen, nude shoes, visiting friends, cupcakes, water fronts, experiences that pushed me out of my comfort zone, karoke, chapstick, Sophia Kinsella, Creativity, Intelligence, Common Sense, Talent, Pumpkin Pie, Credit Cards, Brothers, Education, Scarfs, Funny Girl, Change, Mexican Food, Safety, Disagreements, Candles, Paula Deen, Opportunity, Challenges, Familiarity, Netflix, Dutches, Frozen Yogurt, Big Beds (that dont even have to be bed bug resistent), Drops of Jupiter, social media, cookie dough, sarcasm, hope...

I wish everyone a loving and peaceful holiday - Happy Thanksgiving.

I'm a big kid now.

This semester has been a tease. After about 15 years of schooling, I was ready to jump on the real-world band wagon of earning a salary, paying bills and planning out my 401k...and part of me still is. But the other part of me wants to remain comfortable and protected in the arms of college.

Obviously torn, this semester hasn't done much to alleviate this inner conflict. On one side, I am working every day, attending happy hours, being social on the weekends, cooking dinner and carving pumpkins (we did this just last night so it is fresh in my mind...) - everything I would equate with a "grown-up" lifestyle. The other side: attending class two nights a week, writing papers, taking mid-terms (granted, it is a take-home test), going to mandatory programing and picking classes for my spring semester....well, all that reminds me I am still a student above everything else.

But I went on a job interview this week - like a job job interview...and suddenly reality hit. I am no longer in the comforting arms of college. I have to make decisions. Like life altering decisions. I have to begin my career. The career I have been working towards for (at least) the past four years. And no matter how much planning and thinking I do, there is still part of me that is jumping off the cliff without looking beforehand...and anyone who knows me, knows that is NOT how I operate.

Speaking of this week - apparently I pissed off some one in the Karma department off, because I swear I took one step forward and THREE steps back this week. I ran into people I didn't need to (ever!), had alcohol poured on me, lost my debit card, my car didn't start in Cleveland the morning of my interview (granted, it was frickin' 26 degrees - I wouldn't start either...), disagreements, misunderstandings, wishing I could be there for the people I love, out of the blue phone calls...I mean really. This all started a week ago yesterday - so I am hoping the worst is over and I can continue on with my life...knock on wood, throw salt behind your left shoulder, keep your fingers crossed and maybe, just maybe go ahead and sacrifice something (although, after taking a class about Peaceful Solutions to Violence - maybe sacrifice an article of clothing...my professor wouldn't like me calling for people to commit a violent act and he kinda controls my grade...).

So I guess, I am a big kid now - looking for a job and hoping to find a balance between what I need and what I want. Scary stuff, but thank goodness we have entered the holiday season - Christmas music makes everything better! OR Taylor Swift's new album. I LOVE IT - which doesn't surprise me, Tay-Tay got me through some rough times before, she just knows what's going on. If you get a chance, listen to "Back to December"...just sayin'.

Chapters 1-10

I think I will be a zombie for Halloween. I have the dark circles under my eyes, a staggered walk and the inability to string words together in complete sentences. I can just throw on something from my mountain of dirty laundry and I will officially have the best costume of all time. Umm, no. Although the idea has merit, I seem to look like that everyday (with the exception of the dirty clothes…I DO wear clean clothes) and it’s time for a change of pace – at least for one night. Life in DC has just continued to move faster then ever and now that I have reached the halfway point, I find myself dreading the moment I leave. December has always seemed far away, but now it is just around the corner…nope, nope. Talking about this subject ends here. I just can’t think about it.

Recent social events include watching Bob’s (that’s Bob Schieffer for people who live under a rock) band play at the Rock and Roll Hotel, exploring the Georgetown waterfront, frequenting Molly & Malones (a.k.a. supporting the Rangers in their quest to take a chunk out of the chip on the Yankees’ shoulders – that’s right, I’m talking to you Derek Jeter), two-stepping with Bob and his friends at the National Press Club, checking out the American History Museum and trying some Tappas yumminess. My roommates continue to be the ultimate support system and I am thankful everyday that they are here with me. I can tell the stress level has gotten a little higher – the dance parties in the living room have happened more often (not sure how they feel about everyone knowing we dance to the Backstreet Boys and Whitney Houston around our coffee table – so just don’t say anything). I have also come to respect my roommates as professionals – not that I didn’t respect them before, its just that I have seen their passion and commitment to their chosen field and I can’t help but be proud of them and their accomplishments.

Additionally, FALL IS HERE!!! I didn’t know how much I missed it…three years of jumping from scorching summer to chilly winter-ish weather has totally messed up my relationship with Fall. But Fall and I are back together – not Facebook official or anything, but it is definitely a serious infatuation. We are going to Mount Vernon on Saturday to see all the leaves that changed and hopefully we will do some pumpkin carving soon – (that was really a warning to our kitchen floor….)!

So my professional life – still challenging, still engaging and still reassuring me that I want to do this type of work (public relations/strategic communication for those random people currently reading my blog) for the rest of my life. Yesterday, I helped out with another Eldercare Workforce Alliance advocacy day!! I was excited about having the opportunity to work with them again and in addition to working on the press releases and doing media pitches, I also conducted some of the interviews that will be used on the new EWA website (coming soon, so get excited)! Once again, I was moved by their professional and personal stories – I truly hope that I am that passionate and committed to whatever I choose in the future…they inspire me to be as involved, if not more so. The workload has been trying at times, which is contributing to the zombie look I have going on currently, but it is good experience. It is good experience. It is good experience (that is what helps me get up every morning!)

Moving forward, I know things are going to continue to be challenging and hectic. And that means I need to channel some leadership qualities (this is a horrible segway into the professional reflection topic, but I am a zombie, give me a break). Effective leadership for me is having the ability to inspire, support and objectively evaluate the people around you, in a political, corporate, personal or social sense. I think effective leaders need to be excellent communicators, listeners, managers and writers. I also think leaders need to have confidence as well as established ethical and moral boundaries. These qualities exist in several of the people that I work with. A staff that is this small needs to have a combination of these skills or else the company couldn’t be as successful as it is. I have been most impressed by my co-workers commitment to their clients and this field. I see the same passion I saw with the EWA advocates – I can’t help but be impressed. I need to spend some time after finishing the internship and experience in DC to identify what I was impressed or not impressed by…I have found that first impressions and thoughts aren’t always true and it takes time and effort to really understand what is going on. And with that deep final thought, I will bring this novel to an end.

Time flies. It doesn’t really matter if you are having fun or watching paint dry. Time just flies…especially on the weekends. I can’t even remember what a weekend feels like, which is probably because there is always football to be watched, sites to be seen and fun to be had. These past two weekends, I have had friends from out of town visiting…and I love them both for spending the money and taking the time to visit and I wanted to make sure that they have a good time while they are here – but that takes a lot of E-F-F-O-R-T. I believe they both had a good time (not like they would tell me if they didn’t) and it was a good break from the usual…oh wait, nothing about the past two months has been “usual”. I have never had to be as flexible as I have been while in DC - I am a planner and if something doesn’t give, well it is pretty much like my very own emotional and mental WWIII. But I have survived and I sent my friends back to their loved ones in one piece. We did Washington right and did so with high marks – TENS across the board (even from the Russian judge). So, my social life and experience in DC is amazing…but different. DC (socially, politically, environmentally, professionally...) is vastly different from Boston and Fort Worth, therefore adapting to a completely the different environment has been difficult. Additionally, I have never work 36 hours, taken two 3-hour night classes, participated in TWC programming, attended galas and events, attempted to see the sites, museums and surrounding area. All in four months. So I am in uncharted territory, mentally, physically and emotionally. The environment is different, as is my daily routine as is my lifestyle. The “go, go, go” mentality, combined with “work hard, play hard” philosophy matched with an overall lack of time – life is different, challenging and exhausting. But fun. ;)


So I am keeping my head above water in regards to my personal life, what about my professional experience here in DC? Working for Tricom has been a blessing, especially compared to what I hear other students are doing. But even before I had talked to anyone, I knew this internship was exactly what I wanted it to be: a stepping-stone into my professional career. I do not feel like an intern, I feel like a contributor. This internship has been the most successful relationship I have ever had and I hope it is a mutually satisfying one. I am learning, developing and perfecting skills and techniques that I will need for the rest of my career, while positively contributing to Tricom’s reputation and work ethic (with the exception of the whole carrying case glitch – epic failure. I will now quadruple check everything before I hit order). The most challenging and satisfying part of my job is when I get three or more projects all at the same time. I feel the pressure. I experience the thrill of working within a deadline. I like being busy, and there is always so much going on in this PR firm (i.e. if I got a dollar every time I heard Scott say "I have been talking to some new clients" - well, it would be like I has getting paid for this internship...) – I am never bored.

Highlights include: helping with the EWA interviews (which I will get to do again in a few weeks!), attending a National Public Lands Day site event (where the sweetest girl scout said “I Barack Obama, hereby proclaim…” – oh goodness, you had to be there!) and making media calls (no, I am not crazy – I love calling people and convincing them that I have the BEST story E-V-E-R).

I haven’t run into any problems at the office in regards to professionalism – everyone is supportive, complimentary and caring. Additionally, my objectives and ultimate goals for this experience have already been met and exceeded. I look forward to perfecting my skills and taking the public relations professional world by storm in eight months (give or take a trip to Europe). I am keeping my head above water (professionally and socially), while enjoying the calmer/quieter moments – I can’t ask for anything more.

I cheated...

Unfortunately, I have something to admit, something that I am not proud of. On Saturday October 2, 2010 at 3:55 pm, I broke my promise, I unlawfully went against everything I believe in and tainted a relationship I hold very dear to my heart.

I cheated.

On my blog.

I published my first post on Tricom Associates' blog - HippoBLOGamus.

And for that, I am kind of, a little, maybe, sort of sorry. Mostly I am excited and would love for everyone to read my blog post and let me know what you think!!

To my blog - it won't happen again. At least not until next week. When I have another post due.

So. How am I doing?

The novelty of living, working and exploring DC is rubbing off, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But I have quickly lost track of time, acquired several different demanding projects and feel the need to create 10 extra hours for everyday. Personally, my relationship with my roommates has continued to grow – I love each of them dearly and am so thankful for their support, humor and constant kindness. In the coming months, we have a birthday to celebrate, friends from school and home visiting, galas and receptions to attend, a ballet to watch and many other grand and exciting plans!

And thankfully, work is just about as exciting as my personal life. These past two weeks, the time between 9:30-5 has flown by and I have gotten up everyday excited for what I will be able to tackle next. Last week, I spent a lot of time creating media lists. A lot of time. A lot a lot a lot. The comprehensive program, CisionPoint, combined with a busy server meant that we were going at the speed of a limp turtle. However, there was a sense of accomplishment once they were finished. BUT there was also a sense of dread as it was time to begin making media calls. I tried to be as “cool, calm and collected” as possible going into the media calls but on the inside I wanted to crawl out of my skin and hide under a table. I wasn’t afraid of talking to people on the phone (although I do prefer talking in person) and I was confident in my ability to sell my story – it was all of the pressure associated with this being my first attempt at media calls and everyone could hear me when I mis-spoke, made a silly joke or just plain froze on the phone (due to the location of my desk and my booming voice, no had a choice but to listen to me while I was making calls – the other intern chose to move to another room – smart girl).

On my first day, I booked three radio interviews and by the end of the next day, I had nine radio interviews booked and one special interview set up with the Washington Examiner. I was pleased. I was actually more then pleased. I felt like I found my footing and now had concrete results to prove that my ability to communicate is as good as I tell everyone it is. I fell love with PR all over again – it isn’t an easy job. You have so many obstacles (people don’t want to talk to you, media doesn’t trust you, the public doesn’t trust you, they don’t see the story the way you see the story) but when you overcome all of that, it makes the success so much sweeter (started singing spoon full of sugar again….hopefully you have been reading my blog posts or you won’t understand my sense of humor at all). This past week, I switched clients and made more media phone calls for them on Monday. On Tuesday, I got to travel a bit – like to the Phoenix Hotel by Union Station where I helped interview advocates who here educating their member(s) of Congress about the need for education, training and funding to care for our aging population. These individuals had amazing personal and professional stories, which made their call to action not only believable but also heartfelt and very emotional. One woman talked about how she and her coworkers paid a special tribute to veterans by washing their feet and taking the time to talk with them on Veterans Day. Another gentleman talked about his fear for his 30-year old mentally retarded son. He looks beyond the immediate crisis he, as a 50 year old man, will be facing and said something like "imagine my 70 year old retarded son fending for himself in this system when I'm gone". His message really hit home for me and after I wiped away the tears and managed to take his picture without shaking the camera, I felt compelled to go up to the Hill myself and demand to talk to a representative from Massachusetts. And I hope I never lose that passion – the passion incited by people. People who I will represent and help make a difference (I still hold onto that ideal - I will make a difference).

The people I work with are amazing and I have a great relationship developing with each of them. Luckily, there are only seven people working in the Washington (Virginia) office of Tricom Associates. They are a family, most of them spend way too much time together and they are extremely talented individuals that feed off of one another to create amazing campaigns and projects. I really thrive in an environment where people can talk about anything (life, politics, family, news...) and where people enjoy a good laugh. I need humor to get through my day but I also need other people to have a sense of humor. Otherwise, I fear they will find my jokes too sarcastic and annoying - thankfully this isn’t one of those situations. I also work particularly well with people that enjoy collaboration. My ideal work environment would be were people strategize aloud and with each other. I subscribe to the belief that two heads are better then one and I know that allowing myself to think aloud and bounce ideas off of people will produce the best idea I am capable of coming up with.

I think my supervisor, Scott Triebitz, and I are still feeling each other out. He is a no-nonsense kind of guy and I know he has an infinite amount of wisdom and advice to pass down to me – I just have to tap into it. I don’t feel comfortable going up him quite yet but if I needed to, I would walk right in their and demand his attention, while he is on the phone and answering e-mail and signing off on the latest press release draft. And I think that’s where my hesitation comes from – knowing that he is such a busy guy, that if I am going to take up 30 seconds of his time, it better be for a good reason. I also fear his brain. There is so much history, politics and experience in there, that it is very intimidating. Additionally, after our program on Monday, I realized how little historical and political knowledge I have stored in my brain – something that I have been working on, this week I am going to memorize the first ten presidents and interesting facts about each of them. Baby steps, but it will make a difference in the long run.

I am just looking forward to the next couple of weeks and I know I will have plenty more stories and experiences to share.