A Reflection of Sorts

With the conclusion of 2012, I think I might retire my classic toast, “to the nights we never remember, and the friends we’ll never forget!” I will still have nights I probably won’t remember in 2013. And I will still have friends that I will never forget. However, it’s time to put that coat on the back rack and move forward with my career (gasp!).

I know, I know. This is sort of like the time when I changed my voicemail message from a silly rap to something generic and simple because I was expecting a call back from an internship I had applied to. My father called me shortly after and left me a voicemail about how excited he was to hear it.

This past year has been one of those years. You know, one of those years that I’ll refer to when I tell my children about my first real job, the hardest I’ve ever worked in school, when I realized which friends would be in my life forever, how I learned what a great mentor is.

I may or may not have cried a lot this year. Granted, I’m the crying type so this isn’t surprising, but 2012 held many changes for me and change is, after all, scary.

Just wait until 2013, I find myself thinking now.

Anyways, allow me to reflect and anticipate.

Top 5 Memories of 2012

5. Attempting to prank a coworker by jumping out of a giant box of confetti, but failing miserably and even scaring myself instead. I confidently declare this as the hardest I laughed all year.

4. When four of my closest friends from Raleigh traveled to Burlington (an hour west) to visit me at graduate school. All we did was eat at Moe’s, get frozen yogurt, and return to my apartment to catch up. However, it was one of those moments when I was reminded how lucky I am to have friends like these.

3. Watching Radiohead perform at Bonnaroo. I was approximately 50 feet away, the beat was so strong that a guy on drugs nearby told me that he was concerned his heart would slow down and stop beating when the song ended. The performance completely captured my attention for two hours and I once again fell in love with music.

2. My daily run at Lake Johnson became sacred. I’m struggling to put into words how much this meant to me, but I recommend all yo pros (young professionals) to work it into their routines.

1. Deciding to return to grad school for an interactive media master’s degree. I knew this was a big decision, but it changed everything. I’m passionate about the industry, I’m pushing myself more than I ever had, and I’m learning from incredible resources around me. Not everyone can claim that they love their graduate program.

Top 3 Anticipations of 2013

3. I leave on Saturday for a trip to Portugal (Jan. 5-12). As a mini-study abroad trip, we’ve been assigned a client. We’ll be putting together a website, a couple videos for them and a kids’ game. Sure, the idea of leaving the country is awesome. And yes, the prospect of walking away with a final portfolio project is enticing, but I’m really looking forward to working with the clients and most importantly the team. (Follow us on Twitter and Instagram with the #isurfmedia hashtag).

2. My little brother is doing a cross country bike ride which starts in California. What does this mean for me? Cross country car road trip! At the beginning of June, I’ll be taking full advantage of it by seeing the north while I drive him out there, and then returning through the south. Any hot spots or advice is welcome!

1. Graduating and restarting. Well, sort of. I’m ready for a new city and a new adventure. I don’t know where that might be or what I’ll be doing but I have an open mind and a wide range of skills, which are two crucial ingredients.

No matter what happens, I’m grateful for what already has. I am a firm believer that it’s all a matter of perspective. If “bad things” always happen to you, change your attitude.

Happy new year!

Fun Fact #1: I really dislike the song ‘Iris’ by the Goo Goo Dolls.

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