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uncivilengineering · 4 years ago

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What Kind of Two Years Has it Been

At the end of an experience, and therefore a blog, I usually write a reflection on the experience. The Master's programme ended six years ago and due to life and procrastination and other excuses, I'm finishing this blog only now. But this delay has its advantages, because I know how the story ends and I can tell you what happened to the characters. So maybe, for the first time, this is truly an epilogue.

The journey to this program started in 2012. I was living in Germany and working as a consultant. I always knew I wanted to work first before continuing with any kind of education, because toward the end of undergrad, I had classes with grad students and the ones who had work experience before going back to school seemed to bring more to the experience from applying what they learned from the real world. As I researched Master's programmes, I focused my search in Europe because I was still paying off the loans for my Bachelor's degree. I Googled another program when the MIND programme turned up in the results. After a process of applying, obtaining references, phone interviews and traveling to Munich from Stuttgart to take the GRE in Germany (really), even though this is Europe, the choice came down to Humboldt University in Berlin, with a scholarship from the DAAD, and the MIND programme, with a scholarship from the European Commission. (Lappeenranta University of Technology in Finland takes a close third because I had a really, really pleasant scholarship interview with a very pleasant young man and sometimes I think about how my life might be different if I went there and studied Innovation Management instead.)

I'm sure there was a long decision process and I'm sure I spent a lot of time thinking about it, like most decisions. This all took place eight years ago and I cannot remember the salient details. But I can imagine that I felt like it was time to leave Germany, even though I love (LOVE) Berlin, and the appeal of having an adventure in two countries (I didn't yet know that Asia was on the table) was great. So I gave notice at the consulting firm, said goodbye to my friends in Stuttgart, (wrapped up my last performances as a roller skating Greek muse in the local military base's production of Xanadu - that's real) and moved to Sweden.

In the two years that ensued, I met the best people, took wild risks, had the best time, made my dreams come true and had the adventure I sought. I lived.

I lived in Sweden for a year and was inspired by their example of how to treat guests in your country. I had a job interview in a sauna in the winter and learned what gender equality in society might actually look like. After an application process, I had the opportunity to spend a semester in Thailand. In Thailand I learned how to get from the university to town (Bangkok) and back again. I hosted a cultural show that lasted for eight (or more?) hours. I felt closer to my mom than I had ever understood before. C pointed out that after the midterm exams, I have sat for exams on three continents. I celebrated my birthday at a German brewery in Bangkok. I saw Angkor Wat after the semester ended. I went to all the Disneylands in the world (at the time...back then, there were only 11 parks). I didn't stay long in Austria, but I was there long enough to experience a Buschenschank and run into visa problems. I also saw Carousel and Cabaret in German, and puzzled as to why it was an hour longer than Cabaret in English, which I saw soon after on Broadway. In Glendale I lived in a conference room turned into an ad hoc intern bullpen for four and a half months writing my thesis. I saw things I had been nearby my entire life but never dreamed of seeing in reality.

Blogs are cheesy and navel-gazey but I am glad I did it. I am glad that this and the Germany Part I blogs exist. Sometimes I will look at an old post because someone asked for a travel recommendation (for example), and I will discover something that I forgot. I didn't remember that I was contacted by Swedish public radio to talk about the 2012 United States election. I forgot I had this conversation at NASA JPL about living in Germany. So what's the moral of this paragraph? If you can't blog, at least journal. You think you will remember the exciting things that happen in your day to day life but the truth is, you won't. I am proof!

What happened to everyone? Some stayed in Europe. Some went home. Some went home in Europe. Some got married. Some had babies. Some moved to Amsterdam. Many stayed in Sweden. When I left C, she wanted to stay in Italy. She has since worked her way up to an awesome job at a major company and had a baby! A has moved and is engaged to be married! I was happy to attend C's wedding in Ankara in 2015. I was happy to attend Z's wedding in Czechia last year, and to see my friends again at both.

What happened to me? I accepted an internship in Florida where I spent about five years (and made a bunch of new friends and had a bunch of good times) before moving back to the country where I left when this all started. To be honest, I never expected to be back. Not in this country. In 2017, I was fortunate to attend my class reunion in Leiden; it was also the celebration of the closing of the program. They invited all alumni back to watch the last class graudate. I met the newest generations of the program and saw a lot of old friends. It was just like old times. I came to the first afternoon of the organized program. I thought we would observe the new kids doing their work. No. We kicked off with a case exercise and divided into groups to discuss and then present our results. Our groups consisted of current students, alumni, professors and mentors. In Europe, we are all equal. It was just like old times.

The rest of the program consisted of lectures, discussions and watching the final presentations of the graduating class. Before I left for this trip, I joked that my master programme was ending because it lost funding (truth) from the European Commission because of Brexit (also true but I didn't realize it until I got there and they confirmed that Brexit was one of the factors that cut funding to the programme). There was a party the final evening. In the way that we do. I remember telling all my friends that it would be a very long time before I will see them again. I couldn't foresee an immediate excuse to get to Europe and hang out with them. The day I returned to work in Florida from the trip, I received an email about joining a project that is based in Germany. If I chose to accept this mission, I would have to move to Germany for a period of time. What.

I learned later that, basically, someone found out that I know German. (I promise that I have other skills.) When I was in high school, if you told me I was going to move to Germany, I would have said that you're crazy. I was just this nerd who went to Space Camp and really liked The West Wing and Saturday Night Live. If you told me I was going to move to Germany twice, I would have said, "Then why did I spend all this time learning Spanish?" (among other questions) I know that's true, because I did ask myself that in the first two months of intensive language school in 2010. But the truth is, Germany made things happen for me. When I talk to young people who (for some reason) ask for my advice, in addition to telling them to "follow your dreams," I also tell them the story of how moving to Germany (the first time) changed my life. (And then I tell them why so they know I'm not exaggerating.)

I couldn't refuse. I'm back in Germany. I'm working on getting better at German.

I should have seen this coming. The fall I moved to Sweden in 2012, I came back to Germany to celebrate Thanksgiving. During my Swedish spring, the squad from Germany came to visit Sweden and I put in my tea and hairspray requests (from dm, of course). After my thesis defense in 2014, my first destination was Nuremberg to see E, then on to Quakenbrück to wait with C who was finishing her defense. I attended S's wedding in Leipzig in 2015. I went to Oktoberfest in Munich in 2016. The point is, I cannot stay away from Germany. This is evident and not a surprise.

So far, I have been fortunate that this opportunity has allowed me to meet up with so many friends. A and M are in Amsterdam and have introduced me to Y and T, who are also in the MIND network. S is back in Oslo from Thailand. A is in London. S has moved from Stuttgart to Berlin. A and P and B and K and E are in New York. I still cite the meal in Haarlem (note that's Haarlem in the Netherlands, not Harlem, but I can see why you might be confused because I just mentioned New York) as the best I've ever had and J told me that the restaurant has received a Michelin star since 2014 when we were there so now it's overpriced and overrated. So funny! At Z's wedding in Czechia last year I was happy to reconnect with A, B and M. Everyone else, I'm coming for you! (And I mean that in the creepy way!)

What's going to happen next? Let's find out! Thank you for reading and joining the adventure.

Good night, have a pleasant tomorrow and see you in the future!

Lauren

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storyofmyownlife · 5 years ago

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End of The Decade

I started this about 9 years ago for a very simple reason-I was hooked on the tv show called Akward. Jenna, the main protagonist of the show, likes to write blogs about her life as a way to cope and express how she feels. Awe inspired, I decided to create my own anonymous blog with the hopes that cathartic venting and documenting the past can help me navigate the present. For the last couple if years, l had been given many opportunities to taste the bittersweet feelings of life. Truth to be told, I have never thought I would be here writing this blog to end the decade. The earlier entries can attest to this. Ten years a go my life was in shambles. I had a broken family, broken English, and the broken will to live.

My father, two siblings and I arrived in Canada on April of 2009 to finally live with my mom. With little regards of the past, I cherished the brand new start to live a life without prejudice. I felt very little emotion when I left the Philippines because I knew deep down I could finally escape the invalidation of others of how I suppose to love. Of course, then, I was naive to think that I wouldn't felt that way ever again- I was completely wrong. It did not take long before everything start to turn sour. Us siblings did not get a long. We did not group together and we did not know how to live with one another. My mom and dad started to fight a lot. Almost every night. My dad started drinking a lot for many reasons that I know now and understood, but not completely forgiven. He misses his old life back in his home country- the life of the party and his other family. My mom push him to work and help with bills. Just like my sister and my brother and I, My mom and dad did live apart for many years. The feeling of living with my whole family was foreign to me. A month after arrival, the incident happened. The police came and for many months the social worker came and visit us. The resentment between us siblings began to build up. For many months, my brother and I blamed my sister for telling the truth. Knowing what I knew now she did the right thing. Nevertheless, my brother and I alienated her.

I also had broken English. I did not make a lot of friends in Grade 8. I was that loner kid who would spend every day during lunch alone and would walk on the school ground by himself. My sister and my brother got their own friends. I wanted to make my own but couldnt. On the bright side, my brother became friends with the guy name Denver. He is one of the only few people in our lives who never left for the past decade. He is still with us.

I started high school. I made more friends who are Filipino. We all kind of form this group. Denver is also part of it. Within that inner group, we had more inner clique called cajibo. I'm not going to disclose who they are because I no longer associate myself with them and it does not matter. There were also four girls who called themselves kimfejeny and they became part of the inner group. Regardless of what happened in the end, they taught me a lot of things about life. For the first time, they made me feel what is like to find a family in a group of random strangers. I must admit they helped us work throughout with some of the traumas. We had crazy dreams together, we spent so many adventures together, and they taught me the life is not as simple as black and white. It all ended because I cared too much and told the truth when it was not my place to do so. Inspite of if all, there were some silver linings to it.

I worked hard to improve my english and move in advance english. My ESL teacher helped me a lot. I improved my academic performance in no time. I also began to developed new relationships. My brother and I became more close to Daniel, Alen, Kith, and Alden. I also began to listen to Taylor Swift's music. She did help me cope with unreciprocated love, broken hearts, and the unpredictability of life. I swear I had crush on couple of people at my high school. I'm just gonna name them here for memories sake- adam, alden, aiah, and andrew.

As time went by, I started thinking about my future. After taking few courses, I knew that I have a passion for literature and history. During my junior and senior years, I took classes in philosophy, history, and law. I was no good in math. Science was okay. I actually got the biology award college level and made it to the honor roll in grade 11 and 12.

In my senior year, this girl name Chelsea asked me out to go to the prom with her. I tagged a long with her friends. They were also friends kimfejeny and some members of cajibo. It was an okay time. I didnt really have an ecstatic time. Suffice to say, I got to go so it was a check for one of my bucket list. Since I'm on the subject, I also went to Red tour concert instead of going to my own school prom. Ed Sheeran performed with Taylor swift! They were both great. Another item checked off!

On my last year, I was also determined to move out. My mom was very supportive of it. We started to look for school. I got in to all of the ones that I applied to. I was torn between u of t and Mac. To be honest, I would not have considered or let alone knew about mcmaster if it wasn't for Andrew. I visited both schools. I thought that u of t provide more classes and opportunities for what I wanted to do. But, I wanted to have an experience like those in movies. Also, deep down I wanted to run away in hope that I could find myself and be. I decided to go to mac

My brother and I graduated. I said goodbye to my favorite high school teach who gave my brother and I a gift. But she did not need to because she has already given me so much and more. The summer was filled with excitement and anticipation. I held a get together before I leave for college. I said goodbye to my friends and left a note for my brother to read. There were crying involve because I felt that I did not deserve them at all. They were so good to me and I was not in return. That summer was bittersweet.

I started my university experience. I would not go in a lot of details because I pretty much documented my first year here well enough. Grace, Shane, nicole and devone made a difference in life, especially Grace. She saved me from myself.

In second year, it was interesting because it started off as bad. I was seeing this guy and wanted to be with him but couldnt. I also was very insecure about myself and my sexuality. Everyone went on dates, make out with someone at the party, etc. I risked my life a couple of times in pursuit of getting the same experience. With the help of my friend and after going to group support, I got through it all. I started joining clubs: board games society, humanities,etc.

Devon came back. Turns out he is bi. I've always liked and wanted him. I had wanted his approval but It was an impossible task. He was drunk and toxic. He liked one of my roommate to who kind of like him too, but did know it was right. She was also the only person who knew about my feelings towards him. Suffice to say my relationship with Devon was severed after the end of that year. Shane was also a drunk and feel like he would not approve of my sexuality so I cut my relationship with him slowly.

I also started dating someone name T. It was an okay relationship. He was a really good guy but I don't think we were meant for each other. I loved how he held me, but I knew I was not the one for him. I was not a good boyfriend to him. I think I tried to look for things in him that I want from my partner. Older, and hopefully wiser, know now that it was wrong. I ended it.

I had great times with my friends and old roommates. Spontaneous drives, adventures, and they gave me opportunities to experience things I never experienced before. Like going to demetris, hiking to trails and falls, random trips to McDonalds etc. Alicia also became my support on my last year at mac. I also became hers as well.

When graduated, I did not find a job immediately and was kind of down. I started to work out to motivate myself. I lost about 75 pound in a couple of months. With the help of family friends, I got hired at a law firm. I learned a lot of things from there. What it's like to practice law, experience to use office equipments, how to network, etc. The perks were great. But the coworkers and the work are not as great. Couple of coworkers come and go. 2 years and a half I still work with them. I also met Ashley, Selena, clarice, bryce, mike. Fun fact: Ashley's wedding was the first wedding that I attended that was not affiliated with my family.

A year ago, I woke up one day and decided to apply to post grad HR program. I was supposed to apply right after I graduated university but I knew I needed to take some time off. But, that day, I was determined to start a new. I got in to the program but was not able to start until last january. The program taught me so much about myself and others. I worked like I've never work in my life. In the end, I got 3.64 GPA. I've made friends and enemies.

My friends from high school that I mentioned before are still with me to this very day. We've gone through so many late night adventures together! I finished my internship last week and I now work as a full time employee at COC. I've traveled couple of times outside Canada for the past 2 years.My family and I recently went to punta Cana. I'm hoping to go to either Mexico or California next year!. I know in my last post I may have mentioned my struggle with the changing times. I know everyone in my life is starting to build their own life without me and that's okay. It is part of growing up. I'm also having short term memory lost lately but hopefully I get better. I'm hoping that my friendship with mike and Bryce would last longer. I wish my family the best in this new decade.

They say, life gets tougher as you grow older. My hope is I became tougher and more resilient still. I will ride the every changing tides of time while always looking up to the daylight.

I'll tell you the truth but never goodbye.

December 31st, 2019

Ps: pic 1 shows the books that I accumulated and read over the years. Pic 2 my favorite things the I received and owned this year.

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clavehell6-blog · 5 years ago

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Saying goodbye to the Nation

Just under four years ago, I started my first day working at Nation HQ as a part-time intern. The day was just five days away from when the Edmonton Oilers would select Connor McDavid first overall in the NHL entry draft, and our lives would change forever.

A month into my internship with Oilersnation I was tasked to write an essay introducing myself to the Nation, and about why I think I make a good intern. (We’ll get to that essay a little bit later.) But now, I am writing my goodbye to the Nation, as today will be my final day working at Nation HQ. After years of cheering, crying, and laughing over the Oilers from inside the walls of the Little Brick Cafe, I will be taking some time to explore a different career opportunity, while growing my skills and experience in the marketing industry.

Even though I will no longer be working in Nation HQ, this isn’t a goodbye forever. I will always be The Nation Chris and no one can stop me. You will still see me around this site giving my occasional hot take and booing The Nation Dan. You will even see me at the occasional Nation party and event, so there’s no need to be sad.

For those of you wondering, yes I eventually began working full-time with the Nation and graduated from my internship. I stopped having to pickup Baggedmilk’s daily coffees and clean Wanye’s car, even though my intern title ended up sticking around forever. In my time with Oilersnation, I had the opportunity to participate in a ton of fun activities and trips. In fact, Wanye tasked me with recapping some of my favourite memories with the Nation. So here goes nothing!

As I alluded to earlier, my first five days as an intern was something I was never expecting happen the way it did. It was an action-packed week as I jumped right into the thick of things while preparing for the Connor McDavid draft party, which to-date, was our biggest party in Nation history. The five days was a fast-track lesson to learn all about the Nation and the processes involved. Usually, it would take a person months or years to meet all of the fine Nation Citizens. However, I’m pretty sure I met 80% of you all at the Draft Party that week.

The week involved everything from taking photos of the vandalized “Connor [McDavid]Road” sign in Edmonton, dumping multiple beers on myself for the Kokanee promo team (I can’t find any video for this, thank god), building shelves, hanging blinds, walking dogs, kissing babies, giving arena updates, and much more. The week ended with the draft party which completed my initiation. Sometime late into the night, apparently I got cocky and agreed to write a 500-word essay about why I’m a great intern. After a lengthy delay, I finally got around to writing it. The essay was my first taste at receiving some online criticism, and I quickly knew that the Nation and myself were going to grow into a beautiful relationship.

One aspect of Oilersnation that we’re continuously aiming to grow is our travel ventures. Our goal is to bring as many Nation Citizens around the world with us to follow the Oilers, and we’re well on our way to doing it.

Initially, we started out with a few smaller trips. The Nation began hosting a couple of ski trips to the mountains. Then we stepped it up by bringing a handful of Oilers fans to Winnipeg for the Heritage Classic. Once we started to figure out what we were doing, things began to roll with a handful of trips to Calgary to watch some Battle of Alberta games. Then, the big one happened.

Something I never thought would happen unfolded right before my eyes. We loaded a plane with Oilersnation fans and flew them all out to Las Vegas to watch the team play earlier this year. This was an unforgettable experience, and I had the time of my life.

Even though I haven’t travelled a lot in my life, it is something I love to do. What Oilersnation is trying to do by bringing fans together across multiple countries is amazing, and I highly encourage you to tag along on an upcoming trip if you haven’t done so yet. Following the team you love to different cities is something I never really saw myself doing in my lifetime, however, it has quickly become one of my favourite hobbies.

As you may know, we do a lot of random things out of Nation HQ to try to produce some entertaining content for you all. These random things include printing out a cutout of myself and taking pictures with it around the city for prizes and wearing a turkey hat after every team loss. (better yet, eating a can of beets or wearing shorts non-stop). Something that I can’t forget to mention is also being a part of the Nation during the Oilers 2017 playoff run… what a ride!

This city's the best, last night was the greatest, and we want the cup! #MISSION17 #oilers #yeg pic.twitter.com/MKQa3KbQoG

— Chris (@TheNationChris) April 29, 2017

We always had something goofy going on and I’m really going to miss that aspect of the job. I look forward to the many future wacky things the team in Nation HQ cook up.

There you have it. There are a ton more memories and experiences I could go into detail about, however, you need to get back to work and can’t spend ALL day reading my article. I want to thank all of the readers of this site and all of the Oilersnation followers on social media for opening up a world for me that I’ve never been a part of before. The Internet can be cruel at times, but in reality, we are all one big family striving for one goal: to watch Connor McDavid hoist the Stanley Cup over his shoulders at Rogers Place. It’s going to happen one day, and we’re all going to be together for it, whether it be in-person or online. The Oilersnation online community is something like no other, and I’m glad to be a part of it now and in the future.

I also wanted to thank The Nation Network ownership, management, and my every-day coworkers who I worked alongside these past four years. This was an opportunity of a lifetime and I’ll never forget the values, skills, and experience I’ve gained during my time here.

Source: https://oilersnation.com/2019/05/24/saying-goodbye-to-the-nation/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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girlieinterns · 7 years ago

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Carter’s Interview: Business Manager.

- First off, you once said you came to New York with no intention of doing PR related work. Could you give us a little overview of your journey from graduation to Girlie?

I moved to New York about eight years ago and started out by interning at a casting agency for Broadway shows. It was a way for me to get involved with a creative industry, but once I saw how the theater world really worked - I decided that I wanted to try out the music world instead. I had a friend who knew the current business manager at Girlie and told me he could recommend me for an internship. During the interview I explained to his friend, “Look I don’t have any experience, but I can write pretty well.. and if you’re willing to take a chance, I can be scrappy and learn whatever you need!” I interned for eight months, and remember having a check-in with Felice and Vickie during that time about what I was interested in. I was really passionate about trying to get a job here, but I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I didn’t feel like publicity was the right fit for me personally, so I considered maybe doing something with live events or helping Vickie develop our artist management division. They advised me: “If you really wanna work in the music industry, first of all - you’re crazy, but if you still really do - there will always be decent paying jobs in booking and management.” I thought I wanted to do artist management so I tried it. But after their business manager (at the time) decided to go back to school - Vickie serendipitously called me the same day I had quit my restaurant job and asked if I wanted to interview for the Business Manager position, Needless to say, I was thrilled!

- What kind of administrative tasks do you do for the business?

A lot of operational organization + managing the company’s finances & branding. I process payroll, organize company and employee expenses.. & basically keep track of every dollar that comes in and goes out. In addition to finance: I sort insurance plans each year, run the intern program, oversee Girlie's social media pages, manage everyone's IT and office needs, plan all the birthday parties, and serve as "general council" to anyone who needs my ear or a boost of positivity throughout their week. The staff knows that if they have an issue with anything they can always come to me.. so I guess I've become kind of the resident therapist as well, haha.

-How is Girlie different from when you started?

Well the most obvious answer is our Staff. Every once in a while someone will get another opportunity or decide that PR isn't for them.. and since we're a relatively small company, it's never easy to say goodbye to folks! I’m a very empathetic person who loves genuinely getting to know people, so that’s probably one of the hardest parts of my job. Also, our services in general. When I first started, it was only PR. But now, Vickie has developed Artist Management & Digital Marketing alongside PR + we expanded to Cali w/ Savrin opening "Girlie West" out in Los Angeles. Vickie and I work pretty closely together, so watching her role shift has always played a huge part in the specifics of my work here. Also also.. the different types of projects! For example, Lady Parts Justice signed on with us last year and that’s been awesome to participate in since politics are unavoidable right now (& I believe everyone should be involved in activism of some kind!). Getting to work in music alongside these other kinds of projects has definitely breathed fresh air into the whole of what we do here.

-How has the PR industry changed since you’ve started?

The main difference for me has been noticing how the media shifts its posturing. Certain goals that we used to include in our campaign just aren't relative anymore with the growing. A big thing is watching all of these magazines go out of print and become exclusively online. It’s kind of sad but also as an environmentalist it’s also kind of good! A good press campaign is about strategy. It’s which outlets are they being publicized in and why do those outlets matter in terms of their music or whatever your campaign is? It’s not as simple as writing a press release and pitching a ton of outlets you think will be interested. It’s developing sincere relationships to the people we’re pitching to so we can build a relationship bigger than “let’s put this on a blog so someone will read it,” Who’s reading it? Are they going to be someone that goes and signs up for a newsletter or membership? Will they go out and buy an album? Having those specific targets is something that’s become more important.

-How do you determine what client is worth engaging with? How often and how many artists ask you to represent them?

First and foremost: do we like the music? Do we think we could achieve something that significantly benefits everyone involved? Depending on the time of year.. we’ll have a ton of people wanting to work with us or we’ll have fewer just because some seasons are more popular than others. For the most part, Felice goes through all of the email submissions herself to find projects that she either just likes, identifies with on some level or thinks are at a place where it makes sense to bring us on board. The staff is also welcome to bring clients to her as well, of course - which does happen fairly regularly since we have 5 PR teams currently.

-As a manager you often give guidance to your artists on what opportunities are best for them to take. What factors do you consider when deciding what opportunities are best for your clients?

It depends on what their aspirations are. At the end of the day, we want our clients to be happy.. We want to support the music itself as well as help folks meet their own personal & professional goals. The strategy comes from helping to define those goals, and then a plan to get us there. It’s an ongoing repour for an average of three months, and every two weeks we collectively reevaluate what’s working and what isn’t.

- What do you enjoy most about the work that you do?

I’ve met so many amazing artists and have been able to experience so many cool places in this city. I also love coming to work in an office where people are constantly complimenting our "vibes". It’s not a major label.. too modern.. or too stuffy. It’s home-y here.. with a lot of heart.. and I feel proud for having played a part in creating that for everyone who walks through the door.

- What advice do you give us interns about our future endeavors; finding jobs in this industry and in general, finding new opportunities, living, etc.

The best advice I could give yall is to try and stay positive, because it’s all about timing. It can often be disheartening to intern for a long time or at several places at once - you just get burnt out. But if you’re really passionate about working in music you really have to hang in there and build up a network for yourself to make it eventually work. Join email lists. Join networking groups. Go to as many shows as you possibly can. Talk to interns who have since gone on to awesome jobs ... & in the meantime, do your best not to burn bridges - don't party too hard - and BE NICE to the people that you meet. You never know where that next gig is going to come from!

p.s. THANK YOU INTERNS! We are so grateful for your work over the years, my door is certainly always open. xox C

#Girlie Action Media #Girlie Action #music pr #music industry #nyc

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aowanders-blog · 7 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://aowanders.com/homeless-to-travel-blogger/

Homeless to Travel Blogger

Travel Life

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My travel story started out as I drove my rental car with no license 2500 miles west with less then $3000 to my name. I was high on life & on the open road racing towards my future in LA. The Rockies were towering over me as I pulled into this unknown mountain town called Aspen. The vibe and pulse of this city radiating this magnetic energy should have stopped me dead in my travel tracks, and held me captive for decades to come. I often look back on that dinner stop knowing my likes/dislikes, hobbies, personality, and the friends that I’ve accumulated today and wonder what if? If only I’d been more honest with myself or less prideful maybe the series of pitfalls on the horizon would have been avoided. Maybe I’d be that veteran ski bum that had finally figured out how to avoid all the negatives of the lifestyle while sipping a cold one on my porch surrounded by mountainous beauty as I listen to the crackle of the fire & river flow by with my wife and kids. Its a mental image that creeps up on me from time to time along with the memory of the old couple telling me travel life gives the test first & the lessons second as I walked out the door.

Racing through the red rock landscape of Utah my thoughts wondered the mental obstacle course of my first big trip.

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I’ll never forget the silent thought I spoke to myself when the Vegas lights lit up the 104 degree night: “Well atleast I won’t freeze if I have to sleep outside.” An observation no one should ever register. My first night in LA amounted to listening to waves crash on some random beach while gazing at twinkling stars. There I slept I had made it. Some would have let their hair down. Party for a few days. Celebrate based on faith that all is well, but I was alone & living in a rental car that I couldn’t afford. It was time to get a job, house & then celebrate. Little did I know the city of Angels had no intention of rolling out the red carpet for me. Every probable thing I tried was met with complete failure. I Couldn’t get an apartment! Couldn’t find a job! Got denied by three colleges! Denied by the Navy for traffic tickets! Even got denied for unpaid internships & volunteer gigs. I was running out of money. Living in a rental car I stopped paying for weeks ago. Nothing was going right! That fatal night I had enough awareness to hold my breathe at a DWI checkpoint outside of El Cajon. It didn’t matter though the police officer told me the rental company wanted their car back. I was getting arrested for driving without a license, but it was my lucky day because the jail had no room for me. So they towed my house, gave me a citation with a court date & sent me on my way. I guess its better then being charged with an underage DWI & Grand Theft Auto, but maybe that would have been a better path. I had enough street smarts to talk my way out of getting robbed by 3 kids in Venice Beach later that night. The next morning I had enough athleticism to avoid being stabbed by two homeless men. My cardio was tested when a crackhead took off with my bag that held my prized possessions & pathetic bank roll. That bag never left my side again. I lived at the beach because the free showers also served as a free laundromat. I found a 29 cent donut shop that if I only ate one donut a day would give me 30-35 days to find a solution to this problem. Drugs, alcohol & gangs were readily accessible, but I had enough discipline to steer clear. My travel life was being carved out on the streets of LA.

After a couple more weeks of captaining this struggle bus I threw up the white flag, and was ready to hang my head, swallow my pride & head home tail tucked between my legs admitting defeat. Fate must have taken pity on me or just wanted to see how far I would sink before admitting that devastatingly soul crushing defeat. It didn’t matter that the job being offered to me paid less than $200 a week. Didn’t even register with me that being a courier costs gas money. Not to mention I still didn’t have a license, and every day at work threatened jail time for simply driving down the road without a valid piece of plastic in my pocket. Looking back on it I don’t even know if what I was delivering was legal. I had a way to make money $6-$12 per drop. It required no skills, no uniform, no certifications or anything else the modern world now requires. All I had to do was find destinations in my trusty map book. Yes I said map book because google hadn’t even been invented yet. AOL was in charge of the internet. Facebook was still a decade away from becoming a global icon, and the smartest feature a cell phone had at that point was Nextel’s two way radio push-to-talk. There was no texting, SIRI, craigslist. Heck I don’t even think Ebay, Amazon, Yahoo or Napster were even around yet?!? No one was nudging, poking, tweeting, snapchatting or even uploading while I was traveling from the temples of Thailand to the beaches of Brazil.

TRAVEL LIFE BY WAY OF SEASONAL EMPLOYERS

How did I get from homeless documents courier to world traveler? Seasonal Adventure Jobs I’ve been traveling the world by way of seasonal employers since 1998. After struggling for a couple more months in LA I came across a newspaper “Help Wanted” ad in Malibu that offered employee housing. A job? Free food? AND housing……YES PLEASE!!!!! I hadn’t even applied yet, but I couldn’t be more excited. Three things I desperately needed to enhance the quality of my life. I didn’t need any more motivation than that, and off I went to print a pathetic resume to apply at this unknown restaurant. I had no idea the door I was about to open or the world I was about to discover. After getting hired on the spot I quit my job & set my sites on a life of travel I never even knew existed. It was a life changing experience. The concept of an employer providing housing, good pay, food & amazing friends was foreign to me but overwhelmingly welcoming. That magical summer provided me with life long friends, new hobbies, great pay & an introduction to a life of travel. I was hooked, but didn’t know where to turn. This dream job was coming to an end, and wouldn’t reopen its doors for another 6 months. There was no way I was traveling back to the beaches & 29 cent donuts, but back then there were no blogs or job boards like MyAdventureJobs. So I tapped into the only travel network I could find Beach Bums & Hippies. They pointed me towards the woods and the waves. Their logic was sound and I found samples of success over the next few years. Bouncing between Florida, Minnesota & California I traveled. I even made a guest appearance in New Orleans during Mardi Gras one season. Nothing like that first season though. Travel had me chasing ghosts trying to duplicate what I found in Malibu all those years ago. While bouncing around the country from random employer to random destination I was being trained at a school I was unaware I was attending. There was no tuition. The professor was my peers, and the classroom was my daily interaction. My major was the pursuit of happiness. My minor was travel, & my focus was acceptance. I was getting my PHD in goodbyes & fresh starts while constantly searching for that elusive adventure my soul ached for.

MY FIRST INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL ADVENTURE

I found myself back in Minnesota desperately trying to acquire purpose, sense of accomplishment and adventure. The tiniest sample of success would have been monumental. Instead all I found was heartache & disappointment around every corner. The unexpected passing of my father sent me reeling for lifelines only to find my independence had pushed my ships of support beyond the marina they used to dock in. Months of hibernation ensued until out of desperation I bolted to Chicago unknowingly about to become a Junior in the University of Globetrotting. I moved in with a former co-worker, grabbed a job, joined a hockey league & even enrolled in college. Everything that LA wasn’t Chicago was. It was “big city” with “small town” mentality, and I LOVED it. I was getting a taste of the travel life I had been seeking, but life was about to throw its never ending curve balls. My roommate moved out of state, my job went out of business & design school was too expensive. Retreat to Minnesota was the only option. With everything packed in the Uhaul I just needed to get my stuff from campus. It was the most depressing train ride yet to date. I had failed again. Had to say goodbye to a girlfriend, friends & co-workers again. I had to go home with defeat stamped on my forehead again. Fate was about to take pity on me or laugh at me ….once again. Campus had a buzz it normally didn’t have. Faces that weren’t normally there, and languages with heavy accents filled the lobby. A mulatto guy introduced himself. We talked about the city, school and summer plans. Before I knew it he was offering me a job in France. He had a solution for all my excuses, and offering more money then I had ever been paid. Why would I say no?

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Etienne made all the travel arraignments over the next month to get me to France. It included 3 buses, 2 planes & a train. What I wasn’t telling anyone was that for the last 6 months I had been scouring the internet for adventure, and I was going to France to join the French Foreign Legion. Out of desperation I considered this the answer to my travel prayers, and in the most unlikely of ways the French Foreign Legion saved my life. Somewhere in there I must have slipped it to my brother because out of concern he flew to Europe to intercept me at a coffee shop in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris. We agreed to backpack around Europe for a few weeks to recalibrate my life, and deter me from joining the French Foreign Legion. We visited the Eiffel Tower, attended soccer games, ate pizza with raw eggs, escaped gypsies in the park & played pictionary every time we needed to speak to someone. Eventually we made our way up to London to visit a friend from Cypriot living in England that I had met through an online game. His family hosted us while we took in a few other matches, partied in New Brighton & played poker in West Kensington. The history, culture & diversity along with the freedom of which we roamed was very appealing. Unfortunately I was locked on to the allure of the French Foreign Legion. When it was time for him to return I was faced with a choice: Do I or don’t I? He had all the right words at all the right times. He’d done his research! With no direction I sat there reflecting, and watching life all around me. On queue like it was scripted out of a movie here comes Etienne to sit next to me on the grass below the Eiffel Tower. We chatted for hours about anything and everything. Like my brother he had all the right words at the right time. So off I went to work at the hostel.

HOSTEL LIFE

Unaware that something as trivial as babysitting a building for a couple hours a day was going to change my life forever I treated it like any other random job. Temporary & unsatisfying. It was only supposed to be for the summer, and my job was to be the night auditor from 11pm-7am. This wasn’t your normal hostel though. It only catered to English speaking travelers. Every room had its own shower, bathroom, TV & came at the price of 176 Francs a night. Not only that, but we locked the doors from midnight to 6am. So I really only worked 2 hours a shift, and slept the other 6. I was a power tourist in France with access to anywhere I wanted. Surrounded by travelers, no expenses & only 2 hour blocks of responsibilities there was really only one obvious choice: absorb as much of the lifestyle as I could. That first 8 months I clicked off every possible attraction there was within 7,000 miles. I became a master networker within this secret globetrotter community. I had places to stay and people to meet everywhere I traveled. Ideas piling up in my notebook.

Postit notes covered the walls of my room. My address book grew from couple pages to a couple books. It was a whirlwind of adventures, and I couldn’t get enough. I watched football matches in London, partied in Thailand, snorkeled in Australia, hiked in Norway, experimented in Amsterdam & fell in Love in Barcelona. Obviously I had my blinders on to keep reality at bay. I was having so much fun I never wanted to go home. Then I met Casey Paris was her last stop on a year around the world before heading back to Iowa. Standing on the Eiffel Tower on her final night she said, “It feels different. I didn’t want to be what I was before I left……Anonymous.” Unfortunately like my brother & Etienne she said the right words at the right time. One of my favorite books by the way. It was like someone had cast a spell on me, and those 15 words unlocked a raging waterfall of thoughts. I was anonymous. All the memories and wonderful moments during my stay in France were shared with temporary friends that for a brief moment in time our relationship was magical, but consequently an unavoidable tragedy of living a life of travel.

ALASKA TRAVEL ADVENTURES

Casey’s words sent me on international internet treasure hunt. The results were deflating. Fortunately while sitting in a cafe in Rouen, where Joan of Arc was hung, a zipline in Alaska called me to come work for them. Don’t even remember applying to them. I had never heard or even knew what a zipline was. Alaska wasn’t even on my radar to visit let alone live and they wanted me there in 3 days. My bags were packed. Flight was booked, and I needed a change. I didn’t have any idea what Alaska had to offer, but I was game. Did absolutely no research. Packed everything I didn’t need, and overlooked everything I did need. I didn’t own a tent. Didn’t pack a sleeping bag, and brought nothing but city clothes. I was a greenhorn about to step into my element and graduate from the University of Globetrotters.

The tone was set as soon as I boarded the plane. I was traveling out of my element only to find my element, and I wasn’t going to say “NO” to anything. Alaska introduced herself as magnificent & massive. I arrived early evening and got hoodwinked into paying the bill for my PT cruiser driving host Gigi at a local restaurant. Why thats a permanent memory I don’t know, but this left with me about $80 to my name until an unknown payday. Eventually she dropped me off at employee housing, gave me the $2 tour, some guidelines & left me with a group of strangers. Strangers that were going to provide the most magnificent & majestic five months of my life. I introduced myself to Ketchikan humble reserved & cautious.

On a pre-season outting at a campground on the North end of the island I terminated that reputation by Bill Goldberg spearing a drunk guy talking trash to my new roommate. I had reset the tone from “what do you have to offer” to “are you ready for me?”

We were all new to Alaska! New to tour guiding! New to this array of employee housing. The summer motto was “Bring It�� & we brought it. The personalities & mentalities of that summer were eclectic but euphoric. The memories, rallying support, unbounded loyalty & generosity has no barometer of measurement for my gratitude of those amazing individuals that made up the Alaska Canopy Adventures crew of 2008. Twenty four hours a day we were attached to one another, and every day brought a new adventure.

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Whether that was fishing for King Salmon, sea kayaking, hiking, bear watching, whale watching, eagle watching, night zipping, unicycling, juggling,song writing, box fires, boot fires, tarp burritos, sea plane excursions, go karting, night clubbing, jail, hospitals, yuker, family dinners, celebrating birthdays, hole in the wall, singing on the roof, edward forty hands, binge drinking, peeing on sleeping coworkers, fighting or searching for submarine bases that summer provided more memories than most lives will ever produce. The irony of this is that I quit 10 days after arriving. I couldn’t me more grateful for forgetting that sporadic decision.

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Had it not been for my desperate search for an adrenaline rushing adventure Alaska wouldn’t have such a special place in my heart. Wouldn’t have had such an impact on my life. The friends & support I’ve received over the years from those amazing individuals would have never been apart of my world. Its really a unique moment when a stranger becomes a life long friend that you’ve only known for a couple of hours, but that’s standard operating procedure for seasonal life. You start out strangers and become life long friends in the span of a few months. No matter the miles, time or scenario your there for one another. Alaska showed me the life I had been searching for for over a decade, and allowed me to finally graduate from the University of Globetrotters with full honors. Since 2008 I have lived in 35 states 7 countries and have never been able to duplicate that summer. I’ve searched far & wide in some of the most iconic vacation towns in the world. I’ve kayaked the entire Mississippi River. Hiked both the Applachain & Pacific Crest Trails. Backpacked down to Brazil in time for World Cup. Worked the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Arrived in Thailand in the middle of their civil war. Attended two presidential swearing in ceremonies. I’ve ski’d more days in one season than most will in a decade. I have worked, lived or visited just about every mountain town there is in the United States. North Carolina introduced me to kite surfing, and Hawaii keeps calling my name but I keep missing the call. 2008 was a magical summer that changed my life, vantage point, mentality & overall approach to the world. Someday when I least expect something special will knock 2008 ACA off the podium, but I am eternally grateful for that one extraordinary summer.

My intention for writing this isn’t to brag, gloat or belittle you. Its to show you that there is life out there that is entirely made up of genuine souls searching & seeking. Looking forward to the day they meet you. Impatiently waiting to plan an adventure of a lifetime with you. They’re not materialistic. They don’t care about your background. Bank accounts don’t matter, and status is irrelevant. You’ll be welcomed with open arms, and it doesn’t require anything more then desire and curiosity. AOWANDERS is here to help you plan your adventures, fund your travels, share my tales & ultimately help you live your dreams.