30 Days of Photos - Day 6

Day Six - A photo of someone you'd love to trade places with for a day

I would love to trade places with Taylor Swift for the day...she seems down to earth, gets to travel the world, and, well, I feel like it'd just be fun to be her for a day!  

30 Days of Photos - Day 5

Day Five - A photo of your favorite memory

Okay, so I'm cheating and adding two.  This first one is from the summer I studied abroad in Paris, France.  The whole experience of living in another country and (attempting) to speak another language was amazing.  To top it all off, I ended up making one of the best friends of my life, Katrina, who I still talk to just about every day now!  I cannot wait to visit Paris again one day!

Although this is my family in the Olympic rings at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, the memory associated with it is my internship.  It had its ups and downs, but ultimately was one of the best experiences of my life.  I finally figured out what I want to do with my life because of it, and I discovered a talent I never knew I had (photography).  I also, again, made one of the best friends of my life, Margaux!  

30 Days of Photos - Day 4

Day Four - A photo of your night

Margaux (one of my best friends!), her sister Isabella and I took some of the Russian pentathletes on a tour of Manitou Springs, Colo., yesterday afternoon, where we tried on some John Lennon glasses. The night ended up being pretty epic!

30 Days of Photos - Day 3

Day Three - A picture of the cast of your favorite show

Fringe - such a great show!!

30 Days of Photos - Day 2

Day Two - A picture of yourself and someone you've been close with for awhile

Ever since the Backstreet Boys united us sophomore year at Ball State, Michele's been one of my best friends...and living in different states hasn't changed our friendship at all!  

30 Days of Photos - Day 1

I saw this on a friend's Facebook and thought it might be a good way to keep me motivated to update this blog.

Day One - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts

1. I love hiking and climbing mountains. I've summited two 14ers since I've been in Colorado (including Mt. Belford, where the above photo was taken).

2. I love to cook.  One of the things I am most excited about in my new apartment is the lovely kitchen!

3. Authentic Mexican food and margaritas are basically a guaranteed way to cheer me up if I'm having a bad day.

4. I love traveling!  I have a bucket list of places to go all around the world.

5. I cannot wait to get a dog, but I'm not a fan of large dogs...I'm hoping to keep the family puggle tradition alive.

6. Over the seven months I have been in Colorado, my respect for amateur athletes has grown so much...it isn't really possible to put the amount into words. 

7. I'm more than a little obsessed with Starbucks. 

8. If I'm drinking, it's probably wine (or the aforementioned margaritas).  Cheap wine is fine because I rarely notice the difference.

9. I'm alcohol intolerant, so I don't drink that often and when I do, I need to take allergy medicine about an hour before or else I get sick.

10. I form a strong opinion on most things and I love getting in friendly debates about them.  

11. I'm a tree-hugger, pro-choice, pro-immigration, pro-same sex marriage, strongly opposed to Don't Ask Don't Tell...basically, I'm a liberal and quite proud of it.  I'm educated about it, though, and I know there are flaws in every ideology.

12. I'm pretty much always cold.

13. I like to stay active...some of my hobbies include speedskating, hiking, cycling (in the gym for now since I'm bike-less) and going on walks.

14. I was inspired by the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games to apply for internships with the US Olympic Committee.  I got hired eventually by the digital media department.  Coming out to work for the USOC was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

15. I'm one independent study away from a masters degree in political science.  Although I have no intention of working in politics (I used to want to...I clearly changed my mind), I'll have the degree!

Transition

I'm changing this blog a bit.  I haven't updated in awhile, but now that I'm moving out to Colorado for good, it'll be a good way to keep in touch with family about what's going on in my life.

I have two days left at the USOC.  It's been a fantastic, life-changing experience.  I've made amazing friends and professional connections.  I've discovered a passion for two things I didn't really recognize before: amateur sports and digital media.  I finally know what I want to do with my life.

So, to get to that next part of my life, I'm starting a new job on Monday.  I'm going to be an assistant media planner/buyer at Vladimir Jones, an advertising agency in Colorado Springs.  The company sounds fantastic and they really seem to have their stuff together.  It'll be a great chance for me to learn about all kinds of marketing venues while actually working with real clients.

This weekend, I'm going to be moving into a new apartment at Boulder Crescent, right downtown.  I'll be able to walk to work!  It's exciting!

I'm looking forward to some new experiences and sticking around Colorado...after all, I've still got quite a few 14ers to conquer!