Oh My Stress

Saturday was a little worrisome because I could not get ahold of my new place to confirm a move-in time. The host, Anthony, was in Europe on my move in day so it was impossible to get in contact with him. I was supposed to get help from his brother but I did not receive any contact information.  Carlos drove me over there but no one was home so we went back and waited for him to reach out.  Anthony hadn’t called by 5:00pm so I called the Airbnb help center and they tried to get a hold of him or his brother for me.  They couldn’t either so my stay with Carlos was extended for a night and my move in day changed to Sunday. 

  
It was a really stressful day but I splurged for dinner and I did end up getting a call from Anthony.  I was happy to hear from him and we set up my move in time for Sunday. For the rest of the night I just spent time with the dogs and watched TV. Carlos and Paulo were at a dinner event for most of the night so I didn’t see them too much but I did have a chance to say goodbye and talk to them one last time before bed.

On Sunday, I went to church in the morning. I had to go early again but it was good because I needed help to find the class. The church is so big they have classrooms in another building next door! I made it to the class and I really enjoyed it. I met some really nice people and soon I will hopefully become a more active member of the church.  I put a couple of the upcoming events in my phone but I was a little sad to find out that I missed the Zumba event.  

I wasn’t able to go to service after the class because I had to head back and get ready to move. I got home and ordered and Uber and headed out shortly after.  I was a little confused with how Uber works but it went fairly smoothly and I made it there.  My new place is nice but it is not totally set up yet.  My room and furniture isn’t here yet so I’m staying in Shawn’s room right now. It’s really nice here though and I’m looking forward to my next couple of months. I was a little disappointed though because I couldn’t really unpack.  The family is really great though and we watched football and ate lunch .   

They all headed out to do things after the game ended so I was home alone. I didn’t want to unpack since would be switching rooms soon so I ended up watching TV for a while. I did get to explore the area a little bit. It’s not as nice of a area but the grocery store is close. Other than that, my weekend went fairly well and I can’t wait to see what the next couple of months in Dallas have to offer. 

Busy Busy Busy

After three fairly busy days at work, it was finally Thursday.  Thursday was a big day because I had work all day which included a tailgate and then a STEMchat that was going into the evening.  When I arrived on Thursday, the day was pretty slow.  I did get a chance to talk to my mentor, Kimberly.  Kimberly is wonderful and I feel really comfortable around her.  She gave me some great tips for when I’m in the office and getting to know people.  Since I’m also new to the area, she gave me some advice on finding out what’s going on around town to.  I love Golin and this program has been really wonderful in the first two weeks.

Thursday was also pretty wonderful because I won a gift card for the mini-campaign I created during the virtual brainstorm.  I’m not sure if my idea will actually be used but I was honored to be in the top three.  Everyone in the whole staff got the email announcing that I was one of the three winners and my mentor replied all to the email congratulating me for helping out and making such an impact on my second week.  I know that this is what I was meant to do so it feels wonderful when I am able to help out and contribute.  After that, I went to the tailgate party for the staff.  I was a little awkward and only really talked to my mentor but next time I will be more social and get to know others.

Starbucks giftcard that I won for my campaign.

That evening I stayed late to watch the STEMchat.  STEMchat is a Twitter chat that focuses on topics in STEM.  TI sponsored four of the panelists so we needed to monitor the chat and make sure that our panelists were interactive and engaging.  I had a lot of fun getting to know the TI Ed Tech team and seeing the other side of a Twitter chat. I was also able to meet some our clients from Texas Instruments as well.  I had to leave a little early to catch the bus but it was still a wonderful experience.  A lot of work went into the event and I was happy to see that it went really well.

Since I got home around 9:30pm on Thursday, I ended up going straight to bed. Friday came so quickly but then the day took forever since I didn’t have much to do at work.  I wasn’t able to go home early even though I worked extra hours on Thursday.  I got ahead on some work so hopefully when things pick up later I won’t get too overwhelmed.  A lot of the interns went home really early but I ended up staying in the office until 4:15pm.

When I got home, I was a little sad because I realized that this wasn’t going to be my home tomorrow.  I wanted to relax and just enjoy the night but I couldn’t.  I was pretty busy because I had to pack up all my things and get ready to move to my new place. I was really sad because I love it here and I felt at home and comfortable.  I was also a lot nervous because Anthony, my new host, has not gotten back to me about when I could move in. He was also in Europe which made me even more worried.  After I was semi-packed, I just tried relax and watch TV to keep my mind off my move.

I am almost ready to move again!

I can’t believe that tomorrow I will officially have been in Dallas for two weeks!  Time is already moving so quickly and I can’t wait to see what the next couple of months have to offer.

First weekend in Dallas!

Work finished early on Friday so I headed home on an earlier bus.  I was happy because when I got home, I was able to FaceTime George, my boyfriend, for a little while before he went to bed. I’m pretty sure we could have talked longer but he was being a brat.  It was after midnight though so I gave him the benefit of the doubt.  Talking to him was exciting though because I was able to meet his friend Carlton.  I love meeting George’s friends and Carlton seems pretty nice.  After that short call, I hooked up my music to the stereo and blasted my music through the house while I cooked dinner.  I made some really yummy pasta and then a played with the dogs.  Carlos went on vacation trip with his friends and Paulo was at work.   Once Paulo came home, he made me a divine fancy dessert and then we watched a 3D movie, Big Hero 6, on the home TV.  It was a pretty lazy and awesome friday night!

  

On Saturday, I slept in!  It felt so nice to not get out of bed until after 10 am.  It was raining when I planned on leaving for downtown so my plans got a little delayed.  I ended up missing the faster route to downtown so I didn’t make it there until 4 pm but it was still really great.   My train dropped me off right at Thanksgiving Square. I  was too late to go in the chapel but I wasn’t too concerned because I have plenty of time to go back.  It was really hot but unfortunately there were no buses that would get me to my routes faster so I had to walk.  Luckily, I was headed to the Dallas Farmers Market so I was able to get some organic juice to cool me down on the walk.  After the market, I headed to one of the plazas, I ended up going a really sketchy way but since the area was still really open and bright so I wasn’t too concerned about being alone.

Thanksgiving Square

  
  
  
Pioneer Plaza was really cool with the monument but the more interesting part was the group of students who looked like they were dressed for a prom or a similar event.  They all looked gorgeous but I felt bad for the girls in long dresses because they must have been extremely hot.  After looking around the plaza for a while I wandered the streets and saw some really interesting sculptures, buildings and fountains before going to Reunion Tower.  I didn’t go up but I will next time I go back to downtown.  Reunion Tower is right next to Union Station so after that I headed back home on the train.  It was a long ride home but I made it.  I did have an interesting walk to the house.  I came from a different direction and some of the streets didn’t have sidewalks!  You read that right.  The streets didn’t have sidewalks!  I made it home just fine and had some pasta before relaxing for the night.  It was a really great day and I am looking forward to exploring the city more.

Plaza in front of City Hall

Pioneer Plaza

This is a courthouse believe it or not!

Reunion Tower

This street has no sidewalks.

Sunday came so quickly but I surprised even myself how awake I was that morning. I found a church, Prestoncrest Church of Christ, I wanted to attend so I left bright and early and make my way out. Since I had to take the bus I had to arrive a half hour early but it gave me a chance to be nosy and look around. The church is very beautiful and they even project the songs lyrics on the wall.  I felt a little uncomfortable because I did communion wrong but other than that it was really nice.  There wasn’t any organ or choir but the congregation knew all the songs and sang just as well as a choir.  Since the bus wasn’t coming for a while after the service ended, I sat in the church for a little while.  A really sweet lady talked to me for a while and gave me a ride home.  I signed up to get more information and hopefully I will meet some people my age. 
After church, I got home and was going to relax for a little but Paulo invited me to the Pride Parade just outside downtown.  It was a lot of fun and people were really dressed up, having fun and dancing.  I was really happy because I was able to get one of the wrist bands to remember the event.  Paulo and his friend Fabio stayed in the bar the whole time but I went out and watch the parade.  I was a little sad that there weren’t out there with me but it was still a ton of fun.  The end was a little boring because the bar was really warm and a lot of the guys weren’t wearing shirts but it was still a fun afternoon.

      
The only downside of going to the parade was that I didn’t make it out to my original plans of going to the Balloon Festival in Plano, TX.  I was a little sad but it gave me the chance to relax for the night.  I had an incredible first weekend in Dallas and I am looking forward to all the weekends to come.  Moving to Dallas was a little scary in the beginning but I am definitely enjoying it so far!

Life is full of Change

Since day one of moving to Dallas, I knew my life was going to change but I didn’t realize the little things that I would notice in my everyday life.  Although it hasn’t been that long, I have noticed five things that threw me off and got me thinking.

1. It’s hot!

I knew when I was leaving Wisconsin I was going to the South and it was naturally going to be warmer.  I didn’t quite prepare well enough but I was still shocked at just how hot it was. On Wednesday, I finally got my butt in gear and went for a run. I’m not crazy so I went at night when the sun was totally gone.  Fortunately, I live right next to the park so I was able to run around the park and even Wilma, the one year old dog, joined me. I left at around 8:15pm and the air was still thick. I ran almost two miles but it was pretty miserable. It was so hot that my face was red for the rest of the night. Even after drinking water, taking a shower and sitting for the rest of the night, I was pink. I have fairly dark skin so this was really a surprise to me since I didn’t even know my whole face could change to that color. I’ve gone running farther than that in warm temperatures and gotten flushed but never have I ever changed color. Needless to say, it’s hot.

2. Lawn care.

At home, I helped take care of our ridiculously large lawn. Naturally, I noticed people’s lawns as I walked to the bus every day.  I was impressed by amount of green grass as I assumed Texas was all dead grass and dirt. Granted, it is crab grass but grass none the less. What surprised me even more was that people intentionally don’t cut the grass so it gets greener. I mean all the grass is at the level where at home, my mom would be saying we needed to cut the grass and then rake the clippings away. The really crazy part though is that people hire professionals to cut their grass!  What!? I could mow that in 10 minutes. I spend hours at home mowing and people here pay someone to cut their lawn for a maximum of 20 minutes. I realize that is just how things are done in Dallas but I was shocked.

3. Transportation.

I take the bus everywhere. It is a little inconvenient but I am surprised it is even available because the bus is almost always empty. The bus is extremely clean though, which is nice. It takes me about 45 minutes to get anywhere just because there aren’t that many routes. I live and work in North Dallas so I am about 30 minutes away from downtown by car.  Since I am not in a high tourist area, less people on the bus because tourists wouldn’t really come up to the area.  While it was surprising there weren’t many people on the bus, I was really taken back on the amount of people on the streets.  In North Dallas, walking is about as popular as the plague. I hardly ever see anyone on the sidewalks when I walk to the bus, to the store or to the house.  Carlos said that it is just too hot and people don’t walk unless they have to. It is hot here but I just can’t believe that so many people have cars and never even consider walking. I’m used to driving because I had to in Wisconsin but this is the first big city I’ve been in that felt like a massive Green Bay, Wisconsin.

4.  Accents.

I have family that lives in Texas so I am no stranger to the Texas accent. I was surprised at how minimal the accent is in Dallas.  Everyone definitely sounds different but it is mostly just a few words and phrases that make it stand out.  My hosts don’t have the same accent as Texas natives because Carlos sounds exactly like me and Paulo has a Brazilian accent.   At work, almost everyone is from Dallas or at least Texas.  I noticed some people have stronger accents but in general it is just phrases that I don’t normally hear that I notice the most.

5.  I’m a professional.

I came to Dallas for my first professional internship after earning my degree.  I was so happy to finally start my career that I forgot I’m FINALLY starting my career.  At Golin, there are two and a half days of introductions and meetings but after that we are thrown into a world of clients, accounts, and public relations.  Thursday was my first day with no meetings and it was insane.  I worked non-stop and helped my clients.  I sat in on my first conference call and put together my first professional presentation.  Working hard was something I was prepared to do but I forgot how great it feels to be working with a purpose again.  I am making a difference, colleagues value my opinion, and I feel wonderful.  It is finally official, I’m a working young professional.

It has been a crazy first week in Dallas full of many changes and new steps.  It’s so beautiful here and I know that God has blessed me with an incredible opportunity.   Every day I wake up and I can’t believe that I’m in Texas.  Every day I wake up excited to go to my job.  That’s the greatest feeling in the world.

Gorgeous view on my walk to work.

Golin

On Monday, I started my first day as a Public Relations Intern for Golin.  I was really nervous so I set three alarms. I ended up getting up with ease and got ready in record time. I took the bus and everything worked out perfectly as I was able to get to the bus and get to work. Unfortunately, I had the wrong start time so I ended up being 45 minutes early instead of 15 minutes early. It wasn’t so bad but I was pretty embarrassed. Other than that my day was full of tours, meetings, paperwork and research.

  
The day moved pretty slow but there were plenty of snacks and I decorated my desk a little bit. I even got a pen and notepad. I feel like a part of the team. I found out a little more about my accounts and met a lot of really wonderful people.  One account seems like it will be a lot of research but hopefully I will have the opportunity to do more.  I am looking forward to starting my projects and learning as much as I can.  As I was finding out more about my Texas Instruments account, I took a quiz to figure out which color calculator best matches my personality.  It was really fun and I got the Denim color which is great because I love shade of blue.

Decoration I made for my desk.

On my second day at work, I came to work at the right time which meant I got to sleep in an extra hour! I still was a little early but it gave me time to eat breakfast.  The day was packed full of meetings and I learned so much about different accounts, the work others are doing and projects I will be working on.  During lunch, Kenitha and I went out with our mentors. We found out a little more about them, talked about why they love Golin and even covered a few hot topics of today. It was a jam packed day but I learned quite a bit and I ate some wonderful cookies. While doing some research, I found out that the interns usually write a blog so I am looking forward to asking about that and hopefully writing a few posts!

I am loving Golin so far and I can’t wait to start working on projects and getting into the swing of things.  This is the greatest opportunity that I was given and I am ready to Go All In and show the Golin team what I can do!

Touchdown in Dallas

After a morning and afternoon of flights, I arrived in Dallas.  I was lucky that one of my hosts,Carlos, was able to pick me up from the airport because I had no idea where I was supposed to go.  I found my bag with ease but getting out was so confusing.  After Carlos picked me up we stopped and got an early dinner/late lunch before heading to his house.  Carlos and his husband Paulo have such interesting lives and I am so happy to be staying with them.

I arrived at the house and everything was incredible.  I have a huge room and my own bathroom connected right to the room!  I got a quick tour and then spent the rest of the night semi-unpacking and getting ready for bed.  I didn’t do anything other than watch TV and eat dinner but it was a wonderful first day.  Paulo even gave me a sample of one of the desserts he is making for his work at the restaurant!  It was divine and I felt extremely fancy.

My gorgeous room

I woke up bright and early on Sunday and Carlos and I spent the afternoon getting to know the area and figuring out the bus.  Carlos works from home so he was able to take some time from his day to help me out.  I have been so blessed to have such wonderful hosts.  We missed the bus, so I ended up going later on my own. I was able to download the bus app and buy my ticket so it worked out fine.  I only took the bus to my work but I’m pretty sure I know where I need to go in. The building was locked so I’m not a hundred perfect sure though so I’m going to go early on Monday.

This is a screen capture of my bus pass.

After that, I went to the store to buy groceries and went home to relax. Dallas is still pretty hot so I ended up spending the rest of the day in the pool and also eating popsicles.  The pool was colder than I thought it would be but it still felt wonderful in the heat.  It was 91 degrees today so any water felt amazing regardless.  After dinner, I went to the grocery store with Carlos and Paulo and they drove me close to downtown Dallas so I could see the skyline and know the area better. I have been so blessed with great hosts. 

My Sunday was a success because I wanted to relax as much as possible before starting work.  I’m not sure how busy I’ll be in the coming months and if I’ll have a chance to again.  All in all, I had great first weekend in Dallas and I can’t wait to spend the rest of the year here.  I have I big day tomorrow at my first official job after graduation and I couldn’t be more happy!

Following my Passion

In May 2015, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations and a minor in International Studies.  Since then, I’ve spent countless hours applying to jobs and internships all over the United States.  I interviewed for multiple jobs and internships but on September 1, I was offered an internship at the PR firm Golin in their Dallas office!

December 2014 Commencement

After going crazy for a week trying to set up housing in Dallas, I was accepted to an apartment.  Once I officially had housing, I accepted the position and my official start date of September 14.  I am relocating to Dallas tomorrow and I am so excited to start my career as a Public Relations Professional.   The relocation was sudden so I didn’t have much time to see friends before I left but I was able to see a few in my last week.

Public relations is my passion and I am looking forward to putting that dream into motion.  I couldn’t be more happy with my choice too because Golin is an incredible firm and my mentor, Kimberly, already reached out and told me a little more about my position.  I will be working with web.com and Texas Instruments during my internship.  While I am not sure all the specifics, I looked at their websites and social media to prepare.

Everything has been working out so well and I know that this is God’s plan for me. I am looking forward to my flight tomorrow and starting my next adventure as a university graduate and young professional!