See you later, 23!

On Monday (December 16th), I turned 24.  That's right...24.

I can't believe it's been a year since I celebrated my 23rd birthday.  So much has happened this year that I don't think I'd be able to capture it all in a single blog post (good thing for all those other posts).  But, I'm going to try and list out some of my favorites:

1. Watching my sister get married and being her maid of honor.

2. Watching Alabama win the BCS National Championship.  

3. Snow day in Tuscaloosa!

4. Celebrating my one year anniversary with Alex by going on a cruise to the Bahamas.

5. Watching Dunk City come to life during the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

6. Being in the ultrasound room when my sister found out she was having a girl.

7. Going to my first craft brewery.  I've been a craft beer lover ever since!

8. Seeing Lee Brice, Chris Young and Brad Paisley in Tuscaloosa.

9. Graduating with my master's degree and being back with my boyfriend.

10. Marley Shai Johnson.  In September, my sister gave birth to her first child, Marley Shai (she also happens to be my first niece).  She has brought so much joy to my life in such a short period of time, and I miss being able to see her all the time.

11. Landing my first job.  It's been nearly a month since I started working with ITVantage, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity I was given.

12. Painting and re-organizing the condo and making it "ours."  It feels nice to come home from work every day and feel at home.

13. Experiencing seasons while living in Tuscaloosa.  You don't get that in Southwest Florida.


Twenty-three was a great year, but I can't wait to see what the next year of my life will hold.  If it's anything like the past, it will be filled with ups and downs...but I wouldn't want things any other way.

I'm a Master!

On August 3, 2013, I graduated from The University of Alabama with my master's degree in advertising and public relations.  I did it.  I'm a master!

A year ago I packed up my car and moved 700 miles away from everything I knew and everyone I loved to start a new chapter of my life.  I moved into an apartment in Tuscaloosa by myself, and I struggled for weeks on end trying to get used to being on my own.  I started my graduate program with one goal: work hard and get that degree.  But through the long days, sleepless nights, endless papers and near-impossible exams, I gained so much more.  I fell in love with the incredible town of Tuscaloosa, but mostly, I fell in love with my amazing classmates.  They are an incredibly talented and amazing group of individuals, and I would not have survived the program without them.  When I had no one else to talk to, I had them.  When no one else understood the pressure or the frustrations I was feeling, they understood.  When I just wanted to give up and say "screw it," they reminded me why I was there.  I wouldn't be who I am or where I am today without the support of my classmates and fellow masters.

For a year I complained how much I hated the program, the classes, the professors and everything else in between.  And despite how much I complained, I now know that getting my master's degree was the right decision.  When I was giving my final presentation to my client on July 31st, I knew that I had the knowledge, talent and abilities to conquer the PR world.  The campaign my partner and I developed wasn't perfect by any means, and looking back there are things I wish I had added and changed.  BUT, I never would've been able to do that a year ago.  The creative elements, designs, advertisements, social media ideas and overall campaign we put together is a direct result of the knowledge I gained during my time at The University of Alabama.

A year after moving into my apartment in Tuscaloosa, I'm back in Florida and living with my boyfriend.  It isn't easy being back, and I miss Tuscaloosa terribly, but there's truly no place like home.  I'm ready to take on the PR world, and I can't wait to see what the future holds.

Thank you Alabama for a truly incredible year.  ROLL TIDE!

Tuscaloosa vs. Westboro Baptist Church

Today I had the opportunity to witness a protest by one of the most hateful groups in the United States.  I’m talking about the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC).  You probably know them for picketing the funerals of fallen soldiers and for signs such as “God Hates Fags” and “Thank God for Dead Soldiers.” 

Here’s a little bit of background on the WBC.  The church is located in Topeka, Kansas and is considered a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (and by most people around the country).  Fred Phelps established the church in 1995 and members of the church primarily consist of the Phelps family.  According to their website, they “adhere to the teachings of the Bible, preach against all forms of sin, and insist that the sovereignty of God and the doctrines of grace be taught and expounded publicly to all men.”

But let’s be honest.  They preach hate.

The Westboro Baptist Church posted on their site a few weeks ago that they would be holding a protest at The University of Alabama on May 18^th from 12-12:30pm.  Their reason?  To remind UA of the wrath of God that visited us two years ago…referring to the EF4 tornado that devastated Tuscaloosa on April 27, 2011.  Their website claims that the storm was God’s punishment for the growing acceptance of gay marriage in the nation.

So what was the protest like?  Well, not what I expected.  I expected a lot of yelling and hateful speech, but it wasn’t like that at all.  On one side of the street you had 15 or so members of the Westboro Baptist Church holding their hateful signs and walking around in their little taped off area.  On the other side were counter-protesters and members of the Tuscaloosa community holding signs that promoted love and acceptance while chanting phrases such as “Love Not Hate.”  And up and down the streets, you had motorcyclists revving their engines drowning out any words that came out of the WBC members’ mouths.

Don’t get me wrong.  The protest was still incredibly hateful, and being in their presence was absolutely sickening.  The more I watched them and read their signs, the angrier I became.  When I realized there wasn’t one child, but three or four children, protesting with them, I became disgusted.  How could someone bring children out to protest and hold signs that say “Bloody Obama” and “God H8s Gay Marriage”?  

I couldn't believe the amount of hate I was witnessing, but I truly believe the love from the counter protesters overshadowed most, if not all, of the hate.

But the more I stood out there, the more I realized that these people are bat shit crazy.  They’ll protest anything and come up with some reason why it “makes sense.”  The WBC is one of the most hateful groups in America…hands down.

In the battle between Tuscaloosa vs. the Westboro Baptist Church, I think it's pretty safe to say that the winner is....Tuscaloosa.

(For more pictures from the event, feel free to check out my Photobucket album here.)