Bucket List: November & December 2012

November 2012

169. Fly on a plane alone

It took 22 years, but I finally crossed this one off my bucket list.  In the past, I've always flown with family or my little sister, but this was the first time that I actually flew by myself...and I had a connection.  I actually took two trips by myself during this month - one at the beginning of the month and one for Thanksgiving.  It was a total of six (6) individual flights.  I'm going to be flying alone a lot this year...so I better get used to it.

December 2012

128. Donate money to the charity of your choice

Technically, I've done this one already.  I've donated money to countless nonprofits through Relay for Life, Chi Omega, Race for the Cure, To Write Love on Her Arms, class projects, etc.  But this time, I made a direct donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation with no affiliation to an event.  I hope that in the future I can make a bigger impact, but I know from experience that every little bit counts.

Bucket List: October 2012

175. Celebrate a college homecoming week

At FGCU, homecoming didn't exist.  All four years I was there they said they were going to try and create some sort of homecoming tradition even without a football team.  Never happened.

Now that I'm a student at The University of Alabama, I have the opportunity to do many things I couldn't do at FGCU...including celebrating a homecoming week and going to a homecoming football game.  Since this is my only year at UA, I did as much as I could, even though that meant going to the homecoming parade and (unexpectedly) going to the homecoming football game.  It was a blast.  That's the best way I can describe it.

Hopefully I can return to UA years down the road as an alumni to once again celebrate homecoming week.  It was an experience I won't forget.

Long Distance Relationships: The Hardest Part

The question I get asked most is, "what's the hardest part about being in a long distance relationship?" The simplest answer I have is "everything," but I know that's not helpful or specific.  A few days ago, I got to see my boyfriend, Alex, for the first time in almost a month.  It was amazing, but then I had to come back to Alabama.  I know some people have it worse than me, but only getting to see Alex once a month has been hard on me.  Last week I was working on a present for him when I began thinking about the hardest parts about being in a long distance relationship.  And here's what I came up with.

1. Not being able to touch, hug, kiss, see, hold, talk to, or just be there with them.
2. The way people judge your relationship and how you choose to handle it. Every relationship, long distance or not, is different.  But somehow, when you're doing the long distance thing, people find more ways to judge.
3. Getting into fights over stupid little things like your significant other going out instead of calling you or when they don't respond to your texts.
4. The slight fear that one day your significant other might just stop loving you...all because you're not there.
5. The price of things: the cost of a plane ticket, the cost of gas, how much it costs to ship presents.  There's also the fear that you might send them something and it gets lost in the mail.
6. The loneliness you feel.  You could be sitting in your apartment watching TV or sitting in class listening to a lecture when it hits you.  You can't control it, but immediately you feel a sense of loneliness.  It's crippling at times but you can't even go to them for a hug to make it better because they're so far away.  The littlest things can set it off.  Like seeing a friend in a long distance relationship with her boyfriend or when "your song" comes on the radio.  Or looking at pictures from the last time you saw each other.
7. Knowing the only dates you get for most of the month are Skype dates. Skype is a wonderful invention, and I absolutely love it.  But nothing in the world will ever compare to a face-to-face date.
8. The jealousy that you know is absolutely ridiculous but you just can't help.  It hits you when you think about the fact that there are people who get to see your significant other every day and take their presence for granted.
9. The sexual frustration.  Maybe this is a bit TMI, but it's true.  There are times you just want to lay in bed and cuddle and make out and have a sexy romantic evening together.  But you can't.
10. The pain you feel when you feel like your significant other is having an easier time with the long distance relationship than you are.  Then the pain you feel when they are down in the dumps and you're okay.  It's a never-ending cycle.

Obviously there are more than 10 things that make long distance relationships hard, but these are the 10 that I think about most often.  And I think they're true for many other long distance couples as well.

If you think of something else that's hard about your long distance relationship, comment and let me know!

Fight Hunger this Thanksgiving with PTE

A year ago I was trying to do it all- taking a full and heavy course load, being Senate Secretary/ Superhero, having an internship, and trying to have more of a social life than I had ever had before. During the thanksgiving holiday season, everyone has food drives. Last year was no exception. With everything going on, it was hard to know who to help and where to turn.

A year ago I was interning for Pushing the Envelope (PTE), a mixed marketing communication firm in Fort Myers, FL. I served as their social media intern, which was the best learning experience I had during my undergraduate career. Around this time, Samantha came in with the idea for a food drive called "CAN IT! Putting Hunger in its Place this Thanksgiving." All of the food would be donated to Community Cooperative Ministries Incorporated (CCMI). The whole team got on board, including the two interns, and even though it turned into an internal competition, it was about so much more than that. In six weeks, the team donated more than 500 cans to CCMI. The internal winner? Alex Fernandez. The guy who is now my boyfriend.

This year, Pushing the Envelope is doing it again.  Welcome to CAN IT! 2012.

Even though I'm in Alabama working on my master's degree, I'm still determined to make a difference and donate to the CAN IT food drive. Not just because I want my boyfriend to have continued bragging rights, but because I know the difference it makes in the community. I know the difference one can or box of food can make. That's a meal. And one meal makes the difference between going hungry or having a full stomach when you go to bed. It really does matter.

I know there are a million different food drives going on this Thanksgiving, but if you're not donating to other food drives, donate to CAN IT! And if you really want to be awesome, donate on behalf of Alex and help him win again :) But in all seriousness, I urge you to help in any way you can. In Alabama, I'm going to be participating in a canned food drive called "Beat Auburn Beat Hunger," but when I make a trip down to Fort Myers, I'll be making a stop at Target so I can donate to CAN IT!

Pushing the Envelope works hard for their clients, but they also work hard to make a difference in their community. As an intern, I appreciated the hard work they put into CAN IT last year. I think it's awesome that they're doing it again this year...and that they have a bigger goal.

PTE's goal this year is to collect 1,000 cans for CCMI, and they have several drop-off locations around Southwest Florida. For drop off locations and more information, visit the CANI IT page on their website.

If you're like me and have a pantry full of food you'll probably never eat, donate those extra cans and non-perishables to PTE's CAN IT food drive. Also, take advantage of those BOGO deals at your local grocery store. With all of these opportunities, there's no reason for people to go hungry this Thanksgiving. Give others the opportunity to go to bed full and help those in need this holiday season.

If you want to get involved by donating or hosting a drop-off location, call 239-221-2858 or email info@getpushing.com

Bucket List: September 2012

166. Go to a college football game

It's always been a dream of mine to go to a college football game, but since I went to a college without football, I never had that experience.  When I was choosing a graduate school, I really wanted to go to a school with football...and I made that happen by choosing The University of Alabama.  Little did I know that college football is practically a religion at Alabama!  They don't joke about their football.  I went to my first college football game with Alex since he was visiting this weekend.  It was such an amazing experience!  The game was against Western Kentucky and obviously we won!  Two weeks later I went to the game vs FAU, but this time I was in the student section.  That was an amazing experience as well.  I can't wait for more games in the future!

ROLL TIDE ROLL!!

Bucket List: August 2012

142. Live in a different time zone

I don't know why I've always wanted to do this, but having lived in the Eastern time zone all my life, I thought it might be fun to live in a different region of the country.  Even though I'm not super far away, I did check this one off by moving to Alabama.  I've lived in the north, I've lived in Florida (it gets its own category), and now I'm living in the south.  I'm excited for this experience!

143. Move to a city where you don't know anyone

This is one of those that's so much easier said than done.  Throughout my college career, I heard so many people say they wanted to move somewhere to get a fresh start.  I said it too.  But when it came down to it, choosing to move to a city where you don't know anyone is intimidating.  Fact is, you're all alone.  Your friends aren't here.  You have to start from square one.  Moving to Tuscaloosa has been one of the scariest experiences of my life, but I've been learning so much about myself along the way.  I'm happy to have the opportunity to cross this one off, but next time I move somewhere new, hopefully I'll have a boyfriend/fiancé/husband coming along with me.  

150. Go to graduate school

After applying, waiting to hear back, and finally making a decision, I finally started grad school on August 22, 2012!!  It's going to be such a hectic year (I'm doing a 12 month program), but I know that this year will push me to be the best student and PR professional that I can be.  I can't wait to learn from incredible faculty members as well as my classmates.  

A Change of Heart

I've been in Alabama for a little over a week, and this past week has been one of the hardest weeks of my entire life.  I've cried more than I ever have, and I've felt lower and more alone than ever before.  I've had such a hard time adjusting to being on my own, and this transition is much harder than I thought it would be.  I thought this was what I wanted, but I found myself doubting my decision every day for the past week.

It wasn't until yesterday that my opinions changed.  Yesterday was my first day of grad school.  It was the first day of my program's orientation and we had an exam.  As I was standing outside the room waiting for orientation to start, I talked with a few other people in the program and for the first time in over a week, I felt excited.  For one, no one else really studied for the exam which took away all of my nerves.  Also, I wasn't the only person who just moved here and didn't know anyone.  For the first time in a week, I didn't feel alone.  I didn't feel like I was going through this alone.  I felt like I had just made 14 new friends and that everything was going to be okay.

For all of you interested in the one-year MA Advertising & PR program at Alabama, here's what you need to know for your diagnostic exam: (1) What is advertising? (2) What is public relations? (3) Why do organizations engage in advertising and public relations activities? (4) What are the similarities and differences between advertising and public relations?

Seriously, that's all you need to know.  Don't spend your summer slaving over the books trying to learn every single definition.  Know these four things and you'll be set.  (From what I've been told, these are the same questions they ask every year.)

Don't get me wrong, I'm still extremely nervous about the program and what these next 11 months hold.  But at the same time, I'm hopeful and I know I can do this.  The hardest part is being away from Alex, but knowing that he's supporting me in all of this makes it so much easier.  And in 15 days, we'll get to see each other again.  Those visits give me hope.  They keep me going.  He keeps me going even when I want to give up.

This year is going to be a whirlwind and it's going to test me on every single level, but I can do it.  In August 2013, I will have my master's degree.