Leap Day

It's Leap Day (in case you weren't aware), and days like Leap Day deserve a very special blog post celebration. I mean, if you're super lucky, you'll get to live out about 25 Leap Days in your lifetime. That's insane, right? I'm currently on Leap Day #6, and I've decided that if I only get 25 of these babies total (and probably not even that many), I should make them incredibly memorable. I'm not sure what that entails quite yet -- but I'm a huge fan of celebrating something for the simple sake that it occurs only once a year, let alone once every four years. So get a Cookout milkshake. Do a cartwheel. Create a custom postcard out of newspaper clippings to send to your dad if your university beat his university in basketball last night. I'm thinking I'll do all three, because it is Leap Day, after all :)

Do you remember what you did last Leap Day? (2008) I'm guessing that until you read this post, you were completely unaware of the wonderfulness of February 29th, so perhaps you neglected to celebrate appropriately. I assure you that Leap Day 2008 was one of the grandest day of my life:

Oh, look -- I did a cartwheel last Leap Day, too! I didn't realize that when I wrote it earlier. However, I can also assure you that no milkshake/cartwheel/postcard combination today is going to top these photos.

Exactly four years ago, I was in Costa Rica with my high school senior class. We had spent the entire week working with/for Nicaraguan refugees: digging drainage trenches (busting all the water pipelines in the process), playing with adorable children (who referred to me as "Gordita," thanks to my wonderful male friends), running a free medical clinic, hosting a huge banquet (with a mariachi band), being trapped inside a church for hours because there was a gang stabbing outside, and learning more Spanish in the course of six days than we had in four years. (I'm getting rather reminiscent and am inclined to pull out all of my pictures, but that shall wait. You're welcome).

However, on our last full day in Costa Rica, we traded in our construction gloves for bathing suits (one-piece, obviously), drove to Puntarenas, and rode a catamaran across the Gulf of Nicoya to Tortuga Island :)

I could tell you a lot of things about that day. I could tell you about the shaded hammocks in between the palm trees, or the ridiculously clear blue water, or the sunset over the ocean as we rode off on the catamaran. I could tell you that it snowed back in my hometown of Winston that day :) But really, I'm just going to tell you that it was Leap Day.

And I remember that it was Leap Day not only because I am incredibly good at remembering dates, but because I vividly recall laying on the island next to my best friend, Kacey, watching all of the guys in our class play some form of monkey-in-the-middle/don't-hit-Mrs.-Mills-in-the-head, and thinking about Leap Day.

In that moment, it was weird to think how much had changed since the last Leap Day. I didn't know Kacey (or any of my high school friends, actually) the Leap Day before that. I hadn't gone to Calvary, yet. I hadn't joined the Worth the Wait drama team or the In Motion Dance Team or played one dreadful season on the Varsity Women's Soccer team. I hadn't ever worked at Camp Bethel or driven a car or taken the SAT or kissed a boy or gone to National Youth Conference in Colorado. A lot happens between Leap Days, let me tell you.

And I sat on that beach knowing that I would graduate from high school in a couple of months and jump into a world of uncertainty, and I wondered just how much would happen in my life before Leap Day rolled around again.

Trust me, lots has happened :) Since that last Leap Day on Tortuga Island, I graduated from high school, started dating some ginger kid, and moved off to college. I pulled all-nighters and ate ramen for the first time. I raced on the Duke Women's Rowing team and learned to make a killer cappuccino. I went to basketball games at Cameron Indoor. I did my first graphic design project on Illustrator and Photoshop, and since then, I have created an entire portfolio. I wore shorts to class and nobody died. I highlighted my hair (major lolz). I volunteered in five different Durham public schools. I have gone to new cities & tried new things... and made so many new friends. It's actually crazy to think that so many of the people who are near and dear to my heart have come into my life since the last Leap Day -- I can't imagine my life without them now! After all of that (and lots more, for sure), here I am... getting ready to graduate again.

By "here I am," I didn't actually mean HERE. Unfortunately, I'm still in Durham -- no tropical islands in my near future.

Goodness gracious, I couldn't even begin to guess what my life will look like on the next Leap Day! Four years from now? 2016? It was a little easier to make Leap Day predictions in Costa Rica; I at least knew I'd be a senior in college by the time 2012 came around. This time... I've got nothing. Whatever happens, I'm sure I'll look back and be amazed at how much has happened in my life. I'm also sure that I'll prefer sunny and 90 degrees to chilly thunderstorms -- I'm strongly considering spending the rest of my Leap Days on islands from now on :)

Deployment Through The Lens of Zach

I debated including another deployment-related blog entry, especially after the pièce de résistance of the homecoming post. Two months have passed since Zach returned from Afghanistan, and it feels good to be done with that chapter in our lives! However, Zach finally shared his photos from the deployment (he accidentally left his camera at Camp Lejeune when he went home for post-deployment leave), and he was more than willing to let me post some of the pictures on the blog. So many of you kept up with the entire deployment journey; it only seems fitting that you get to see what everything was like through Zach's eyes :)

It's totally acceptable for you to be humming the opening song to The Lion King right now... :)

My favorite part of this picture is the Pashto symbol directly underneath the "Op" in "Operations." Epic smiley face :)

1st Battalion, 9th Marines

KITTY! This pretty little stray made its home in the armory & slept on the desk :)

"I basically made that entire roof." - Zach

Casually standing by the open hatch on the helicopter while thousands of feet in the air... no big deal.

[Story time: One of Zach's more frightening experiences of the deployment happened in mid-air while on one of these helicopters. They were flying over Afghanistan when they heard loud gunfire directly outside. It was undoubtedly a terrifying moment until they realized that they weren't being shot at... they just flew through an extremely large flock of birds that got chopped up in the engine. Knowing now that the entire 1/9 battalion came home without a single casualty, it's almost slightly funny. It's also really sad that all the birds were killed, but Zach assures me they were Taliban birds.]

The following two pictures were taken by other guys in Zach's unit:

My boyfriend being a super tough hardcore Marine...

...and my boyfriend being super emo/possibly sleeping? :)

All the pictures up to this point have been "Afghanistan-deployment" pictures. The rest of the pictures? They're "I-have-an-incredibly-artsy-girlfriend-and-her-photography-composition-style-has-rubbed-off-on-me" pictures. It's true: Zach is often with me when I'm taking pictures & after years together, our eye for photography is basically the same.

This one is by far my favorite; I absolutely LOVE it:

2-inch thick bullet-proof glass

I took a picture really similar to this the day that Zach deployed... except it was much less dusty!

We all know that I would totally be "that kid" who posed my rifle for artsy shots... soulmates :)

Afghan sunset

(Both this picture & the first picture are completely unedited, by the way. Legit straight from the camera to your screen. Insane.)

I figured you didn't want an entire post of "Marine + desert + heart" pictures, although there were certainly enough of them to fill the page :) I snuck one in, though, just in case you weren't already convinced of how awesome Zach is.

Okay, I snuck two in. He's precious -- you can't deny it :)

If I Were Not On Summer Staff

True story: I enjoyed creating my sketchbook post from last month so much that I decided to do it more often. As much as I love drawing & designing with two fingers and a trackpad, nothing beats the good ol' paper and pen :)

The theme of today's page in my sketchbook?

"If I were not on summer staff, I'd tell you what I'd be..."

It's the opening line to a little sing-songy/skit we do at the summer camp where I've worked, always followed by: "a [insert job title here] I would be." If you don't know what I'm talking about, you should probably add "camp counselor" to your own list.

While graphic designer is still number one on the agenda, there's a whole list of jobs that I think would be pretty cool to have. Not for a long-term career, or anything. More along the lines of "If I suddenly became a billionaire (ha!) and did not have to work for the rest of my life, I would probably alternate between these part time jobs just for fun." Keep reading; I think you'll see what I'm talking about.

1. Whole Foods employee

(complete with hipster glasses, obviously)

I had this genius idea (and you can't deny that it's genius) the last time I was in Whole Foods. I mean, seriously -- how much fun would it be to work here? I love Whole Foods, I love the people who shop at Whole Foods, and did I mention the 20% employee discount? Yes, please :) After working in a coffeehouse for four years, I've realized that I also like being educated -- I like understanding everything that goes into making an espresso-based drink, and I like being able to distinguish between a latte and a cappuccino. Likewise, I think I'd learn a lot at Whole Foods that I could apply to my own grocery-purchasing life. It definitely tops my "awesome odd jobs" list.

2. Post office employee

If you've kept up with this blog for any amount of time, you're well aware of my absurd love for snail mail. When I was in high school, this was my dream part-time college job... for real. I wouldn't want to be the person who actually delivers the mail -- the thought of having to stop my vehicle on the side of my road every fifteen seconds while cars speed past me is semi-terrifying. But to actually work in the post office, handling the mail, knowing that I played a significant role in a letter's journey from one destination to another? Imagining the stories behind the letters? That would be SO cool. The more I think about it, the more obsessed I become... so it's definitely going on the bucket list, even if it's just shadowing someone for a day.

3. Gymnastics coach

I had never really thought about this one until this week: there was an ad in our student newspaper for a part-time gymnastics instructor opening with Bull City Gymnastics in Durham. It said a gymnastics background wasn't necessary, but I've got ten years of experience and a couple of state championships in that department :) I found myself in the process of replying to the opening before I remembered that I currently have three part-time jobs, as well as a full-time student status, so I decided that it probably wasn't the best idea. But still. Now I want to be back in the gym and work with kids and have an excuse to live it up on the Tumbl Trak.

4. Secretary

I would also secretly like to be a secretary. After visiting my dad at work as a child (he's not a secretary, by the way), I gathered that the symbols of having a really cool job were: 1) a sweet desk, 2) a swivel chair, and 3) a dry erase board with lots of markers. I imagine that I could have all three of these things as a secretary, plus I would get to type a lot, which I love to do. I would write a lot, which I like to do, and I would proofread other's writings. And I could be really organized... and create awesome letterhead... and maybe even design company newsletters or something. I realize that all sounds rather boring to most people, but to me, it seems rather low-stress and right up my alley. Perhaps I will become a secretary when I retire someday. I think I would make an awfully cute old lady secretary :)

5. A.C. Moore employee

I almost worked here in high school. As in: I went to the store, got an application, filled it out... and then realized that I would spend double my paycheck in the store if I was there all the time.

Yep, it's a problem! I would undoubtedly have the same issue if I worked there today, so I guess it's best to stay as far away as possible unless absolutely necessary ;)

If I hadn't already worked in a coffeehouse for four years, I would definitely add that to my list as well. It's been a really neat opportunity that I wouldn't trade for anything! I'm also incredibly grateful for five summers of working at camp; some of my best memories come from my time on staff and I can't imagine my life without those experiences :)

So tell me: what jobs do YOU think would be really fun/interesting to have?

A Rivers Runs Through It

[Today's blog post title is inspired by one of my favorite article headlines I've seen thus far... shout out to my Camp Bethel loves who understand the dual-meaning!)

Ahem, we interrupt this post already in progress to bring you a little slice of amazingness from my side of the world:

If you haven't already watched the clip 9104 times, go ahead. I'll wait.
Let's be honest... you knew this was coming.
But what you don't know is how loud the screams were that pierced the dorm hallways after the final shot, confirming the fact that the events I had just witnessed on television were actually happening. You don't know that I was still screaming ten minutes later when my dad called to make sure that I was enjoying it all (don't need to tell me twice!). You don't know how I proceeded to throw on sweatpants, jump in my car, and drive to West - blaring my horn in victory until I remembered that I do live in downtown Durham and that might not be the best idea. And you most definitely don't know that in that moment, a billion other car horns joined me in the celebration :)

Casey & me

While I am definitely ready to graduate and move on to life after Duke, I'm glad that I still have these few months to savor moments just like tonight -- nights where I stand outside for hours with thousands of my classmates until my fingers turn purple, busting out in spontaneous Cameron Crazie chants at any given moment. Nights where I receive over a hundred overly-enthusiastic high fives from complete strangers and somehow end up losing my voice in the madness. Nights where people I've never met offer to take pictures for me, simply because they recognize that nights like tonight are full of memories that need to be documented and preserved forever. Nights like these are bittersweet, because all of a sudden... we're seniors, and we're no longer guaranteed another chance at nights like these.

my dear friend, Kishan

We came out in full force after the game - across West Campus and Krzyzewskiville to the back of Cameron Indoor - waiting for the bus carrying the basketball team and Coach K to return from Chapel Hill.

We lined the streets...


Aw, who am I kidding? We swarmed into the streets so the bus had to park at the entrance.


And we screamed and chanted and screamed and chanted some more until the last player got off the bus, [miraculously] made their way through the sea of Duke blue, and disappeared into Cameron.


As far as the hundred or so who chose to stick around beyond that, we eventually got fist bumps and a dozen low-quality cell phone pictures of Austin Rivers himself :)


We also got to witness the Plumlee brothers hopping into their minivan, rolling down the windows, and high-fiving fans as they made their way out onto Towerview. Trust me, the minivan just gained 300 cool points.


As the crowds surrounding K•ville began to die down and I began my insanely long & freezing walk back to the Bryan Center, I couldn't help but stop for a moment just to soak in how cool it is to be a Blue Devil. We've won the ACC Conference Tournament all three years that I've been here. We've won at least 30 games/season all three years as well (the only three consecutive years of having 30+ wins in all of Coach K's career). I was here when Coach K got his 903rd win, making him the winningest coach of all time. I've witnessed two home victory bonfires and a National Championship bonfire. I mean... we won a National Championship during my time at Duke! I've seen Greg Paulus, Gerald Henderson, Jon Scheyer, Brian Zoubek, Lance Thomas, Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith, the Plumlees, and Andre Dawkins all play in Cameron. And sometimes... it's like we Duke students don't realize the greatness we're a part of every day.
But tonight? Tonight we most definitely realized it. Because years and years from now, people are going to be talking about this game. People are still going to be replaying that shot. And people are going to wonder what it it was like to be a student at Duke during the midst of it all. The crazy thing is... I'll know. I'll know exactly what it feels like. And while that feeling can't be conveyed via a simple blog post, rest assured that it's wonderful enough to almost make one never want to graduate :)

"It's always a great day to be a Blue Devil. But today is extra special"

- Coach K

PS: Thanks so much for all of your comments on my last post! I really appreciated all of the encouragement, as well as the tips to continue on with the job search. Y'all are the greatest!

You Live and You Learn

This post may be more aptly titled, "Thoughts, Questions, Discoveries, and Life Ponderings Whilst Conducting My First Ever Big Girl Job Search." That seems a little long, but I'm not ruling it out completely just because... I mean, how often does one have the opportunity to say "whilst"?

1. Stating a desired salary is the most awkward thing, ever. Let's be honest, I've spent the past four years working as a part-time coffeehouse barista and summer camp counselor just to put gas in my car -- anything over $5,000 a year is an insane amount of money to me at this point. Beggars can't be choosers, people. I simply desire to have a salary. Please don't make me continue to fill in the desired salary box.
2. Finding a grammatical error/typo on a company's job listing should automatically guarantee me the position, right?
3. When I click "full-time" under the search criteria, I do not mean "full-time for the next three months, and then you'll have to find another job." Bummer.
4. There are graphic designers who work with print and layout design, and there are graphic designers who work with web design. We need distinct, completely unrelated names that do not overlap in the slightest, because it's slightly discouraging to find ten "graphic design" positions and then realize that the majority of them require flash/animation/computer coding skills that I do not possess.
5. Victoria's Secret is currently hiring a graphic designer, if anyone is interested...
6. Pretty sure my favorite requirement to even apply to a job (thus far) is 300+ friends on Facebook and over 200 followers on Twitter. It baffles me to think that simply could not have existed five years ago... or to think that somebody could be denied a job for not having enough Twitter followers.
7. For whatever strange reason, I've always loved filling out surveys, so oddly enough, the whole job application thing is growing on me. If I try really hard, I can almost pretend that I'm spending hours filling out a bunch of surveys... all about me...
8. I understand that for most jobs, the overall importance of the resumé is the content, not the layout & design. But let's be honest: my resumé is all about the looks. It's kind of the whole point. However, it's slightly frustrating when companies won't accept a PDF file... Word documents only. How am I supposed to express my creativity in a Word document? Certainly not like this:
Yeah, that's what I thought.
9. While everyone older than me has already come to this conclusion, I felt the need to reiterate its truth: I don't already have 30 years of experience in the design field, so I'm horribly under-qualified for every position I've applied to thus far. Who knew that "entry-level" actually meant "a minimum of 3-5 years experience"?
10. Everything would be grand if somebody would pay me a desirable salary (whatever that's supposed to be...) to live in North Carolina and design cards and invitations of all sorts: save the dates, wedding, birth announcements, birthdays, parties, holidays, etc. [I'm looking at you, Tiny Prints. Why are you in California, and why are you currently not hiring? I could make every single one of those designs and we both know it.] If you know of anyone who could make this happen, send them my way. I'm getting really good at filling out applications...
Let's go, #jobsearch2012 :)