Technology stealing our story

I watched a TED talk recently that spoke about technology and how it is changing the way we as individuals and as a society communicate. It made extremely valid points: technology is making silence uncomfortable, we'd rather look at our phone than look someone in the eye, we run from conversations and turn instead to texting and messaging. In summary, technology, and social media for that matter, has made conversing with people awkward, strained and all but impossible.

The talk was given in 2011.

The future that the speaker painted is our reality now. I'm currently headed to California for a conference. I squished between two people and yet, I am on my computer and have my headphones in to listen to--and half pay attention to--the movie playing on the flight. I'm guilty of it too. The constant battle.

Since I graduated college and have begun working, I've realized how technologically lazy I have become. In one regard, I have given up texting. I commute an hour to work, so I have begun calling friends and cousins on my ride. By the time I get home, I don't want to touch my phone. I just want to make dinner, watch the news and go to bed by 9pm. On the other hand, I constantly use technology, searching the web on my phone, looking up a number, on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram. I am fascinated by technology and plan on working in the communications field, with technology communications specifically, for a long time.

I pride myself on being able to talk to anyone, so the idea of falling victim to this trend of technology scares me. I'm fighting it. It is easier to get lost in the apps on my phone than strike up a conversation with a stranger, but what kind of boring society is that? It's a society that I am not willing to be a part of. We must do the uncomfortable to be gracious. We must look up from our devices to see the beauty in others' eyes. We must start talking to be able to share our story and learn new ones.

2014 was my year

2014 was always the year that I looked forward to. It was the year I would graduate college--whether it took me four years or four and a half years it would still be 2014. It would be the year that my "real life" finally started: my own fancy apartment, a fab job, maybe a dog (doubtful, but part of the dream). It was going to be a great year. As I write this on December 31, 2014 and reflect on the year only a few of the things in my 2014 dream happened, but it was the year of me and I wouldn't have changed one part of it.

I did graduate college, I graduated cum laude from my dream school in four years. I traveled to Italy, a dream that I had had for years. To make it even better, I traveled around the most beautiful cities for two weeks with one of my (now) very best friends. I haven't landed the dream job yet, but I've been fortunate to intern with an international PR agency for the past five months and have gained so much knowledge and experience. I have yet to even go apartment hunting, since I don't have the fab job to pay for a fancy apartment.

These were great accomplishments and, what I thought, life-halting set backs. Looking back on the year though, I've defined it as the year of me. Loosing my grandmother at the end of 2013 was hard. I faltered in my relationship with The Lord for the first half of this year. I lost sight of who I was and what I wanted. When I realized this and took a step back, I began to really focus on who I was and I what I wanted in life. I tried new things, spent time alone, went out of my way to satisfy my curiosity. I learned about life and about myself. Going into 2015, I am confident in who I am and aspire to be. I am closer with God today than I ever have been. I have accepted the cards I have been dealt and take comfort in knowing that The Lord has my roadmap in hand.

2014 was my year and I can't wait to see what the future holds!

What Titus Taught Me

It has been quite awhile since I have written, but I'll do all of the catching up later. Right now, I want to talk about Titus. This book in the bible is a short, but powerful letter from Paul to one of his most trusted friends, Titus. In the letter, Paul is giving Titus the responsibility of whipping the "Christians" in Crete into shape and explains to Titus--and in turn you and I--how to handle difficult situations.

Paul leaves no room for interpretation. He calls the Cretans out as "liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons" (1:12) Paul goes on to say that "they must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they out not to teach--and that for the sake of dishonest gain" (1:11). Right there: dishonest gain. Paul is calling to our attention that doing and saying things for the betterment of yourself and not others or deceiving others, isn't right. He tells Titus to silence them so they cannot spread that wickedness.

Ok, so they're faulty Christians, but is what they are actually doing really that bad? Paul explains, "they claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him" (1:16). What's the saying? Actions speak louder than words? That's the one. I have never been one to throw bible verses around in day-to-day conversation. Although I believe in God's word, I have found that when people begin quoting scripture in a regular conversation, I get very defensive. I believe what they are quoting, yet it really bothers me. I've come to accept that I'm not a quoter, I'm a doer. I act out (or try to) God's love and mercy through my actions. So, I love that Paul makes a specific note that people's actions display The Word of the Lord. We can't just talk the talk, we have to walk the walk as well.

Once Paul points out the bad, he translates into the good and how we, as Christians, should act. Perhaps my favorite verse in all of Titus is 1:8: "Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined." Hello! It's like a professor just gave you the answers to your final exam! Paul is spelling out for us how to be good people and show God's love and mercy. So, let's break it down...

Be hospitable - Mi casa es su casa.  I don't know about you, but sometimes I don't want to share. Be it food, an article of clothing or a favorite reading chair, many times I find myself getting upset because I want it all to myself. Be nice. It's just stuff and we should be happy that someone else finds joy in the things we find joy in.

Be one who loves what is good - Gossip, ignorance, bullying (emotionally or physically). The list could go on, but it's all bad and it tears other people down. If it's so bad, why is it so darn easy to do? Doing what is right and good is hard, but God, through Paul's letter to Titus, is calling us to turn the other cheek, to be inclusive and to give to others.

Be self-controlled - Think before you act. Think before you speak. Be yourself and have a personality, but be respectful of yourself and your talents. On the opposite side, don't get worked up easily or snap at someone. Again, think.

Be upright, holy - So this trait on the list really bothered me at first. I really struggled with the idea that someone who loves God is put on a pedestal; they are better than the people around them. I read it again and again and I finally came to the conclusion that for me upright refers to being confident and holy means to respect my values and not be ashamed of them. Once I finally got to this interpretation, I loved that Paul was calling me to action, to stand up straight and fight for what I believe.

Be disciplined - Ok, so this is hard. I don't know about you, but I was notorious for scheduling an hour or two of studying each night in college, but instead going to the gym or watching Netflix. How about sitting down to read your bible? What about something as simple as calling our parents or a friend each week/month? It's hard to carve out time for these things. But Paul is giving us the challenge to sit down and really work on our mind and body so that we can be in tune with the Lord. It's hard, no doubt, but God is always there to help us along!

This is already much longer than I thought, but I want to encourage you to read Titus in the New Testament. It is super duper short--it took me about 10 minutes to read and I am a crazy slow reader. Once you've read it, walk away and then come back and read it again in a day or two. See if anything new pops out. It's a beautiful part of the bible that I am enjoying digging into. All of these interpretations are my own, but the best part about the bible is that each verse means something different to each of us. God gave the bible to each of us individually and I am learning just how powerful the bible is for me. Love and prayers for all that is good!

Why I accepted the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

It's everywhere. Video after video being posted on social media, highlighted on television and discussed daily. After a few days of seeing the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos, I was over it. Maybe it's the fast-paced 20-something in me that constantly needs something new, but the videos were more annoying than anything after a week. Then I got nominated; I really dug in my heals.

As I saw more and more of my friends excepting the challenge, I decided to learn more about this disease that had everyone dumping water on their head. I learned that ALS does not discriminate. It does not know age, race, gender. The hard part is that doctors don't know what causes it; it is a mystery. Those affected by ALS have a hard road ahead. Their life expectancy is two to five years, in which time their body slowly deteriorates until they have to eat through a feeding tube, are confined to a wheelchair, and have to rely on others to use the restroom, sit up and breathe.

The idea of not being able to run, stand up in the kitchen to bake, and walk around to take photos. It's a terrifying and heart-wrenching prospect. I feel so, so blessed to have my health in tact. As if the research didn't have convinced to douse myself with ice water, I then watched the following two videos and my mind was made up. I was accepting the challenge.

Video 1: http://aplus.com/a/anthony-carbajal-ice-bucket-challenge-emotional-video

Video 2: http://espn.go.com/boston/story/_/id/11366772/in-als-fight-pete-frates-message-loud-clear-ice-bucket-challenge

Why moving home after college feels like a failure

I had two major life goals: have a job (or a serious lead) by the time I graduated college and not move home after college. I failed at both. I can't say that I haven't been trying to find a job; I've sent out resumes, follow ups, and reached out to friends and professional. I'm trying, but this is a topic for another time. I want to talk about the latter: moving in with my parents. I've lived at home for 10 days now and seven of those days have been spent on vacation with my parents. 

There's been a strain on my relationship with my parents since I've moved home. Now, I love my parents. My mom and dad are the two most kind-hearted, giving, loving and all-around wonderful people. You can say I'm bias, but, for anyone who has met my parents, you know that they're truly an amazing dynamic duo. I have heard some horror stories about families and I know how blessed I am for my parents to be celebrating their 28th wedding anniversary today (happy anniversary, guys!) and still be as in love as they were on their wedding day. As rockin' as my parents are, any college grad who has moved home after college knows that it's an adjustment. 

I've been "on my own" for four years. Yes, my parents supported me financially, I lived with roommates, and I respected the rules of my dorm, sorority house and apartment complexes, but I haven't had supervision or someone trying to kiss me on the cheek before I go to sleep in four years. I would drive the hour and a half home fairly often and my parents would come visit me at school, and I was always so excited to see them. However, I knew that I'd be back on my own in 48-72 hours. I could deal. 

At this point you might think I soundslike a spoiled brat and I kind of feel like one, but hear me out. After college, where I've just spent four years maturing, growing, and figuring things out on my own, it's hard to establish the line with my parents between my new adulthood and feeling like a little girl having to rely on them for food and shelter because I failed on my first life goal. I'm struggling with feeling like a failure for not being able to find a job (although I admit I'm being picky) and therefore unable to fund my own living arrangements, guilty for having to impose on my parents during their empty-nester excitement/travel phase of life, and embarroussed when people ask me what I'm doing now and I don't really have anything to tell them. It stinks. 

It's been hard for my parents to adjust too. My parents let my brother move home after college and even his fiancé lived at my parents house before they bought a place of their own. Again, we're blessed that my parents gave us the option to move home and live free of rent. They've experienced having a child home again. Somehow though, the situation seems to infuriate me more.... Which makes me feel like even more of a child stomping her feet having a temper tantrum, making me more upset with myself in the end. Cue the failure, guilt and embarrassment feelings round two.

So now that I'm feeling awesome about myself, I want to escape. I want to go back to "my place," but one look at my room, the basement and the bonus room cramped with my stuff and I'm reminded that I don't have that escape anymore. I can outrun my frustration with my parents for a little while, but I always ending my saying something or snapping at the two people who have loved me and supported me every day of my life. Okay, now I really do feel like an ungrateful brat. I hope I've conveyed my love and gratefulness to my parents. Half of the reason I've worked so hard to maintain good grades and give back through philanthropies is to make my parents proud. Through their example and their high standards (athough they've never made me feel pressured to achieve so much), I've accomplished a lot in my 22 years. Yet, when it comes to the big life goals, I've failed not only myself, but my parents as well. I know that my mix of emotions will remain until I can prove to myself, my parents and my friends that I can make it in the real world and I've somehow repaid my parents for all they have given me. Until a land a job with a company I'm passionate about and get back on the life track that I've always strived for, I'm going to be dealing with this life-size sense of failure and working on some breathing exercises or something. 

Walking Under The Arch

Four years. Four years of school work, of late nights, of drama, of countless cups of coffee, of new friends, of philanthropy, of learning (both personal and academic), of life. All of this and so much more was running though my mind as I walked downtown after giving my final presentation of my college career this afternoon. As I approached The Arch, just like I had so many times before, part of me didn't want to walk under it. Walking through the pillars meant that college was really over... It's a little scary and daunting. It has been drilled into my mind to walk around The Arch for years, even before I began college. So, the fact that I was about to walk through it made me a little scared. Fists clenched and eyes closed, I finally walked under The Arch.

After that I was running figure eights through it! My group, whom I had just presented with in my final campaigns class, went and got a celebratory drink, but when I walked back by on the way to my car I was overcome with pride. It seems so trivial, walking under an arch, but for a UGA student and for me, it signifies so much of that dedication and determination over the four years when exhaustion never seemed to leave you. I still can't believe that I'm done, but what a ride it has been! All the work and late nights were worth it, just to walk under The Arch and graduate from The University of Georgia. I will forever bleed red & black! Go Dawgs!

Goodbye, Athens!

Today I moved out of my last college apartment.

There are so many mixed emotions with moving. Seeing all of my stuff, the things that are familiar and dear to me, shoved into the back of a car. It made me realize how much "stuff"I have, but also how insignificant possessions are in the grand scheme of things.
Then there are the friendships. I was blessed to have three very different, very supportive and very inspirational roommates this year. We were random roommates and it turned out to be one of the best, most eye-opening experiences of my college career.

Then there is the final drive through the town I called home for four years: Athens. I've done so much "growing up" in that town. I discovered organizations that fit my passions. I met new people and made wonderful new friends. I pushed myself to and beyond my limits in both my thoughts and actions. I celebrated the big 2-1 in Athens. I felt heartbreak and lose. Athens has been a journey, a struggle and a blessing to me. There were amazing times and there were times when I just wanted to runaway.

All in all, Athens has helped me to realize what I want in life. Any UGA grad you speak with will tell you about the glory days between the hedges, they'll tell you the crazy stories and they'll say without a doubt that Athens will always be their home. There is a passion that comes with Athens. Students, graduates, families, everyone loves Athens. I love Athens too. However, I am ready and excited to move on to bigger and better. Now just to figure out where the "bigger" and "better" is...