Wish You Were Here

fashioning myself a career

Ever since I was little, I've loved two things: reading/writing {hence the Writing Seminars major} and fashion.  I always wanted to look my best, wear things that my friends weren't wearing, shop for new things.  When I played with my friends, I wanted us to play "fashion designer" over and over and over again - we would draw collections of clothes and accessories, put them in our "portfolios," and have our portfolios approved by the "boss" {one of my friends took this role every time - she liked to be the leader}.  To my friends, this game was just like playing house or cards or dress up - it was a way to pass the time.  But this was the game I enjoyed most and, even at eight years old, I always put 100% of myself into my designs.

{some of my designs through the ages - lol}

So I thought, at first, I wanted to be a fashion designer ... which turned out to be a dream I abandoned after deciding that I had very little consistent artistic talent.  Then, I thought working in magazines would be perfect.  I love reading magazines, so by working in the industry I would be able to deliver the best of fashion and culture to hungry readers ... and make people like myself very happy.  And that's still an option that appeals to me, but I still have yet to test out that field because, when I got my internship at the National Aquarium and worked in Media Relations, I realized that I adore working with the media - not necessarily for them.

But like I said, I still live for fashion.  There aren't a whole heck of a lot of opportunities in Baltimore in the fashion industry though, so I started looking for summer internships in New York City as soon as I rang in the new year. Since I already had a foot in the door of media and public relations {and have quite a lot of extracurricular activity experience that can be applied to that field}, I looked through tons of fashion job listing websites that I've bookmarked over the years and I applied to every independent fashion house where I found an opening in PR.

And luckily, even with my limited experience, I got one. I'll talk more about exactly what I'm doing at Twinkle in a later blog, but for now I'll point you to my first blog for their website and just let you know that I am having a phenomenal time.

I was so relieved when I got this internship, but now especially I realize how truly lucky I am.  Compared to other people in the fashion industry, I have very little experience.  I'm the youngest person working at the entire company.  And it didn't hurt that the intern hiring me graduated from Hopkins a while back herself - while I know that I did earn this internship with good academic performance, interview skills, and work experience, I highly doubt I would've gotten it if I didn't stand out from other applicants in that way.  So I'm more than grateful that all these variables worked in my favor.

Being the youngest at the company feels like a great compliment to me.  But it's scary at the same time, to see the other interns who have already graduated from college and who are - in my mind - already part of the "real world" but working for no pay just like me.  It makes me nervous to think that I might end up being just like them.  I might not be setting myself up for a paying job right out of school, and by extension I might not setting myself up for a house, or a consistent career, or enough financial stability to have a family until much later than I'd like.

But, while my fellow interns have graduated and are trying to snag a paying job, I still have two years of college left ... and I keep reminding myself that, right now, we're on the same level in the industry.  It sounds awful for me to compare myself to them in this way, but I guess I'm trying to convince myself that I'm two years ahead of the game.  If I have this job now, maybe I'll have better ones in the future.  By the time I graduate, maybe I'll have quite a bit more experience over the other people competing for PR jobs.  Maybe not, but it makes me feel a lot more confident to consider this internship as a critical stepping stone to the rest of my life ... and it makes me feel a lot more grateful every single day that a place in the fashion industry is finally mine.

sophomore slump is an uphill battle, and someone said it ain't my scene

I have been home now for about two weeks.  Since then, I've had three interviews for possible  internships {two in New York City, one by phone}, one lunch with my friend Olivia in the city {to calm my nerves}, three good days hanging out with friends, a day in Philly, two visits to Josh's in North Jersey {and two visits from him here}, three family dinners, one phenomenal dinner at Olive Garden, and many many many trips to Primo Water Ice right up the street.  And in my spare time, I have become something of a nerd: I've been playing plenty of video games {The Sims, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Tony Hawk, Mario Party} and board games {Scrabble especially}, reading {A Mad Desire to Dance, The Woman in White}, and watching lots of movies {see: The Brothers Bloom omgggg, among many others; skip: Bride Wars. Seriously, don't waste your time}.

 Needless to even say it, "summer" came at me at full force this year.  I got both internships that I interviewed for and ended up choosing the one in Public Relations at Twinkle by Wenlan, a fashion company in New York City.  So now I am very, very busy this summer: I babysit my cousin on Tuesdays, work for the Admissions office from home for 10 hours a week, and work in New York two full days as well {That 3 hour commute? Worth it, but not so much fun}.  But busy is how I like it!  And, for proof, here's how busy I was this year:

happy, happy birthday baby - september 23, 2008 (click here)

This one talks all about how fantastic it is to celebrate a birthday at college. This year was especially fun: I had a whole birthday week full of exciting events!

'cause i'm getting restless, just get me on the train - october 11, 2008 (click here)

Written after I spent FAR too long at Penn Station trying to get home for fall break, this entry talks about one of the rare times that transportation out of Baltimore isn't quite so easy.

ho-hum. - october 29, 2008 (click here)

Honestly, at times this year I felt like I was stuck in the sophomore slump. Work didn't feel as worth it as it did when I was a freshman and time just felt like it was crawling by. But I made it through!

the classes - november 2, 2008 (click here)

Descriptions of my five fall semester classes: 19th Century British Novel, Introduction to Fiction, Introduction to Greek Philosophy, The Structure of English, and French.

what keeps us moving - november 9, 2008 (click here)

Even though fall semester got to be a little lame academically at times, I had so much fun with my friends this year. See pictures from birthday celebrations, Halloween, Alpha Phi events, and the World Series victory that made my entire home city go nuts.

caroling, caroling. - november 18, 2008 (click here)

I LOVE winter and I LOVE the holidays - it's my favorite time of year!  So the first day when I woke up and felt winter coming instantly put me in a great mood.  There's something about the holidays that just makes me happy!

bloop bloop bloop {think fish noises} - november 26, 2008 (click here)

I had the best internship this past spring semester: I had the chance to work for the Media Relations department at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. I will forever be in debt to this internship - it was my first legitimate job in Media and Public Relations, and it's definitely partly responsible for the internship I have now.  Every bit of experience helps!

taking the bull by the horns - december 3, 2008 (click here)

At a certain point each semester, some hidden determination inside of me kicks in and I start to get really responsible. It doesn't last very long...but I get a lot done!

it's that time of year when the world falls in love - december 20, 2008 (click here)

In case you didn't believe how much I love the holidays, check out mine and Josh's gingerbread house, photos from some holiday parties, and my family getting ready for the holidays.

blink and you miss it. - january 1, 2009 (click here)

Somehow, 2009 ganged up on me. I didn't notice how fast 2008 was going until I was lying in the fort that Josh and I made on New Years Eve, adjusting to the fact that I was going to have to start writing "09" when I dated all my papers and everything. It's always so weird - but having an entire year stretching out in front of you is so exciting!

back to the drawing board - january 27, 2009 (click here)

New School Year Resolutions, part one. I stuck to most of them!

changes to make, part two - february 8, 2009 (click here)

New School Year Resolutions, part two. I tried really hard to keep these as well, and I think I succeeded.

what goes up .. and up .. and up! - february 24, 2009 (click here)

My FANTASTIC spring semester classes - somehow, I put together five classes that I absolutely loved. I took Writing the Screenplay, Dance Revolution, Intermediate Fiction: Narrative Voice, Shakespeare's Rome, and The Sense of Loss.

why it's good to try sometimes - march 14, 2009 (click here)

Since you already got a post about how I got my internship at the Aquarium, I thought it was only fair that I give you an update letting you know how I was doing! It was an incredible experience, and I was so happy to be able to write this entry: all the reasons I loved it!

Hopkins CRIBS: Charles Commons 1016 - march 30, 2009 (click here)

Check out the suite I shared with Jessica in Charles Commons. I had a great time this year: I had a wonderful roommate, a great view, peace and quiet, and a perfectly decorated room. I really felt at home there - and now I'm already looking forward to doing a Cribs entry for my new apartment!

remembering what matters - april 6, 2009 (click here)

A congratulations - but, more importantly, a thank you - to all those accepted into the Class of 2013. Sometimes it's really necessary to put yourself in someone else's shoes and remember how lucky we really are.

la di da. - april 20, 2009 (click here)

Last post of the semester ... which, ironically, didn't mention actually doing any work. I'm a firm believer that relaxing and taking care of yourself is just as important as working hard - without that balance, living a good life is impossible. So this entry is all about how I decided to take things easy, rather than stress out right before finals.

So, that was my year!  Though it got really tough at times, I'm only able to look back at it and wonder how it possibly went so fast.  I had an incredible time being a sophomore - now, I'm facing junior year with lots of excitement and certainty that I'm going to have even more fun.

Up next: I'm looking forward to the premiere of Secret Life of the American Teenager {don't judge} and the release of the new Harry Potter movie {again, don't judge}.  On Wednesday I'm going to dinner and to see Night at the Museum with one of my oldest friends, and this weekend I'm going to Josh's for his brother's graduation.  Later this month we're seeing a preview of 500 Days of Summer in New York.  And I need to devise a plan to rob a bank to afford seeing so many movies and going out to dinner so often.  Hm.

Up next on my blog: all about internships {namely, how AWESOME mine is}, course selections, and getting ready for off-campus living {also known as trying to figure out how to pay for real life}.  Get excited.  But til then ... wish you were here!

la di da.

So, I'm lying here at 1:11AM thinking three things.

1) I don't care if it's tacky or if people will look at me like I'm nuts, but I want a sequin beanie like Carrie Bradshaw's.  And a life like Carrie Bradshaw's, minus all of the romantic drama ... which I guess doesn't leave a whole lot else except a job in the publishing world and a fabulous wardrobe.  And that would be fine by me.  {I can't find a picture of the hat, so a fantastically fashionable substitute will have to do.}

2) I should probably do some sort of work.  Maybe read more of To The Lighthouse, or plan one of my 3 final papers due sometime soon.  Or maybe write my final screenplay for the second time, since I tragically lost my first 8 pages when my computer decided it was tired and needed to shut down. {I gave up and resent the project now, even though I love my story.}

2.5) Is it "So, I'm lying here" or "So, I'm laying here" ????  As a Writing Seminars major {newly, English minor - much less stress}, I feel like this may be something I should know.

3) THIS TIME IN A MONTH I WILL BE A JUNIOR OMG.

It just hit me today that the semester really is almost over.  We have two weeks of classes left, followed by final exam period {although I don't have any exams - just those final projects and an exciting trip to Fort McHenry with the Aquarium}, and then summer is here.  It's really hard to believe that two years here are over and that I only have two years left.  It makes me sad -- it's not like I would stay here forever if I could, but I'm quickly realizing that 4 happy years are not going to feel like enough.

It's hard to even imagine nearing the end of this particular semester, especially since this weekend has been one of the lowest-stress weekends yet.  On Friday after my internship, I met up with Josh to have dinner at Tapas Teatro and see The Class and Sunshine Cleaning at The Charles.  Then we came back to campus and stopped by for a bit at Hopkins' Relay for Life and a birthday party afterwards.  Saturday was Homecoming, so we had a big breakfast with my Alpha Phi family, then went to our APhi barbecue where I got to introduce my parents and uncle to my sisters -- biological family and Greek one! :) -- then had the pleasure of watching Hopkins beat Navy in lacrosse by a LOT of goals.  That night, Josh and I went to see Adventureland downtown with Josh's roommate Nathaniel and his girlfriend Tara {double-date, how cute - and that's Margarita Levieva in the photo, who's in the movie}.  And today, I played video games {believe it or not, I'm a fan}, went to the brand new 7-Eleven that opened up this month down the street, and watched a lot of TV.

Notice what I didn't mention in there one bit -- work.  I didn't touch a book or computer until late evening tonight, and even then I admittedly didn't get a whole lot done.  It's Spring Syndrome and I've come down with it hard this year.  But, in my defense, Hopkins in the spring is something special.  The weather gets warm and breezy, the trees are in bloom, there are people hanging out all around campus, and suddenly nothing seems quite important enough to steal you away from all of those things.  Not even studying.

And I guess I should be a little bit more alarmed than I am.  Like I said, I have three papers, a screenplay, a fiction story, and a couple of books to read.  I still don't know where I'm living next semester, or if I'll have an internship to keep me busy this summer.  The only thing I have nailed down at all is my classes for next semester -- and I doubt they'll stay exactly the same.

But it's spring, and I don't really feel like I need to worry about that now.  For now I'm going to get back to watching Sex and the City The Movie and head off to bed.  Sooner or later, I think the "end of the semester" workload will set in and I'll realize that I need to get down to business, at least for a couple days ... but, for now, I am more than happy staying blissfully relaxed and as far away from my books as I can get.

remembering what matters

It may sound crazy, but I may be more grateful than you all are that admission decisions have gone out.

I'll be completely honest -- I'm a little bit stressed out right now.  It's that awkward part of the semester where classes are completely under way but things aren't wrapping up just yet for finals.  We're just sort of charging ahead at full speed and everything is happening all at once.  If you know what I'm talking about {I'm sure you do!}, you'll know that this is the time of the year when you're starting to run out of steam, when assignments seem as if they're all due at the exact same time, when it seems like you would need to develop superhuman abilities just to finish everything when it needs to be done. 

Just in the month of April alone, I have four important final papers to write, one screenplay to write, a full story and a few more short creative writing assignments, a tonnnnn of reading to do {upwards of 600 pages total}, and one formal event for Alpha Phi left to plan.  Plus, I'm still looking for an apartment, going to my internship for 10 hours each week, working in Admissions 10ish hours each week, and having weekly meetings for all of my extracurriculars.  And I'm trying to keep in contact with my friends and family ... and I try to get some sleep in there too.  I don't even have any final exams this year either, so once May rolls around and all of my classmates are starting to study, I'll finally be able to relax a little.  I'm looking forward to it, to say the least!

Sometimes, though, especially during stretches like this where it's hard to find time to take a breather, I find it really helpful to remember how I felt this time 2 years ago {geez, that makes me feel OLD}.  I feel for everyone who didn't get good news from their first or second or third choice schools -- I didn't get into all of my schools either, and had no idea that I would actually end up going to Johns Hopkins when I applied. 

So I know first hand that it's hard to remember that you're really lucky when you're feeling bummed about a rejection.  But it's really, really important to recognize just how fortunate you are.  No matter where you've been accepted, it's important to know that someone found something worthy in you.  You wouldn't have gotten into any school if the admissions team didn't think you'll contribute to campus and "fit" at the school and be able to handle the work.  At times like this -- when you're stressed and kind of wondering if you can handle it all -- it feels good to keep that in your back pocket and pull out whenever things are feeling impossible.  You're here for a reason and you can do it.

So CONGRATULATIONS to all of you who have been accepted to Hopkins.  Remember how lucky you are and how big of an opportunity this could be for you.  Choosing which college you attend is a big decision and this may sound cliche, but as long as you make sure you're following your heart {and your budget!}, you will do fine.  It's all about keeping your happiness in mind every step of the way -- that way, even when things get slightly stressful, you'll know that the hard work is all worth it.  So I'll say it now -- good luck with your decision, and I wish you were here!!

Hopkins CRIBS: Charles Commons 1016

Welcome to Charles Commons 1016: Lauren and Jessica's Crib!

Right off the bat, I suggest living in Charles Commons.  At Hopkins, all of the freshmen go into a housing lottery that randomly assigns lottery numbers to each group.  The lower your number, the earlier you get to choose your room before everyone else.  Jess and I were a pair last year and got a great number -- it sounded like it was a high number at the time, but actually was low enough so that we could get the exact room we wanted.  We live on the top floor of our side of Charles Commons and have a spectacular view -- we can see all the way down to Inner Harbor!  It's so pretty to watch how the city gets brighter and brighter as the sun rises, and it's just as pretty to watch the sun set out at the horizon.  This is one of my favorite parts of my room...especially considering my view last year from my room in Wolman Hall was into a person's room in Charles Commons.  {The people across from me played a lot of Guitar Hero.}

 Since we live in a 2-person suite in Charles Commons, we share a bathroom and a kitchenette without a common room.  It sounds like we're getting cheated out of a really great feature -- and, I'll admit, I love the big living rooms that 4-person suites have -- but we really have exactly what we need!  We have what I call our breakfast nook, which isn't a full common room but provides us a table and chairs.  It's definitely enough to let uscook for friends, socialize with each other, and store all of our yummy snacks.  {That's a picture of my fabulous shower curtain.  I bought it last year because I thought we'd need one in Wolman Hall -- we didn't because you have shower doors instead -- so I decided I'd bring it for us to use this year!  The bright colors make me happy.}

 We actually use our kitchen a LOT.  What's great about sophomore year is that, no matter where you end up living, you have access to your own kitchen.  I've also brought along a toaster, microwave, coffee machine, and George Foreman grill {all presents from my family -- THANK YOU TO THEM!} and got a quesadilla maker from my lovely roommate as a birthday present.  Jess also has a rice cooker, so we definitely never go hungry.  But we love to cook for ourselves and our friends too!  {Before spring break, we had a steak/quesadilla/rice party where we basically made all of the food we had for dinner one night.}

My room looks really small -- and I thought it was when I got here -- but I moved my furniture around to get the maximum amount of floor space and have really grown to love it.  Just like last year, I made sure to put up LOTS of photos, copies of my favorite paintings, and more on my walls {and I also have shelves...but shhhh, you're not really supposed to} to make it much more cozy.  I have a comfy bed with a pretty bedspread, my television {important!}, and lotsof other little touches {like vases and flowers} to make my room a nice place to come home to at the end of the day.

You'd also be surprised at how much storage you get in a room in Charles Commons: you have three big dresser drawers, three smaller desk drawers {that I moved into my closet and use for clothes}, and an entire closet {that I use for clothes, shoes, my handbags, and all of my books for class}.  I know some people whose closets are almost totally empty because they can't fill all that space.  It's great to know that you aren't crammed into your room!

Ultimately, it's really nice to finally just be able to have my own space.  Personally, I think it's really important to have a roommate freshman year so that you learn from an experience where you have to share and get along with someone completely random -- it teaches you a lot of people skills, and a lot about yourself.  And even if I had to live in the same room as my roommate this year, I know I would be fine -- it has been phenomenal to live with someone respectful, clean, and really fun.  Jessica is great because we share a lot of the same interests and are involved in one major extracurricular together {Hopkins Interactive!}, but at the same time we're able to share different stories and experiences because we have completely different majors, separate clubs and activities, and a bunch of different groups of friends.  Last year, I got along with my roommate, but it wasn't necessarily a pleasure to come home and find her there.  This year, it's a lot different -- and it has been great.  But there is still something really valuable in being able to shut the door to your room and finally be able to RELAX.  You need your own personal space and private time to be healthy, so it's great to finally have that {all of the bedrooms in Charles Commons are singles!}.

But even video + pictures + a gushing blog post about how much I love Commons can't do it justice.  This is a beautiful, almost brand new building that has a laundry room, mail room, common kitchen, exercise room, ping-pong table, pool tables, meeting rooms, a ballroom, music practice rooms, and an entire campus eatery.  We have everything we could possibly want in this building -- I feel so spoiled to live here!