Visiting the Capitol {Atlanta}

Group photo by GT Institute Communications

My college's student government (which I'm involved with) hosted an event called "GT Day at the Capitol" and we got to visit the state capitol and see the legislative process in action! I attended the same event last year, but learned even more this time and had a fun time with other GT students and GT alum.

With our school's mascot, Buzz!

Student government members :)

If you haven't been to the capitol, I highly suggest it! It's a beautiful and historic building full of amazing artifacts and our state's representatives! Another great day in Atlanta. 

I took a few pics inside the capitol too!

Time to pack for NYC!

Post grad plans

I'm currently in this limbo period of life since I graduated from college and wait to start the next step of life. So, what's next?

Lots.

The reasoning.

               During fall semester of senior year I was pretty sure I wanted to enter the real world and work at as a "communications specialist" or "public relations representative" or "something that sounds as fun and cool." So I started applying for jobs. The salaries weren't great and I wasn't really hearing back from the companies I wanted to hear back from. 

               Then toward Christmas break I started to realize that maybe I didn't want to enter the real world...just yet. Maybe I was just following the path that so many of my peers were taking - finish school, find a job that pays well. It's what we're trained to do, right? But hardly any of my friends who had graduated before me and already entered the job force were thrilled or shouting joy about the real world. It just no longer seemed appealing.

              So I went back to the drawing boards of my life plan and asked myself what I really want to do, and how could I make that happen. I asked myself what am I really passionate about. What are the things, people, issues, hobbies that I can't go one day without thinking about. And I came up with the following list:

-I want to help those in need

-I want to improve the city of Atlanta

-I want to use my communications skills

-I want to interact with brilliant people and new people on a regular basis

-I want to travel...but not too much

-I want to learn something besides what I studied in college

-I want to be a positive role model

-I want to give back

The plan.

                  I decided that to sharpen myself as a person and as someone seeking employment, I should further my education. But not immediately. After four years of classes every semester (even summers), I'm taking a break this summer and this fall from school. I'll be working at my new job, which is a fellowship position, from June through December. Then, I'm planning to go back to school to get my Master's degree in Public Policy or Public Health starting in January. And I plan to get my PhD soon after that. So, I'll be a real college student for a little longer :)

The Georgia State Capitol at night...magical.

The job.

                     I get excited whenever I think about or talk about this incredible opportunity because it matches the list I made (above) almost exactly. I've been offered the position as a fellow in the Office of the Governor for the State of Georgia. The Governor's Fellowship Program is such a perfect fit for me because I have a strong interest in local government and public service. Since I haven't started yet, I don't know all of the fun details but I do know that I'll be in the Press/Communications Office and I'll get an in-depth look at the inner-workings of the Office of the Governor.

                     The job is at the Georgia Capitol, right in the heart of Downtown Atlanta, and it's seriously my favorite building in Atlanta. I cannot wait to go to work every day and be surrounded by brilliant political, legal, education, and world leaders! If you can't tell, I'm excited and really looking forward to starting.

The extras.

                     I'm a mellow Type A...meaning I have to stay busy with goals and projects, but I love short periods of nothingness too :) So in addition to preparing for grad school, working my new fellowship position at the Capitol, and blogging; I'm also working on the following:

-my second book, which will be less serious :)

-learning another language besides English and Spanish, I'm thinking Italian?

-creating an iPhone app

-continuing to speak to younger students about the importance of education

-and more!

How does that sound?

Weekend trip to Boston

I spent this past weekend in Boston/Cambridge and it was such a memorable experience! I went to visit my friend Ariane, who also graduated from Georgia Tech. We hadn't seen each other in over a year so this weekend was a much needed reunion. Technically, she lives in Cambridge, but we spent lots of time in both cities. After visiting my friend in New York last year and being forced to spend one day exploring the city solo, I've made a vow to explore as many cities as possible on my own.

So here's a review of my trip, in photo format -- but I did leave out some photos of a very unexpected and unfortunate part of my trip, agh!

Friday morning, I walked with Ariane to her office and then headed to Starbucks. After grabbing a white mocha from Starbucks, I started my solo walk from Cambridge to Boston, first stopping on MIT's campus. I walked around the campus and went inside a few buildings, such an interesting campus with beautiful buildings and scenery!

Loved this numerical statue on MIT's campus.

After walking across the Massachusetts Avenue bridge that connects Cambridge to Boston, I sat on a bench overlooking some water and mapped out some must-sees. (Thanks for the recommendations!) 

After browsing through a mall, I stopped by the Boston Public Library because it just looked so beautiful and patriotic. I stayed in the library, walking around the different floors and rooms for about an hour.

Then, I took a snack break at Sweet Cupcakes. I tried a cheesecake cupcake, yum!

As I continued walking, I stumbled upon Beacon Hill and the Massachusetts State House. Obviously, I had to go inside the building where state politics happens. It was very different from Georgia's State Capitol, but still had that classic and historic feel.

I loved this Hall of Flags area in the State House.

Next, I took a break to grab lunch before meeting up with Ariane. I ordered a Greek salad with shrimp (I'm still eating like a pescatarian), and also ate a few pieces of bread that came with the meal…more on this later.

After meeting up with Ariane, we did more wandering around her city and stopped by the original Cheers bar!

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Ok, now for the non-photo aspect of the trip. Remember that salad and bread I ate for lunch? Well, as Ariane and I started walking toward Fenway Park, my eyes started itching. Then, my face and arms started itching. It was weird because it felt more intense than a bug bite or anything else I'd experienced.  I remember asking Ariane if my eyes looked funny because it felt like something was sitting on top of each of my eyelids. Then I realized that I may be having an allergic reaction. The bread I ate for lunch tasted a little bit like peanut butter (which I am very allergic to), but I thought maybe it was just the butter and cheese on the bread. And the salad dressing may have been walnut vinaigrette...

Minutes later, Ariane could see the swelling on my eyes and around my face. On the inside I was panicking, but I tried to stay calm and we started walking (sprinting) toward the nearest drug store. Once we reached a Walgreens, I purchased some Benadryl and peeked in the nearest mirror…YIKES. My entire face was swollen and hives were appearing all over my face and neck. I've never had such a serious allergic reaction, so this was pretty frightening. I quickly took some medicine and got some advice from a pharmacy technician. Ariane was really helpful throughout this medical scare! Thank goodness she was there because my body was reacting quickly, and things could have gotten way worse. I spent the rest of that day recovering and resting from walking all over Boston and from having a serious allergic reaction!

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Phew! The next day I felt 100% better and I was ready to continue enjoying Boston. Ariane took me to her favorite brunch spot, City Girl Cafe. Really delicious, and I suggest it if you're in the Cambridge area! I ordered the French toast with potatoes.

Then, we ventured back to Boston via the T (train/metro).

I loved the architecture in this city!

Once we got to the Government District, we did a little shopping. I purchased this Boston Red Socks hat for my dad, but I did borrow it for a few photos hehe :)

We went to the North End and the Waterfront and got some fun photos by the water!

Then, we went on a tour of the Boston Custom House -- we rode the elevator up to the 26th floor and got an unbeatable view of the city! If you follow me on Instagram, you know how much I love a great view of a city!

Gorgeous!

View from the top of the Custom House!

In the North End, we visited Boston's famous cannoli spot: Mike's Pastry.

I ordered the Oreo cannoli, holy delicious!

We eventually made it to Fenway Park!

Saturday night, we trekked to Harvard's campus and had dinner at Harvard Square.

This. Pizza. Spinach, tomatoes, artichokes, goat cheese on wood iron grilled crust…I will never forget it. And apparently, all of the food at Cambridge, 1 is that good!

After dinner, we headed out to a fun spot called Harp near the Bruins hockey stadium!

Such a full and fun weekend that I really appreciated after a crazy week in Atlanta. Traveling can be a hassle, but the experiences that come from it are always worth it. I absolutely loved the blend of discovering all of Boston's goodness on my own, and with Ariane by my side. I'm excited to explore another city very soon. One of my best friends just got a job in Dallas, TX…hint hint ;)

Graduate research assistantship advantages

With 2 student leaders at the Georgia State Capitol

This past week…well this past month have been extremely fast-paced because I started my new job/graduate research assistantship. Most grad students apply for graduate research assistantships because they typically cover your tuition and provide a stipend - it's a GREAT deal.

Other advantages of graduate research assistantships (GRA's) are

incredible work experience in your area of interest

networking opportunities with professionals in your field

financial assistance for grad school

a mentor(s) in your field

meeting other grad students seeking similar positions

research opportunities

an opportunity to see what aspects you like and don't like about your field

My position is with the state government in the education department, and I love love love it! For the past month I've been planning a conference for about 40 college student leaders in our state and the conference was this past Thursday and Friday. The job includes way more than event planning, but I really enjoyed the event planning aspect. I learned so much more about budgeting, invoices, planning ahead, predicting how people will respond, and interacting with other government agencies and corporations.

And I completely understand why people want to be event planners - it's such a rewarding job because you see weeks (or months) of planning and work come together in such a special way. And it's even better when people truly enjoy the event you've planned.

I often have to remind myself: I'm not a full time blogger, so posts aren't always an everyday thing as much as I wish they could be an everyday thing :)

P.S. I took some photos of a few students and added them here.

My last week of work in the governor's office

         

This is my last week of work (for now). I've been working in the governor's office/for the State of Georgia since mid-June of this year and Friday is my last day of this six-month fellowship. This experience has been everything I could have asked for, plus way, way more. I've made mistakes, learned about myself and others, fallen in love with politics/government work, met and interacted with politicians, attended events, written speeches, and more.

And I've loved it. I highly recommend paid fellowships/internships after college if you're still figuring out what you want to do in life and/or you want a break before going back to school for another degree (my situation). This fellowship has been the perfect break and although every day was not magical, most days were full of really fun work in the field I love, and every day was a blessing.

I tried writing this post a few times and I just couldn't figure out a concise way to explain all of my thoughts, feelings, and experiences from my job. And then I decided to use my beginning thoughts to reflect on my end results. I went back to the post I wrote about completing my first week of work.

Then I re-read the post, and made edits so that the words apply to how I feel at the end of this work experience. The blue text represents my thoughts at the end of this incredible experience:

My first week of work is officially done.  Today marks my last week of work.

And even though I haven't done anything too monumental yet, I already love it. 

I did lots of major things and witnessed so many behind-the-scenes government plans that taught me how state government works. I even made a few (background) TV appearances, eek!

Some of my favorite moments from the past six-months of working for the governor:

Helping out with the First Lady's events 

Witnessing the end of the Georgia 400 tolls

Being up close and personal during
press conferences with the governor 

Themed-casual Fridays

Work celebrations/birthdays

Lunch breaks that I spent walking around the
Capitol and reading all of the facts and looking at artifacts.

Watching them move the Christmas tree
into the Capitol 

Seeing the finished product and attending the Christmas tree lighting 

Of course dressing up every day is a fun task, but I love it for other reasons too. 

I've already learned so much about local and federal government and I have no choice but to stay updated on the news (seriously, I think I know everything that took place in Georgia this past week.)

I'm where I am supposed to be, and I'm grateful for this opportunity.

This was the opportunity that I was supposed to have and I'm so grateful I had it.

Pulling into work and seeing the beautiful Capitol building that I get to work in is so inspirational and gives me the happiest feeling.

I don't ever want that feeling to go away.  (It hasn't).

 There is so much history in downtown Atlanta and it's an area of Atlanta that I haven't really spent time in yet. Besides the traffic (ugh!), I love the the constant activity of downtown. It's always in motion, in a southern comfort kind of way.

Downtown traffic (cars + pedestrians) got old very quickly, but I did find some great new places to eat!

It's easy to lose excitement about something new after the first week, or even the first day. But I really see myself loving all six months of this job and making every week a new adventure.  (I have loved it.)

Of course the first few days were full of meeting new people (trying to remember names), learning the customs of the office, morning rituals, where to eat lunch, and just how things work. 

And I eventually figured all of this out… :) 

But I think I'm catching on quickly.

I really really like the people I work with. There are no forced feelings of getting along, the office just naturally works together well and flows...I love that.

It has been an adjustment working 8 hours a day and getting up earlier, so after work naps have become my best friend! (so true!)

Although my body got used to waking up early and going to bed early, I'm ready to get back on the college (flexible) schedule :) 

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This week, I'll be finishing the items on my Capitol "bucket list," saying goodbyes, and passing out thank you cards (always a great idea when ending an internship/fellowship) before my last day. And we have a reception at the Governor's Mansion later this week so our families can meet the governor!

Ending this job means ending a chapter in my life and that's always bitter sweet. But it helps that I'm extremely excited for the next chapter! And, I know I'll be back working in politics sooner than I know…I can't get enough of it!

Work is good

Just a quick update. Work life is still an awesome life. 

I love my job.

I've met so many great people, learned even more about my state, politics, policy, and communications. I'm writing an article about my experience and more for Sweet Lemon Magazine...so stay tuned!

I work in the most amazing, historic building in Atlanta - the State Capitol - and I'm constantly in awe. I love roaming the building during my lunch break and walking around outside (City Hall is right across the street). I still have a few more months left of my fellowship, but I already know that this is the field I want to work in, it's a dream come true. 

I feel like I really am living my dreams.

I'm headed to NYC today for the long weekend. Can't wait to share details of my trip when I get back on Tuesday.

Keep up with me on Instagram & Twitter!

What's your dream job?