Welcome to Team USA

Welcome to Team USA....

Okay, the e-mail I got from the USEF didn't say exactly that but close enough. After making a phone call over winter break and being told who to e-mail about internship inquiries, I put together a cover letter (I am way better at this now than I was a year ago), sent it to the HR person at the USEF and waited.

Literally the day I decided "I'm going to follow up on the letter since I haven't heard from anyone in nine days" an e-mail came in. There were some scary moments when I was asked about living situations and given the worst case scenario of what may happen with the internship but the main person said she really liked what my resume showed and she wanted to work with me and that she'd forward the internship on to the communications department.

Another waiting period was in the cards but thankfully it was my first weekend back in Canyon so I had more than enough to keep me occupied. Then on Wednesday, the best case scenario showed up in my e-mail with an offer that I never would have dreamed of. After a nerve wracking day of trying to call my mom to talk to her about the offer (and finally getting a hold of her at 8pm my time [where she urged me to take it] followed by calls to my dads) I needed to make sure that I could get enough time in to do a ton of driving.

Side note: I graduate in mid-May and with my horse down here and the car I want to take to Kentucky up in Washington, I needed to do a switch. So instead of going straight to Kentucky (because what smart person would think "hey, let's just drive to KY from TX"?) after I step off the graduation stage, I will be loading up Vegas, driving the 20 some odd hours it is to Washington (barring any incidents like the trip down here), spending a week or so getting stuff settled at home, then loading up Eddie (the famous traveling fish as my friends like to call him) for our second long drive in less than a month. Overall, I am guessing that I'll be driving 4,100 miles in that time frame.

Thankfully, the June starting date was approved so I can book the mileage and go to Kentucky. This is extremely exciting since I'll be working in the Communications department helping to continue building all the new stuff the USEF has put out over the past yearish (USEF Network, etc) and even developing some new things they have in mind. Plus, I'm in the middle of the Bluegrass at the Kentucky Horse Park, it can't get much better than that.

While this is just a summer gig (we haven't worked out exactly how long it will last yet, though), I'm having mixed feelings about what comes after the internship. I'd love to get a job at the USEF since my main goal is to work for Team USA and being in racing country is amazing (if you haven't realized it, I'm a bit of a horse racing nut) but, I also want to go to Europe for grad school. I'm still going to work on my Fulbright and actually have a meeting with Elly this week to discuss our next step since my personal statement questions are answered and edited, we just need to work on developing them more. Since I can't control what happens in the coming months (something that has been pounded into my head over the past year), other than doing my best work, I'm just throwing all the cards on the table and hoping something sticks.

While all of those thoughts are also going through my head, I'm just going to sit back and continue freaking out about my summer. I've often gone from completely calm to completely excited to completely freaked out this week. I'm interested to see what emotion I finally settle on.

Until next time,

Mel

First Week of School... and other stuff

I failed on the whole updating thing last week due to the first week of school and getting stuff set up, but I'm back. The week started pretty good with me cutting my schedule down from 12 credits to seven since I dropped my major but it went to crap from there. Wednesday, I was at school from eight to 4:30 and it all kind of went "blah" from there with multiple bad things happening in the hour after I left school. But that's a story for another day.

Overall, I think my classes are going to go good. I mean, with just two real classes, it's kind of hard for me to be too busy but I plan on learning a ton of stuff, especially in Media Design, that will help me in my career.

I'm also working on something that may be a huge plan changer but we'll see how that goes. With no definite word one way or the other, I'm not wanting to say anything and jinx it. I'm also working on my Fulbright application. With only a few classes this semester, I'm expecting to devote a ton more time to it (which will probably make my mentor extremely happy to hear). I'm going to have to talk to her about how stuff in the fall may work if I get that far but for now, I'm just wanting to write the best stuff I can.

I have also scheduled in "riding time" for this semester. On Thursday and Wednesday, I got to put some time into the pony to figure out what we need to work on. I also started her on aloe vera juice for some ulcers I think she may have so hopefully that gives me an even better indication of where we are at. The weather the last two days has kind of screwed me up on riding but overall, I'm looking to make a lot more progress with her than last semester.

I expect that this will get more interesting at the semester goes on but that's about all you missed from me not updating last week.

Until next time,

Mel

Time to Grow Up... Maybe?

As I prepare to go back to school (I leave in less than a week, where did this vacation go?) I've also been searching out summer internships. I was told last year that the more you get your name out there, the better off you are in this industry so I decided to get a head start on the search so that I'd hopefully know earlier if I was going to go home or somewhere else for the summer. 

However, once again, life surprised me.

As I was looking at internships, I restumbled upon one that I've looked at a few times over the last few years and have toyed around with applying for. The only "downfall" (if you could call it that) is that it is a year long, meaning I would have to make a choice on what I wanted to do when it came to graduating.

I had been pretty locked into the idea of getting my minor, which meant spending an extra semester at WT, which really isn't that long if you think about it. But as I weighed the pros and cons of staying for a minor vs. getting a dream internship, the internship won out. I mean, a minor is great to get and teaches you a ton but that internship gives you on the job experience that you just can't get in the classroom.

While I would absolutely love to get this internship, I also know that with how crazy competitive this one (and other ones) are, there is a major chance that if I did graduate, I would be out of any options (hello world, nice to meet you head on). So as a back up plan, I decided that I'd ask my adviser if I could sneak in a class that we are only supposed to take the semester we graduate. That way if I am stuck high and dry, I can get my minor next semester and if I get the internship, I can graduate. 

Win/win, right?

While it sounds good in theory, there are some bumps along the road (such as not having an official word on if I can take that class yet with only about a week left until the semester starts) that I've decided to plan for just in case. I've pretty much made the decision that if I'm  told "no, you can't take the class before the semester you graduate" that I will be graduating in May. I don't want to give up an opportunity to get an internship like this just because I need one more class and don't have it due to two plans. 

So instead, I have also put out feelers for other similar internships that I would love to have as well (that also fall almost exactly into my goals. And if I don't get any of those internships as well and decide to graduate in May? Well I guess it will be time to enter the "real world" for a year before I start grad school. Not going to lie, that really scares me since I've been in school since I can remember (the year off doesn't count since I knew for a fact that I was going on to my four-year school). The good news is that I am certain I'm going to grad school (as long as some high paying, amazing job doesn't come along) so my stress level isn't too high (other than the stress that comes with filling out applications and my Fulbright). However, the thought of taking the year "off" between my bachelors and grad degrees and either sinking or swimming since I need a job or internship is a scary, scary thought.

But if we don't jump in than we'll never know if we can swim, right?

Welcome to 2012

Happy New Years to the very few readers I have out there. We finally had a chance to kick 2011 out the door and start fresh. It was definitely a big roller coaster ride, with a ton of highs and lows. Unfortunately, the year started and ended on lows. When I first started planning this post, it was going to be a recap of my 2011, but the more I got to thinking, the more I wanted to leave 2011 in the past and start fresh.

I'm determined to make 2012 my best year yet both career and personal wise and talking about the ride I took last year didn't seem the best way to do that. However, like everyone else in the world, I am making resolutions for this year. I prefer to call my resolutions goals because ultimately that's what they are but either way, I figured that writing them down where everyone in the world can see them would be the best route to go to stay on track so here are my 2012 goals.

1) Graduate- I am currently in limbo over when I will graduate (spring or fall), but either way, I am graduating this year. I have been in college since I was 16 (thank you Running Start) and its time to move on to my Masters. This is my number one goal this year because I think its my most important.

2) Get fit- Being home reminds me of how I used to be somewhat skinny and fit. In school, I was an athlete and for the most part, treated my body like I was when it came to workouts. Since I graduated high school and lost the whole team sport thing, I've also lost the whole in shape thing. I don't expect to ever go down to where I was when I was playing basketball or even on the equestrian team, but I've put in the work before so I know I can put it in now.

3) Eat Healthier- This probably should go under #2 but we're making it another goal just for the fun of it. On December 1, I stopped eating McDonalds (a move that really saved my wallet and probably my body) now it's time to get really serious about it. Yes, I don't have all hours of the day and night to cook healthy, but its really not that hard to do when I do have a few spare minutes to make meals for the week. Just skipping fast food and cooking at home could help with this so its definitely something I'm going to try to achieve.

4) Write more- Those that read this and know me are probably wondering how. I already write for the paper and cover multiple teams when the seasons are in full swing, plus I write for Bleacher Report but I want to put in even more time. I only write about NASCAR regularly on Bleacher Report so its time to try and make horse racing more popular. If I can write one racing article a week too, maybe I can make a difference in the sport, which is a worthy goal in my mind.

5) Do something outside of my comfort zone- I did this a bit last year (especially during the fall semester) but I want to do it more. We only live once and I've spent enough time not wanting to step out of my own little box. It's time to change that and experience things I wouldn't experience before. I am winding down my mostly carefree years and I don't want to look back and have any regrets about not trying things. The saying "I'd rather have a life of 'oh wells' rather than a life of 'what ifs.'" is going to be my motto.

6) Get back to me- Something else I've been reminded of when I've been home is who I used to be. Overall, I think a lot of the changes I've made (such as being less serious and more outgoing) are for the better but keeping a bit of the old me isn't bad either. I need to learn how to balance new and old and that's a big goal.

7) Get a kick butt internship- No matter when I graduate, I still have time for at least one more internship this year. I need to make the most of it that I can so I'm going for a "big fish". I've found some exciting opportunities that I want to research even more and jump head first into.

8) Ride more- This goal probably fits under a ton of things as a subcategory but it's here. I've been spending a lot of time around the horses over break and realize how much I miss it. Even with a horse in Texas, I haven't been spending as much time around it as I want to and with a 12 credit schedule this semester, I'm going to devote more time to the barn. It's a great stress reliever and is way cheaper than anything else I could do (okay, that last part could be argued) so its a good plan. Plus, even if my horse hates it, it's good for her to get out and actually do something too.

9) Blog more- Weird goal? Yes. So let me explain. In 30 years, I will fondly think back on this time in my life and say "Hey, remember when....?" then say "No, I don't remember when because I'm old and forget stuff easily." I already have a bad case of CRS, I can't imagine what it will be like when I'm 52 (holy crap, I'll be old!). So this blog is meant to help me remember all of this when I get to that stage. Plus, it helps me keep track of stuff now so when I try to remember in 2 months what I was thinking on New Years, I can look here and say "Oh yes, I made resolutions" (okay, it won't go exactly like that, but you get the point). So my new goal is to blog AT LEAST once a week. Hopefully I can form enough opinions and do enough interesting things to not bore my readers. If not, I can just get another cat and blog about the adventures of a crazy cat lady. Wooo!

So there you have it, my 2012 "resolutions". It's time to start living the rest of my life.

Do We Use Social Media to Communicate Too Much?

In full disclosure, I use social media a lot and am even logged on to Twitter and Facebook as I write this.


I'll admit it, I'm a social media junkie. I have multiple conversations going on both the big sites right now and have been having multiple conversations with a lot of friends all semester. Heck, I even use twitter to communicate daily with people that are in the same building as me.

But something I often wonder about is if we use these platforms to communicate things that should be done in private. For instance, in the past year I've found out about at least two family things that should have been told to everyone in private (having someone post a status about a family member in the hospital before telling you is not fun). And I'll admit, I've done things like this too. When my dog died last week, I texted two of my best friends about it and after the shock and such had worn off, posted it on Facebook. Granted, most of the people that it directly affected other than me (my mom and stepdad) were also there with me. But others had to find out through Facebook because I posted it there (and that post led to a lot of uncomfortable calls in the days after the event). So obviously, I'm not blameless in this either.

But I have to wonder when we as a society crossed over to the "It happened in my life so let's post it on social media" craze. We've already pretty much lost any communication skills we have in life just by the advent of technology (why talk face-to-face when you can text?) but has it got to the point where any personal event should be broadcast over the internet before those directly involved are informed?

Some people still know when to hold things in when it comes to their private life and I give them massive kudos for not falling into the tech trap. But for those of us that don't, maybe we should hold off posting stuff that needs to get around to certain people until it gets to them. Heck, even the news doesn't post names of victims until their families are informed. Sure, readers want news as soon as it happens and even 40 minutes after an event seems late, but when it comes to our personal lives and not stuff that will affect the whole country or world, 40 minutes could save us a lot of headaches down the road when we have to face the music from those that had to find out with everyone else when they should have been the first ones on the phone.

So Many Opportunities, Not Enough Life

Okay, so the title may be a bit of a lie since technically I don't have a ton of opportunities yet (but in all fairness, I haven't looked for them all that much) but my interests are so varied now that I don't know where I'll land. The only things I know for certain are that I love sports and really want to work in certain ones and I want to work for Team USA one day. Or so I think.

See, my problem is that I want to do so many things and not all of them align with my goals. I absolutely love horse racing and had a blast covering it during the Breeders' Cup and could see me working in the industry as a writer or something else to do with communications one day. The only problem with that is that horse racing is not an Olympic event (although there are multiple other equine events).

Of course, I do have my sights on getting a job with the USEF (picture of the headquarters below), which is the sanctioning body of the equine Olympic teams for the US Team and I realistically see myself ending up there one day.

There are a ton of opportunities to do things such as interning (or working) for multiple US teams and I would love the opportunity to do it but there's only so much time for me to intern with them in the next few years. I plan on trying to get these internships in the future, especially if I have a semester off next year (or if I go to the school I'm looking at in the states). But even as I think and plan for these things, I keep going back to the racing industry.

My life has pretty much revolved around racing since I was a little kid and wanted to be a jockey (that dream was sadly shattered when I grew to taller than 5'2 in 3rd grade and just kept growing). Unlike other kids who were playing on the computer or doing who knows what with friends, I was studying post positions and researching what my favorite horses were doing. But I can also make a case for a lot of other sports and doing that exact same thing as well (ask me NASCAR trivia from the last 13 years and I can answer it just like that, my sundays were well spent).

I don't think there's a wrong direction here and I'm pretty sure that no matter where I end up, it will ultimately make me happy since I am being picky about my career but at the same time I don't want to job hop so I am looking for a long time position with whatever job I choose. See the confusion? I wish my decisions were simple like the 15 years that I knew exactly what I wanted to do but widening my horizons has done the exact opposite.

While this blog got off topic a little bit, it shows my confusion in the full light. I feel like I'm being pulled in multiple directions with no solution in sight. Do I go with my old faithful, the racing industry or do I follow my goal and attempt to work for Team USA? Maybe I'll try and get internships with both options and see what happens. At this point, the only thing that I'm certain about is grad school and hopefully going abroad if all works out as planned. Maybe the place I end up for that will shed some light on where I really belong. Hopefully it doesn't open up even more questions when it comes to my career because my poor brain may die if that happens.

Two Years Ago

Two years ago (probably about this time of night) I was watching the National Finals Rodeo and got the crazy idea that maybe I could like the journalists reporting on the event. A few years earlier I had shocked my mom by telling her "maybe I should major in journalism" but never followed that thought.  I had also often jokingly said "If only I could use my useless knowledge of [sports] stats useful" but had never really thought that I could.

The NFR was the turning point of that and the 2010 Winter Olympics sealed the deal when I saw a local reporter actually reporting in Vancouver for the events. It took me a few months to figure out the whole how to be a sports journalist thing out with a lot of help from Google but by the time I decided I wanted to major in sports journalism, it was too late to change schools to a program that was exclusively sports related. Looking back on it now, I'm kind of happy I didn't change.

After I came to WT in the spring to register for some mass comm classes and visit the campus again, I somehow found Bleacher Report. I honestly can't remember how it happened but I quickly got into the roll of things there and that pushed me into other avenues.

The month before I came to WT, I was approached to write for a magazine called GX Magazine. It was short lived (I wrote from August to March, I believe) since it shut down in March but it was extremely awesome to get published and allowed me to go to the 2010 Breeders' Cup to write for them (unfortunately, they were falling apart by that time so I didn't get a press pass).

From there, things have kind of taken off with a sports job at our school's paper, an actual internship with Bleacher Report, the realization that I am also half way good at sports photography after working with the Eternal Flame, and the chance to be "press" at a huge event like the 2011 Breeders' Cup (long sentence much?). These are all things that I'll never forget (and am even looking at some of the pictures I've taken at all those events over the past few months that are hanging on my wall) and will help me in the future along with the teachers and connections I have made at school.

While I am toying with multiple sports related occupations (media relations, etc) when I graduate, I'm extremely happy I took that "silly" idea I had two years ago and ran with it because I really can't imagine doing anything else. So I guess once again, I can thank the rodeo industry for changing my life. It's funny how it has a way of doing that.