Falk

I've had a few people ask me who I'm doing my internship for, so I'd like to take this Music Friday to introduce them. They are a country group named Falk. They are sisters from Logan who are currently recording their first album in Nashville. Both Natalee and Alexa write, sing lead, and play lead guitar. Through their music, they have become ambassadors for the National Eating Disorder Awareness (NEDA) campaign and have shared their story and song "Deadly Beauty" at walks across the country. Their message is one of love and loving yourself.

While they are currently recording their album, the girls are also trying to get on The Ellen Degeneres Show. Ellen has always believed and shared self-love and acceptance. If you like the song, you should go to http://www.facebook.com/events/200082940116196/ and help Falk get on Ellen!

I think I've decided what I'm going to do with this blog. I'm just going to update whenever I feel like it. Share the things I want the world to know, when I want them to become known. May be 3 times a week, may not be. Things are just getting crazy right now, especially since my computer hard drive decided to have a meltdown today and I am laptopless for the next 2 weeks. We'll see if I'm still alive by then, or if the insanity known as college has gotten the best of me.

Happy Friday Everyone!

And Now It's Wednesday

As part of my 21st Birthday Weekend, I went shopping over the long weekend. My main focus was business clothes, which I was able to find several options (thank you H&M). When I was standing in the dressing room, with the amazing runway lighting scheme, I felt like a grown up for the first time. Looking at my reflection in the mirror, dressed in a grey business suit, I realized just how excited I am to get a PR job. I know the clothes don't make the job completely, but they certainly don't hurt! I've been wearing blazers and jeans to class lately, yet I feel so overdressed among the jeans and sweatshirts. I know the weather is limiting everyone's fashion choices (I bought 2 really cute dresses this weekend, but it doesn't look like I'm going to be wearing them anytime soon.) Does anyone else feel like this? How do you battle the wintertime fashion blues?

I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to keep this blog up. As you can see, I've been missing days a lot. My ideas of blog-worthy topics are completely gone. I'm blaming my writer's block for this, just FYI.  Everything I've come up with lately is very personal "this is what I learned today" type things. Does anyone actually want to read that? I really do like this blog because it's forcing me to write, something I've not been able to find time for lately. So we'll see. If I don't see you guys for a while, thanks for reading! It really has meant a lot to me.

Rachael

Breathe In

This week has been absolutely insane! Not only is it Birthday Week, but I found something I really wanted and actually got it. An email for an internship came through at the end of last week. I wasn't planning on doing one this semester, set on tackling an internship during my summer. It isn't really a secret that I want to be a music publicist when I graduate and this internship is doing PR work for a country group called Falk. This week, I organized my portfolio, interviewed, and GOT THE INTERNSHIP!! I'm super excited and think it will be a good experience. The group is just starting out, so in a way I get to shape their PR efforts and build from the ground up!

Life feels like it's starting to happen. Not only am I almost 21, but my future career is right at my finger tips. I need to take a minute and just breathe it all in. I'm very excited and I feel like this song sums up that feeling. It's called "Breathe In" by a woman named Frou Frou. I discovered the song on Tumblr last week and have fallen in love with it. To me, it's one of those songs that would be played at the end of a movie when the couple gets together. I could also definitely see it in a wedding video. Sometimes when things are going so fast and spinning around us, we have to remember to take a minute and just breathe in and enjoy the moment. Happy Weekend Everyone!

The Next Step

When I was a freshman, the word "internship" was tossed around casually. It was that thing I knew I would be doing later. Sophomore year it was a bit more prevalent,  mainly because I was actually taking classes for my major. My internship would be completed in the summer before my senior year. Everything else was fuzzy. Then things shifted. I realized I could graduate in December instead of May, making my senior year span a calender year, not a school year. My plan to complete my internship over the summer was still in place, but I started to feel like I was missing out on something after listening to my friends and classmates talk about their internship's and work experiences.

"Never say never" as Justin Bieber would say. The other night an email came through for an internship that almost seemed to good to be true. I thought about it overnight and decided that I should apply. This internship is a music PR one, which is exactly what I want to do when I move out of Frozen Logan. I had never applied for an internship before. It's kind of a scary thing and I relied on my PR friends a lot to tell me what I needed to do. I've come up with a few tips for applying for internships, and I guess they could even be applied to job interviews.

You Can Do This! Tips to Feel Successful in an Interview:
1. Believe in yourself! Confidence (not cockiness) can go a LONG way. If you believe you have the skills/abilities to do the job, others will too.
2. Pick the right outfit. Whether it's a skirt or pants, make sure that you feel comfortable in your choice. If you're uncomfortable, it will be noticeable. Shoes are included in this. Take into consideration how far you'll have to walk.
2.5. Dress to impress. First impressions stick. Make sure you look right for the job.
3. Organize ALL of the important materials you will need. Nothing says unprepared like a jumbled stack of papers.
4. Make sure you can open whatever method of organization you've chosen. I failed at this. I bought a folder yesterday to put my portfolio in. Took it home and tried to open the binding to insert more page protectors. The binding wouldn't budge. A screwdriver, penny, knife, and my roommate later, I ended up going back to the store I bought it from and had to have them help me open it. It took 3 of us.
5. Take a copy of your resume and portfolio. Just because you emailed it to them doesn't mean they looked at it. It's always nice to have something they can see right there.
6. Smile and be you! They're going to ask you questions, so answer them honestly. You want to look your best, but lying will come back to bite you later.
7. Say "thank you" when you leave.
8. Afterward, don't stress. If things are meant to happen, they will.

My internship interview was this afternoon and I feel like it went really well. I'll find out if I got it on Friday. I'm trying not to worry about it too much. School is sucking me in so hard right now. There's plenty to keep me occupied. If I get it, I'm going to celebrate this weekend. If I don't, I'm going to go out and party like I'm turning 21. I believe that whatever is meant to happen, will, and I just have to accept it and try to do my best.

So This Is Growing Up?

Birthday week has officially begun! While I am super excited for this weekend and the celebrations I have planned for the big 2-1, I'm also a little sad. I'm officially loosing my youth. Come Sunday afternoon, I will no longer be a child. Blaming my mistakes, immature moments, and incidents of irresponsibility on my adolescence will no longer be acceptable. It's funny that I'm slightly dreading this life event, because just a few years ago I couldn't wait for it. But that always happens, doesn't it? I think I might be ready for it though. Based on some things that have happened recently, it seems like some really good things are about to come.

I think the fact that I'm actually growing up is really hitting hard. I'm in the last downhill of my college career. Real world jobs will have to be found, bringing along adult responsibilities  Big Girl clothes are the only perks to growing up. Business attire is so fun!

I invite you to mourn my youth with me. Cupcake points to anyone who can name all of the following!

Answers: Arthur, Madeline, Nickoldeon's Face, NSync (Justin's new song just dropped. Still deciding if I like it or not), Polywog from Gulla Gulla Island.

Big Jet Plane

Do you know what the absolute best thing in the world is? Okay, so I lot of things come to mind. One of my favorite things to do in this universe involves music (no duh!) You turn all the lights off, crawl into bed, pull the covers close around you, and put your headphones in. Just laying in the dark with the music....I can't explain how much I love this! I think part of it is that I can enjoy the musicality of the songs better. All my other sense are cut off, letting me just listen. I'm not distracted by what's going on, because it's dark and I'm alone, so nothing can happen. It's my favorite way to end a stressful day.

Some songs are better for doing this than others. I usually pick mellow songs like Sia, John Mayer, and artists like them. Essentially, I'm trying to decompress from the day. The last thing I need is major guitar riffs and drum solos. The only bad thing, is if I find a song that I really love. I probably won't want to turn it off and then I never sleep. Sometimes there's a song that makes me just want to create. I can't explain the urge, but every now and then I'll watch/see/read something and I just get this super powerful need to create something. It would be great if I didn't have writers block.

Today's Music Friday song is one of those songs. I discovered it last night and have probably played it over 100 times already. The lyrics aren't groundbreaking and I'm pretty sure they stick to the same 3 chords the whole time (I could be wrong though, I don't play guitar.) This song kind of spoke to me though. The song is about wanting to protect someone and take them away from a bad situation or something they don't like. I can't wait until I find someone willing to do that for me. It's called "Big Jet Plane" by Angus and Julia Stone. If you have any songs you think I should listen to, let me know. I'm looking to update my iTunes library. Happy Friday Everyone!

Where Am I Supposed to Be Again?

Does anyone else NOT feel like their classes are part of their schedule yet? I know we're only 3 days into the semester, but I don't feel like the courses I'm taking are mine. Like, I keep thinking I need to do something for Media Law and I caught myself looking for my Grammar textbook to work on homework. The fact that I don't have any of my textbooks yet might have something to do with that. But still. 

As I said yesterday, some of my classes are more exciting than others, but none of them feel right yet. I still feel like I'm on vacation. It's not a good feeling. I know it's going to take some time, but I need routine! Though, sleeping until 10 because I don't have class until 1 wasn't horrible. 

How do you get back into the swing of things at the start of the semester? Anyone ready to give up yet? Was there a hottie you can't wait to talk to in the class of 200? I want to hear your 1st week of class stories!

In the mean time, here's some college thoughts brought to you by Tumblr. 

New Beginings

I'm am doing so bad at this lately! First sickness and then trying to figure out my schedule, I swear I'm going to keep blogging regularly! I even had a post written up yesterday, but then the internet freaked out and I didn't get a chance to post it. 

I hope everyone is having a great semester so far! Yesterday morning I was super optimistic about my new classes and this semester. Last night, I wasn't feeling the same way. Film is just about the only class I was excited about after going to. McCuskey is the professor and I feel like he is going to make this semester great! It's a big class too, but we're talking about things I know. MOVIES! Not to mention this class is right in the middle of awards season. Should be interesting!

Health Psychology and PR Research don't excite me as much. PR Research only has 13 people in it, most of whom have a reputation of not working very hard. From what I've heard about the class, I'm in for a very rough semester. Why am I taking 18 credits?? (Oh right, I don't want to go through another Logan winter.) I'm determined to succeed though. 

Thankfully my work classes seem pretty chill. I'm back in my library room that feels like home. Only one of my classes is an originate, which is nice too.

Is anyone else feeling stressed out by classes yet? I get this way at the start of every semester. I know I will be able to do it all and succeed, I just have to get my routine back. Routine is the key to surviving college. Once everything falls into a time slot, it can all get done.The bitter cold doesn't help with the stress, but today's warmer! 

Good luck with this semester everyone! If you were looking for a chance to change things, it's right here in front of you. All of the mistakes of last year-procrastination, boys, not giving it your all-it's all behind you. Go out there and show the world who's boss!