Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Dearest Facebook...

Obviously, Facebook has taken off. I remember when a good friend of mine was in a poke war with a friend on Facebook when we were in high school. "You should totally get Facebook." "They don't have my school yet." (That was a lie, just to be honest. I wasn't sure what school I would be going to and I didn't want to have to explain that, nor did I want to have to make a new profile at www.thefacebook.com, because that's what it was called back then.)

I called my holiday break "the break of the exes." I had more add's of people I used to talk to or used to date over break than I've had in the past six years (since I left Washington.) I had a really good conversation with one of those individuals tonight. The hang-up was rather quick and abrupt, but it left me thinking. It had been quite a while (over 5 years) since I had thought about, or spoken to, that individual. "Where are you now?" That's such a loaded question. But...here's my 5+ year update, in bullet point form.


  • Graduate high school.
  • Got out - I always said I'd move. No one believed me, at least not until I moved to Michigan.
  • In Michigan, I met some of my best friends: Stephanie and Steve, then the transition to Stephanie (a different one), Ryan (one of many), Craig, another Ryan, Theresa, Brittany (for a period of time, anyway) and many other close close friends from the mitten.
  • I met Brandon. The best thing about picking up my life and moving to MI is, and will always be, him.
  • I had quite the development. I started young and graduated old, it felt.
  • I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations (in three years.)
  • I launched straight into my Master of Arts.
  • I spent an amazing two years working with a unique group of technical and career minded students in the College of Aviation at WMU. (and spent nine months working as a full time professional)
  • I graduated with my Master of Arts in Educational Leadership: Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership
  • I was unemployed for less than three weeks before a job offer came in.
  • I spent most of my unemployment period with Brandon and his family - and end to an "era of education", so to speak.
  • I got to move to Chicago, IL to be a grown up. Even better, my best friend Brandon and our family (dog Ellie, cat Parker) got to come with us.
  • I started my second professional job
More importantly, my family has taken such amazing leaps and I am so proud of each of them.

  • My dad quit his teaching job for "the job" in NEVADA (a state we had NOT lived in previously.)
  • My mom quit her job of forever (8 years?) to support my Dad (and I found out later, how own) dreams.
  • My brother picked up life to start over as a middle-schooler in a new state.
  • My sister picked up life to start over as a high-schooler in a new state.
  • ALL OF MY FAMILY picked up their life one more time for a new school district.
  • My parents followed their dreams and opened the greatest company ever (TOAD, their theater company)
  • My sister didn't go to college, but is furthering TOAD and her personal life by working for my family's company
  • My family never faulted. They have always said we will follow our dreams. In the hardships and the difficulties, they have managed to rise above and succeed in ways I'm not sure any of us saw happening.
5+ years is a long time. The achievements in this amount of time are amazing. Some may think that certain things are missing in this "ideal world," but I honestly can't think of a single thing I would change. All I know is this:

I don't judge what other people do; many choices that may be right for others are definitely not right for me.

FYI: today was the best day because I got to reconnect with a long lost friend, I got to see a number of students that I haven't seen in over a month, and I was reminded of why I love my job thanks to the excited looks I put on the faces of four different groups of students. I was also reminded that a GREAT FRIEND is moving to Chicago in September (and may crash in my spare bedroom for a few days/weeks/months!) Why was today the best day for you?

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Dearest Facebook...

| Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Obviously, Facebook has taken off. I remember when a good friend of mine was in a poke war with a friend on Facebook when we were in high school. "You should totally get Facebook." "They don't have my school yet." (That was a lie, just to be honest. I wasn't sure what school I would be going to and I didn't want to have to explain that, nor did I want to have to make a new profile at www.thefacebook.com, because that's what it was called back then.)

I called my holiday break "the break of the exes." I had more add's of people I used to talk to or used to date over break than I've had in the past six years (since I left Washington.) I had a really good conversation with one of those individuals tonight. The hang-up was rather quick and abrupt, but it left me thinking. It had been quite a while (over 5 years) since I had thought about, or spoken to, that individual. "Where are you now?" That's such a loaded question. But...here's my 5+ year update, in bullet point form.


  • Graduate high school.
  • Got out - I always said I'd move. No one believed me, at least not until I moved to Michigan.
  • In Michigan, I met some of my best friends: Stephanie and Steve, then the transition to Stephanie (a different one), Ryan (one of many), Craig, another Ryan, Theresa, Brittany (for a period of time, anyway) and many other close close friends from the mitten.
  • I met Brandon. The best thing about picking up my life and moving to MI is, and will always be, him.
  • I had quite the development. I started young and graduated old, it felt.
  • I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations (in three years.)
  • I launched straight into my Master of Arts.
  • I spent an amazing two years working with a unique group of technical and career minded students in the College of Aviation at WMU. (and spent nine months working as a full time professional)
  • I graduated with my Master of Arts in Educational Leadership: Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership
  • I was unemployed for less than three weeks before a job offer came in.
  • I spent most of my unemployment period with Brandon and his family - and end to an "era of education", so to speak.
  • I got to move to Chicago, IL to be a grown up. Even better, my best friend Brandon and our family (dog Ellie, cat Parker) got to come with us.
  • I started my second professional job
More importantly, my family has taken such amazing leaps and I am so proud of each of them.

  • My dad quit his teaching job for "the job" in NEVADA (a state we had NOT lived in previously.)
  • My mom quit her job of forever (8 years?) to support my Dad (and I found out later, how own) dreams.
  • My brother picked up life to start over as a middle-schooler in a new state.
  • My sister picked up life to start over as a high-schooler in a new state.
  • ALL OF MY FAMILY picked up their life one more time for a new school district.
  • My parents followed their dreams and opened the greatest company ever (TOAD, their theater company)
  • My sister didn't go to college, but is furthering TOAD and her personal life by working for my family's company
  • My family never faulted. They have always said we will follow our dreams. In the hardships and the difficulties, they have managed to rise above and succeed in ways I'm not sure any of us saw happening.
5+ years is a long time. The achievements in this amount of time are amazing. Some may think that certain things are missing in this "ideal world," but I honestly can't think of a single thing I would change. All I know is this:

I don't judge what other people do; many choices that may be right for others are definitely not right for me.

FYI: today was the best day because I got to reconnect with a long lost friend, I got to see a number of students that I haven't seen in over a month, and I was reminded of why I love my job thanks to the excited looks I put on the faces of four different groups of students. I was also reminded that a GREAT FRIEND is moving to Chicago in September (and may crash in my spare bedroom for a few days/weeks/months!) Why was today the best day for you?

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