Man alive, this place almost feels "normal" to me...

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... ridiculous heat and huge bugs aside, that is. 😊

The summer is absolutely flying by-- I didn't realize that my last blog entry was more than a month ago. Weeks 1 and 2 were difficult, as I knew they would be, but each week got easier and easier... it's hard to believe that I'm headed into Week 8! Let's see. Summaries:

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@ the CRC:

My job has been WONDERFUL-- probably one of my best professional decisions to date. The CRC staff has been beyond helpful, always willing to answer my questions, allowed me to observe most anything, invited me to add my observations and input, and kept me plenty busy. The size of UF has really contributed to my experience because the CRC is able to accomplish/accommodate a lot of things that smaller schools don't even try to dream up. I can see great resume-builders and interview material all over this terrific opportunity. 😊 So what have I been up to?

1. Preview (summer orientation/registration program) presentations were a main responsibility listed on my job description, and after I did them once or twice, the information felt more and more natural. Some groups are more responsive than others, but occasionally I even get applause or laughter at my jokes! (I usually start by introducing myself and mentioning that I'm from Cleveland, "you know, that town where we can't get sports right. ever." It tends to go over pretty well. It was tough to be from CAVS-ville during Weeks 1-3, let me tell you!) Next week is the last week of Preview, and it will be weird to have my schedule freed-up afterward.

2. Student advising appointments gave me the chance to learn all about finding internships, shopping for jobs, reviewing resumes, polishing interview skills... Career Services 101. The traffic for appointments tends to be slower during the summer, but the other advisers let me sit-in on their sessions as well, so I've been exposed to all sorts of dilemmas. I could advise for a long time and still be asking questions-- a lot like in Admissions. 😊

3. I've been able to work on several projects independently. A couple Career Development staff members (the "counseling" side of the office, vs. the "advisers") are creating a workshop series for the Fall to highlight job options for Liberal Arts majors, so I brainstormed the first workshop for them. "Careers for Those Who Want to Help Others and Change the World" explains the many career options found through non-profits, government jobs, and full-time volunteer service. I shared my research with them last week, and it was a real smash-- they thanked me for "writing their first sentence"... and assured me that developing the other workshops would be easier now that one is complete. Yay!

4. I wanted to become BFFs with our Fine Arts liaison, hoping I could make a few connections at the College of Fine Arts before I leave; we had a chat a few weeks ago. He charged me with creating a couple "Career Spotlights" that highlight specific jobs in the Arts and Journalism... but pieces that "students would actually want to read-- something hip and edgy". You all know how "edgy" I really am, so this project made me a little nervous. Haha. A childhood friend of mine assistant-directed a new Broadway show last Fall, so I emailed him and asked a few questions about how he got there, how he started networking, what it's like to start a new life in NYC, etc., and I hope to create a fun piece based on his answers. I did something similar with one of the radio personalities from Cleveland that I listen to often, and hope for responses from him, also. In the end, I'm hoping that seeing success in recently-out-of-college peers will be something that UF students can relate to, and still meet the quota for "edgy" that was requested of me. I'm not sure if this project will materialize in the next three weeks, but I'm hoping for the best.

5. One of my colleagues is teaching a section of the First Year Florida orientation class, and has invited me to contribute a lesson at the end of the month-- on "anything I want". Which means I'm still trying to make a decision and develop my presentation, and it's stressing me out a little bit. I'll figure it out, and I know that more teaching experience sure won't hurt me at all.

6. There's also an Employer Relations side to Career Services that can get overlooked at smaller schools, but the CRC has been able to give me a decent amount of exposure to that as well. I've been serving on the Career Partnerships committee that is trying to connect with employers in Florida specifically (there's another committee for the rest of the country), through site visits, in hopes that these employers will choose to attend our Career Showcases and begin recruiting our students. I'd love to go on a local site visit while I'm here, but they are less frequent in the summer, so that might not happen. We'll see.

Gosh. I'm sure I'm leaving some things out. But anyway-- the CRC is rocking my summer. 😊

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Weekend adventures:

I've had the chance to do a decent amount of sight-seeing while I've been down here. Not quite a 10-week vacation, but probably as close as I'll ever get. 😊

I spent a Saturday in June with one of my co-workers and we drove out to St. Augustine, which is about an hour and a half away. So much history! St. Augustine is the oldest city in the US, and is full of "firsts": first wooden school house, first drugstore... all tucked away in the village with gift shops and restaurants. We went to Castillo de San Marcos (The Fort), and Flagler College, a sweet little Lib-arts college that used to be a hotel. And it's not a trip to the coast without a picture of the local lighthouse (for a Brannon, anyway). It was a great day, even though the heat index was 110. (YIKES.) I'm glad we went!

My first visitors were Kristen and Ellie, and we spent a weekend in Orlando... and yes, we went to DISNEY! Neither of them had been there, so most logical choice was the Magic Kingdom-- what a blast! I think there's something really special about being there as an adult that makes you feel like a kid yourself. Where else can you randomly have a dance party in the street? We rode Aladdin's Magic Carpets and Splash Mountain, and Cinderella's Golden Carousel and... well, it was wonderful. My only disappointment of the day? Having to leave the park to catch our hotel shuttle just as the evening parade and fireworks were beginning-- and it would have been a PERFECT night for fireworks! The little girl in me wanted to cry. The grown-up in me realized that we saved money and hassle by not driving. Oh well. See how being a grown-up complicates things?? We spent Sunday doing some leisurely shopping at Downtown Disney (there's a Disney Christmas store?!), and I visited IKEA in Orlando after taking them to the airport on Monday morning. It was lovely to spend time with some familiar faces!

My parents flew down for a visit to celebrate Independence Day and my recent membership into the Gator Nation. Since Dad grew up near West Palm Beach, he wanted to show Mom some of his old stomping grounds; they spent a work week exploring South Florida, and spent two weekends with me. It worked out really well. The first weekend was spent in Orlando: we went to TBN's Holy Land Experience and R.C. Sproul's church. The second weekend was more local-- Micanopy (little town of, what?, 100 people? cute gift shops, looked like "Old Florida", according to Dad) and campus, including The Swamp (all 93,000 seats-worth). We went to Cedar Key (I'd been there early in June, so it was easy to find my way back), and took an island/Suwanee River boat tour for an afternoon. It was wonderful to spend some quality time with them and show them my new turf. And in Dad's heart-of-hearts, I think he'd like all of us to move to Gator Country... 😊

I've included a link to the Facebook photo album I've created for the summer. I hope it works:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2050513&l=4c1d1f503c&id=66203023

So what's next? A couple girls from the office and I are going back to St. Augustine tomorrow to have a beach day-- I can't spend the whole summer down here and not spend a day at the ocean! (We're pretty land-locked, so it's a project to get to the beach, unfortunately.) We stopped at this beach during our last visit to St. Augustine, but the day was long and it was SO VERY HOT, so we didn't stay long-- I knew right away that I wanted to come back. I think it'll be fun, and this particular beach isn't as commercialized as others, so I can enjoy the waves and quiet and the sun and a book... *sigh*

I think I'm going to try to go to Jacksonville next Saturday, since I haven't made it that direction yet (again, about an hour and a half away). Don't know what I'll do there, but I'll be creative.

Then I get to have one more exciting weekend adventure to the Tampa/Sarsota-ish area! Details to follow... (The curiosity will eat you alive, I'm sure. Have to save something for the next entry.)

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"Extra-curriculars":

I've been able to find a few things to keep my weeknights busy:

1. The Summer Choral Union is the only UF choir that rehearses during Summer Session B, and it's open to the community as well (like B-W Singers), so I decided to join. I really needed a music outlet, and I miss being in a university choir, so it's been a lot of fun. The final concert happens on the last day of my internship, so it worked out perfectly! I even think a few of the folks from the CRC will come and listen... it'll be my final shout-out to UF. The director has a really great rapport with the group (it takes a special personality to be able to handle community choirs...) and for what we are, I think our sound is pretty decent. Vowels are a little bright-- probably my only complaint. Haha. Overall, two thumbs up.

2. I sit next to a girl in choir who grew up dancing, and invited me to go with her to Florida Swings this past week, which meets on campus. They had an hour-long lesson, then an open floor, and I had a ball. I think I could become a decent dancer (or at least a decent follow) if I practiced enough!

3. I'm still trying to polish my tan, which hasn't been an easy feat. It rains down here (and by rains, I mean monsoons) almost every day, and prefers to do it right after I get out of work in the afternoon. I've become "that girl from Ohio who will lay out when it's mostly overcast because she knows she'll get sun anyway"... but whatever. Desperate times, kids, desperate times. I'll make you proud. 😊


Thanks for being patient with the long blog entry... but hey, it's been over a month!

I miss y'all like crazy, and as much as I'll be sad to leave the CRC and folks I've met here in Gainesville, part of me really aches to come home. Soon enough. In the meantime, I've got lots to accomplish...

Be well, and have a wonderful weekend.
All my love.

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