Dangling with Recruitment

For the last four years, the first two weeks of August have been devoted to sorority recruitment.

Freshman Year: Round 2

My freshman year it was probably one of the most difficult weeks of my life because it was all about finding out where I fit in on such a large campus like UGA. I knew very little about Delta Gamma when I joined but I am so grateful for that now because it has allowed me to be completely immersed in the values of this organization.

My sophomore and junior year there were many ups and downs during the two weeks of recruitment. My sophomore year I made the decision to go home to be with my family and even though I was glad to be with them, it killed me to miss out on my first recruitment with my sisters. My junior year I was stuck in this position of trying to figure out why I truly loved being a Delta Gamma and relating to all of the underclassman that were coming through recruitment. If I had to go back and redo junior year recruitment, I would definitely try to make it more worthwhile and take the opportunity to get closer to my sisters.

This year, the goal was to have a positive attitude and take in every moment because it was the last year that I would experience something like sorority recruitment. At what other time in your life will you spend five days straight talking to girls that you don't know very well and selling them on why your sorority has been the highlight of your college experience? Never, so I wanted to make this year one for the record books. I think my member class and I achieved our goal because this year we saw three years of long days and nights come full circle when we welcomed 74 new members into an organization that has weaved itself into all of our lives. There were smiles and laughs and tears but I wouldn't expect anything different from my sisters.

PC '09

My three years in Delta Gamma have proven so much to me. Every girl goes through recruitment for a number of reasons but what I have found is that those reasons are magnified and broadened throughout your college experience. Most of my good friends will be my sisters and I met my two soul mate best friends by spending most of my free time with them in Deeg Room 306. These 200 women are the people who will forever call me "Dang" and the girls who don't even realized how much of an impact they have made on bringing me out of my shell. Delta Gamma has taught me about selflessness and its impact on being a leader. I have gotten the opportunity to make my own story because of my lack of knowledge going through recruitment. My decisions make an impact on Delta Gamma and I will be able to walk out of college knowing that we both have changed for good. I am continuously impressed by the bond that ties us all together and how it impacts my life every day. I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to join such a rewarding organization and that is why recruitment is worthwhile to me because I get to pass this idea on to the next generation of Delta Gammas.

Switching Gears: I went in to the first week of classes completely exhausted from the previous two weeks but knowing that it was worth it. The first week was really about realizing that I am entering what could potentially be my last year in Athens. There are so many items to check off my bucket list and so many options to consider for my future. I am determined to return to my star student glory of freshman year while also dealing with so many emotions and decisions. College has been a time of growth and change for me and this year might be on a whole another level completely but I think that is what makes life so interesting. Stay tuned for more dangling through life!

Dangling with Enough Lessons to Last a Lifetime

Okay, so maybe the title of this post is a little daunting but this summer really has been all about my growth into a young adult who has a job and is expected to take care of herself. I am really happy that I have had the option to smoothly transition into adulthood. I get to go back to Athens and have one or two more years of fun and then I won't be as blindsided when I actually hit the real world.

Lesson #1: Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to find...

I took this internship in the fall of 2011 without knowing where I would end up in the summer. I was ready to have an adventure and it definitely has been everything I expected. It has truly made me want to travel more and not overlook any opportunity that comes my way. It has given me the opportunity to try out one aspect of business and make judgments based on my work. I really feel like I made a difference in my role this summer and I can't wait to continue that feeling when I do decide to enter the working world.

Because I have spent so much time by myself this summer, I have gotten the opportunity to think about my own self management. I want to make sure that going into senior year I remember that the best I can do is be the best version of myself because if I am focused on myself then I will portray my best self to others. The more time I spend worrying about everyone else's opinions of my life, the less time I am spending on supporting myself. If the only lesson I took away from this summer was the idea of supporting my own decisions then I would be a pretty happy camper. I can decide what is going to make my life move forward in the direction that I want to take it and all of the people in my life who really matter are going to be standing behind me when I get to the next fork in the road because like I said, "life is like a box of chocolates...".

Lesson #2: All's fair in love and "business"...

I am still working on my extraversion skills since those tend to be on the complete opposite end of the spectrum for me. Well, there is no better lesson then throwing a small fish into a really big pond and saying sink or swim. I decided to "swim" this summer and after going over my final evaluation I realized there were even more opportunities for me to become stronger both professionally and personally. I need to learn the value of the simple question, "do you have 30 minutes to tell me about your job?" I think if I had realized that lesson earlier than I would of gotten a much better understanding of all the opportunities at a mill location. Also related to this lesson, there is always room to grow in business. A corporation is not going to get better unless there are people within the organization trying to push the envelope.

Personally, there were only so many weekends that I could spend looking at the four walls of my apartment. My mom and sister came into town a few times which made it easier to adjust and I made a few trips to Atlanta and New Orleans. When one of those events wasn't happening then I had time to spend by myself and, believe me, there were some weekends when I craved that time. Those were the weekends when I went sightseeing by myself or ran errands and realized that big girls have things they have to get done and sometimes those things just don't happen during the week. Another big part of this life was that I had to make friends. I had to reach out to sorority sisters or the controller's daughter in order to learn more about Baton Rouge and I wanted to get to know people. I didn't want to spend the whole summer longing to get back to Athens because I didn't know anyone. Tying back into this lesson, if I hadn't been pushing myself to get out of my shell then I would of missed the opportunity to meet some really great people.

The best part about this summer was the opportunity for me to evaluate some of my own relationships. I got the opportunity to talk to one person almost every day the whole summer, but I realized I was falling back into my old ways of fantasizing about something that was more likely not to come true. I got to make the decision about how I wanted to move forward which is a very powerful feeling. This last semester was one of hardest of my life and part of the reason why was because I couldn't seem to let go of another person who is in my life on a pretty consistent basis. By the end of the semester, my roommates were tired of hearing about this person and I was determined to forget about it this summer. My summer didn't start off along that path because I couldn't seem to get this person out of my head and I really thought that it was a lost cause. I was talking with my supervisor today and she finally looked at me and said "speak up, you only live once." If I don't take the chance, then I might regret it later and this year is definitely about not leaving anything behind which should make for an interesting conclusion. Also, I really got to see how my relationships with my friends are going to play out when we are in our own corners of the world. There are people that I know I will always be able to pick up the phone and call no matter the length of time. There are other people who I am really interested to see how the next year plays out and there are other people who I just have to realize were in my life for a reason and we have both moved on for a reason. Even though I really like getting to know people, relationships are one of the things that have no rules, so I will always be trying to define the next step.

Lesson #3: Each part of the world has it's own set of quirks...

Baton Rouge is no exception to this rule. I learned that "Cajun Spice" (don't even ask me where you buy this spice because I don't even know the actual name) could be considered a vegetable within the state lines of Louisiana. Anything and everything that I ordered this summer, undoubtedly, had some sprinkle of this ingredient and let me tell you, my tongue definitely has a higher spice tolerance.

Jersey Shore is not the only place where you can find guidos! There are also some located within East Baton Rouge Parish at the pool of my apartment complex. I do not know why people from New York/New Jersey like to move down below the Mason Dixon Line but these people at the pool are probably some of the most interesting sights of the summer.

The accent is like nothing else you will hear in your entire life and it is even harder to describe to someone who has never been to these parts of the United States. Need a lesson, go watch an episode of Swamp People and turn back their accent about three notches. That's what you hear on a regular basis in Baton Rouge.

Lesson #4: All good things come to an end...

I spent the last week moving back home and finishing up my internship in Atlanta. My presentations went really well and I got to hang out with all the other interns. One of the relationships that I described above came to a conclusion and it really helped me realize how much I have grown this summer. I also realized that my work really paid off this summer and I have the option to continue to make a difference in this company. I am so glad that I spent the summer the way that I did. I do not regret anything and I am ready to apply these lessons the next few years of my life. The next few months are probably going to be the most hectic of my life but I am ready to take them on and continue to dangle through life!

Swamp Tour Time

New Orleans!

Corporate!

Apartment in Baton Rouge!

 

Dangling through a Routine Life

Well, since I got back from New Orleans it has been a pretty average working girl life. It seems crazy to me that I only have a week left in Baton Rouge. The first month of my internship went by just right but doing a lot of the same makes the days go by faster.

It was really interesting having a break right in the middle of the week. I feel like July 4th was much more laid back this year because if you didn't take vacation then it was just another day. Unfortunately, I got a really bad headache so I ended up staying in and watching the fireworks on TV.

On Friday, I settled in for a relaxing weekend. I tried to get to the pool to tan but the weather has been rainy here, so I have not gotten the opportunity. On Sunday, I decided to head to the Denham Springs Antique District. I really don't want to be on my own but it would be fun to decorate an apartment with cool furniture. My headache returned so it was an early night, getting ready to return to work on Monday.

Movie of the Week #1: Water for Elephants- one of the best movies that I have watched this summer. It made me want to read the book which is a powerful statement for a movie. Yes, the movie had some downer parts but it was definitely a good way to spend a Friday night.

Movie of the Week #2: Friday Night Lights- this movie might not be new. I might have seen it before but I couldn't remember. It was definitely different from the other movie I watched this weekend. I really like sports movies that are based on real life but I don't know if I will need to watch this movie again.

This week has really been about preparing myself for the next few weeks. I have had a constant headache for the past five days and I can slowly feel the stress start to build back up in my shoulders. I have a lot to get done before I leave Baton Rouge including finishing some projects at work and packing up my apartment. I also have to get ready to present my final project to corporate which makes me nervous because I am such an introverted person. After all of that is said and done then I have to worry about going back to Athens and figuring out how I want to tackle my senior year of college.

I am really not ready for college to end. There are so many options in front of me and I already have a hard time making decisions. I am so glad that I have gotten the opportunity to work for such a big company this summer. It has given me the ability to figure out where I see myself in the next couple of years. The best thing about my internship has been getting to see a huge manufacturing operation and seeing how that ties into the financial information that the accounting department is handling.

I guess the biggest lesson the past few weeks has been that you have to search for the adventure in life. It is really easy to get into a routine and not having anything to show for a full week of experiences. I know that no matter what I am doing I want to keep myself active. I do not know if that will mean working out more regularly or continuing to stay involved in outside organizations, but I know that I am going to need something to fill my life besides just going to work 40 hours a week.

My goal for the last week in Baton Rouge is to rejuvenate the spirit of adventure that I had at the beginning of the summer. I want to make sure that I do not miss out on any last possibility to have a great experience that will become a story I tell my kids one day! I am currently not satisfied with having a routine life, so I am determined to change it. Watch in my next post how I make this week great and everything I learned this summer!

Dangling in NOLA!

That's right, I spent the weekend in New Orleans, Louisiana! I had been looking forward to this weekend since I got to Baton Rouge. I wasn't really too worried about planning anything and I was just going to have a good time!

I was not disappointed with our weekend excursion! I got to get off early and got to New Orleans just in time to pick up Audrey, Leslie and Julia at the airport. We made our way to our hotel in the center of the French Quarter and got ready for our first night on the town. We headed to Pat O'Briens thinking that we could eat dinner and listen to the dueling pianist. We were wrong and it ended up with us getting hurricanes before dinner. After that we realized that we really needed dinner so we headed out to Bourbon Street to find some authentic New Orleans food. We ate at a restaurant overlooking Bourbon Street and really got to see all the hype. We joined the hype and walked down most of Bourbon but then we decided to go in some place and just hang out. Unfortunately, we all got tired pretty quickly, so it was an early night.

On Saturday, we headed to Cafe Beignet to try the first of two beignet places. It was definitely a great way to start the morning. After that it was up to the Garden District for a walking tour. I loved the Garden District because it was the perfect combination of old style houses and a lovely community. We got to see Sandra Bullock's house as well as Archie Manning's and John Goodman's. We also got to learn about some of the legends of New Orleans. It was definitely a lot of walking but I am glad that I got to see it. We headed to the opposite side of the French Quarter for a muffalatta and then come shopping. I didn't find anything to buy but I did start thinking about the possibility of decorating my own apartment. I can't wait to be able to walk around cities and find something that is my style. We decided that we didn't need to experience Bourbon Street again, so we got a great dinner at the Red Fish Grill and then went back to Pat O'Brien's for some more music.

On Sunday, we went to Brennan's for the traditional New Orleans brunch. It was my first time trying a poached egg and I can't say I will be eating another one any time soon. Everything else we got was great though. I really want to learn how to make a baked apple now. We didn't have anything planned for Sunday but it was nice to feel like we had a little bit of a break.

Overalll, this weekend was what I was expecting it to be. I loved being able to travel and see friends. It is a completely new experience for me to be able to go somewhere by myself. I am glad that my parents have pointed out how cool cities can be when you decide to be a tourist and this weekend just reassured me that I need to take advantage of the opportunities to travel now.

P.S. I wish my camera would load pictures right now. Expect a post with just pictures when I get back to Atlanta!

Dangling with "Real" Life

I feel like I have gotten into a great rhythm in Baton Rouge. I am on my own during the week and then I get to make some awesome plans over the weekend.

This weekend, my mom and sister came back into town to visit. On Thursday night I decided to catch my mom and sister up on what has been going on in my life recently. I told them about some of my future plans and some of the people that I have gotten to know while in Baton Rouge. It was a big learning experience for me because I am stuck in the middle of deciding what is best for me and what is going to make me happy. I am hoping that I can find something that will satisfy both of those wants but I also will never know everything when I am making my final decision. I think one of my biggest lessons this summer is about being my own support system. It would be a lot easier for me to make decisions if I didn't want all of the people close to me to be on the same page. I am not at that stage yet but I think it is only a matter of time.

The next day, we went to the Myrtle's Plantation. It is one of the top 10 most haunted plantations in the United States and my sister just couldn't get enough of all the legends. I usually don't do scary but it wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be. On Saturday, we really became a part of the Bayou by going on a Swamp Tour. My mom is obsessed with the show "Swamp People" and the first thing that our tour guide told us was that you can't believe everything you see on TV. We only saw one little alligator but we learned a lot about different birds and a lot of flowers in the swamp. After that we were looking around the antique shops for a cameo necklace but we didn't have any luck. I am hoping that there will be an antique one in New Orleans this weekend. We were exhausted to say the least, so we spent the rest of the weekend just relaxing in my apartment.

It was another average week at work. It was the first time in a few weeks that I actually worked regular hours, not trying to make up hours to leave early on Friday. I have really started to make note of what I like at work. I like when I get to work with other people. I didn't think I would like collaboration but I think it reminds me how I am helping the other people in the accounting department. I also like having control over my work. The more work that I get to contribute to a project, the more I feel like I am making a difference. I also like projects where I am making a significant difference for the better. I know that realizing what I like about work will help me make a better decision in the coming year.

This past weekend, I got to spend some time by myself. It was nice to feel like I could do whatever I want and that is exactly waht I did. I stayed in bed for a long time on both Saturday and Sunday. I got out of bed to do some sightseeing on Saturday and to go to this great restaurant on Sunday night. It was just what I needed in order to get ready for New Orleans this coming weekend. Unfortunately, I am not feeling too good this week, so hopefully I can kick it in the next few days.

Movie of the Week: Forrest Gump. I know, it's a tradegy that I haven't seen it before now. It was a very interesting movie and I can definitely understand more of the jokes now. I am glad that I am using this movie of the week goal to get caught up on some pretty old movies. I feel like it helps me get caught up with my generation.

Book of the Week: How to Bake a Perfect Life. One of the many books I picked up when Borders was going out of business. It was your typical chick lit novel with a few bread recipes tied in. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it as a summer read in the future.

Dangling with Parrotheads and a few other pretty awesome people!

So after working extra hours a few days, I got to head out of work at 3:00 p.m. to catch my flight to Atlanta. I am getting really use to being in the airport and by the end of this trip I was kind of tired of seeing planes fly into the distance.

I headed to Atlanta to see the Jimmy Buffett concert (check that off the bucket list) and boy was it a sight to see. My friends, Audrey and Coey, had the pleasure of coming with me and we will probably talk about this night for awhile. We were first excused of being too young to buy beverages for the tailgate, so we pulled out our IDs and proved the cashier wrong. Once we got to the concert, we picked one of the more chill parking lots that was probably a good mile away from the entrance to the amphitheatre. We made it to the amphitheatre and tried to find a place on the lawn. Lucky us, we picked a great place to see two shows that night. One show was taking place on the stage, the other was taking place two feet in front of us. I won't go into all the details but I will say that the average "Parrothead" is a very interesting bird =) Also, I had my first experience having a beer thrown in my direction. To set the record straight, I did not do anything to deserve this beer being thrown in my direction, I just happen to be in the crossfire of a fight.

The biggest surprise of the evening was when Zac Brown decided to join Mr. Buffett on stage. They sang a few of their collaborative songs which I thought was a great added bonus. All in all, the concert was great. I feel like I got the experience that college students should have and I will definitely go back to one of his concerts one day.

The next day, I got the pleasure of having brunch with my sorority advisor. It was her goal to meet with all the vps individually over the summer and my meeting could not have come at a better time. I got a lot of my feelings out on the table and she really helped me come up with a game plan for the rest of the summer and into the fall semester. I am hoping that I can rebuild some bridges this summer in the land of Delta Gamma. I think it is great that I have gotten away from my responsibilities for awhile and I know I will be ready to come back with a renewed vigor in the fall. I wouldn't be able to feel so good about this experience without the help of my advisor.

I got back to work on Monday and had a pretty relaxing day just catching up on stuff. On Tuesday, I finally got to have dinner with someone my own age because the controller at the plant introduced me to his daughter. We went to a restaurant/bar that someone had suggested to me and I got to try my first po'boy. I am not sure why this sandwich is such a rave down here. It is really just like a seafood sandwich with all the regular fixins. I think it at least needs an unique sauce or something. On Wednesday, I got to participate in a Cycle Count Audit for one of the warehouses and teach someone how to work with Maintenance Labor Reporting. It is great to see the work that I have put into a project being used to improve processes. When I can see that I am helping people is when I really enjoy my job. That night I got to catch up with the president of Delta Gamma and it was absolutely one of the best discussions I have ever had. She reminded me that Delta Gamma is really about the relationship that I make and in order to be a good leader you have to be able to hold yourself and others accountable. I am hoping by the end of this fall semester, we will have made a lasting impact on the chapter and be able to walk away from our experience as great friends. On Thursday, I got to spend a lot of time in the retention shed at work putting together some documentation. It is one of the tasks that has to be done but it's hard to find the right time to do it. I am hoping that the work that I put in this summer will help them to move forward with this project.

Another pretty average week work wise but I am trying to use my time away from work to create meaningful experiences. I am hoping that I can come back to Athens with a new outlook on life and be more aware of how to make my senior year in Athens one for the record books.

Dangling with the Family

So, as soon as I got back from my trip to Atlanta the worldwind adventure kicked up a notch. My mom and sister came into town on Saturday and we decided to go to one of the tourist restaurants in town. My tongue is slowly getting use to the cajun flavor that is used on everything in Baton Rouge. Also, we got to hear some Cajun music and see all the old couples dance which I thoroughly enjoyed...really makes me want to take dance lessons! On Sunday, we decided to make our way to St. Francisville. I got to show my mom and sister where I am working on a daily basis and we took a trip to the back side of the plant to see the new building ang the National Cemetary that is located near the mill.

After a trip around the plant, we made our way to Rosedown Plantation. It is an absolutely beautiful plantation home and has acres of gardens that can be walked through after the tour. We learned about the history of the house and got to take a ton of pictures. I wish my internet was fast enough to post these pictures haha! My biggest discovery about this weekend was that it is great to have people visit you when you are living in a different city. I enjoy the time that I get to spend by myself during the week but living this far away from home has made me realize how important it is to spend time with your family. We got to experience Baton Rouge together and I could not have asked for two better people to keep me company.

This week at work was the first that I got to experience working later hours. I had plans to fly home for the Jimmy Buffett concert, so I had to make up the hours that I was going to be missing on Friday. Fortunately, my supervisor gave me a project that can fill up hours of a day or weeks at a time, so I was not lacking in tasks to complete. I am keeping the company in business these days because I am printing a million invoices, putting them in numerical order, and keying in the appropriate information. That week I also got back to keeping myself accountable by making list in my planner. I knew it was going to come around eventually and it really does make me feel better to be organized.

The best part about the week was probably getting to catch up with one of the other interns. I was really interested in watching the CMT Music Awards but I got caught up in a great conversation instead. I think the best part of the internship is getting to know other people who I might not have met otherwise and I can't wait to see what the rest of the summer brings.

It was a pretty average week for me but I am still trying to absorb every experience. Everything about this situation makes you think and you have to learn how to control what you think about on a regular basis. I know there are some people who would go crazy with this much alone time but I believe it is making me a better person.