decisions

Decisions. Life is full of them. Socks vs. flip-flops. Red shirt or blue shirt. Sam vs. Harry. Boston University or Elon University. Spain or London. Big or little, decisions occupy the majority of our daily thought process. The little ones cause are minimally distracting -- Cookie dough ice cream or Lime sorbet? But the big ones often result in equally large headaches, stomach aches and in some cases, anxiety attacks.

As the summer rolls on, my friends who are recent Elon graduates find themselves making those gut-busting decisions. And I find myself on the receiving end of apprehensive phone calls and text messages. I love listening. I love being the ear and the shoulder. And I love sharing the excitement when a decision is made and a victory won. For the most part, I'm talking about the job search.

Of my three best friends who've graduated, two are now employed and the last just received her first job offer -- one she's not sure she can take, but an offer nonetheless.

And as I listen to her agonize over low pay without benefits and dish out advice, I wonder just how well I'll be able to take my own advice next year when it's my turn to hit the pavement running and begin the next chapter.

My friend McKenzie and I always refer to ourselves as "ducks in a row" kind of people. We like to know where we're going, how we're getting there and what's going to happen when we arrive. More and more I'm realizing that life doesn't work that way. There's always someone waiting with a monkey wrench to toss into your gears. Cynical? Yes. Realistic? In my experience, very.

Over the last few years I've slowly and sometimes painfully begun to understand that the only thing I should plan on is the unexpected. Come September I will have nine months to start my march toward that stage Under the Oaks and then across to the parking lot, my car and the rest of my life. Every instinct in me is telling me to start planning, make lists and phone calls. And to some extent I know I have to just resist all of them for a little while longer and just let myself enjoy the last summer of freedom.

a long hiatus

So I've been pretty all around terrible with this whole blogging thing the last few months. But I have a good reason. Actually, no I don't. But I've decided to just do it. To bite the bullet and post something, even if it's boring and meaningless to anyone but myself. I've realized that the longer I wait the more pressure builds up to post something spectacular, and really, that's just too much anticipation. Too much pressure.

Essentially my life the last few months has consisted of my internship in the communications department at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Just a few words on that. The first would have to be: awesome. I'm learning so much. I'm the public relations intern, officially, so I spend most of my time dealing with external communications, writing pitch letters and press releases. And basically spend my time pumping up public programming with the likes of Simon Doonan, Thurston Moore, and other famous artsy folks, and getting excited about upcoming exhibitions: Richard Avedon. Maya Lin. Can anyone say holy mackerel!? I've worked with press from Spain covering the Elena del Rivero opening (If you click on the "press information tab," I wrote that release...) and some how have managed to be on a first-name basis with the cultural attache to Spain (this isn't my life, right?). You can see me in this news reel for CNN+, the Spanish affiliate of CNN. And I was recently (read: My arm.) on the Spanish version of the Associated Press, Efe!

Here is the package for CNN+ covering the installation process of the Elena del Rivero exhibtion, Home Suite. I am the one in the gray skirt. Sorry, it's in Spanish:



In addition to random encounters with Spanish press, I have been helping with the editing process for the catalog that will accompany the Richard Avedon show due to open mid-September. I edited the essay by the curator, Paul Roth, that will appear in the catalog. I also compiled the text for the brochure that will be handed to every patron. I've been a busy B.

And it's just all around fun. The program consists of 14 girls and one guy and I've found a group of three other interns who are just so great. We have lunch everyday and talk and gossip about our lives. Very Sex and the City-esque. It's fabulous.

It was my goal this summer to blog more and keep on top of this thing, but yet again, and as always it seems that life has gotten in the way of life.

More soon.

b