hovering

Lately I've had this very odd sensation that I'm sort of floating, in a way, hovering around something big, but I can't quite get there. I know it has to do with the time of year, and the fact that I'm going to be seriously looking for jobs soon. But I have a sense of dullness that I can't quite shake. I feel like I should be more nervous about finding a job, more anxious about the fact that I have no clue where I'll be in six months, but over the last few weeks, I've been so focused on my life in the present, that the future hasn't really caught up with me yet.

That's good, right? I've been saying forever that my goal was to live more in the now, and not worry about what's coming and where I'm going. I've always been a strident planner, and incredible organizer, yet right now I feel like there's so much on my plate that needs to be organized and planned in addition to all the other stuff going on in my life, something had to give, and it was the future.

There have been multiple instances in the last few days where this Future has been poking my shoulder, creeping into my daily life as a reminder of its imminence. I delivered a package yesterday for one of the women at University Relations, it was a set of proofs for the program for the Spring Honors Convocation. That's the thing they hold in April to honor all the students who've performed well -- seniors wear their caps and gowns. Holy crap. And yet, it seems so unreal right now, so completely foreign and far away. Denial? Maybe. Survivalist instinct? Probably more likely.

I think my mind is compartmentalizing because I know that if I start worrying about it now, I'll fall apart. I have no plan. I have no job, not a lot of money and at this point no clue as to where I'll be living in six months. But saying that doesn't freak me out as much as it should right now because it's still six months away. A lot happens in a week for me, six months is a lifetime at this point.

That being said, check back with me after Christmas. It'll be a different story I'm sure.

panorama ding dong

A life update will come soon, but as I'm in the middle of some reading and still have about 50 pages to go tonight, that can't happen now.

But, as I was doing this reading for my Methodologies in Art History class, I stumbled upon this really cool website when I looked up a piece of contemporary art that was being described.

It's called gigapan. It takes high resolution images, especially panoramas, and allows you to zoom in, zoom out and view different sections of the image in seriously high definition. Totally cool.

This easily distracted me for 15 minutes.

yes we can.

Standing on the edge of history, I'm brought to my knees with tears in my eyes by the power of the unified voice of the people. Today, I am so proud to be an American. I am so proud to have voted in this historic election and to have been accompanied by one of the highest voter turnouts in history. I am proud to say that our democracy works. I am proud to say that for the first time in its nearly 300-year history, the United States has broken tradition in the search for change and hope and has spoken its mind in the favor of a new way of looking at the world, a way that ceases to recognize strength and wisdom, leadership and truth based on the color of skin.

I am proud to align myself with a party that has never ceased to fight for the equality and good of all people. But it is in the following days, weeks, months and years that we as Americans must look to ourselves to see past the colors red and blue and on to the bigger issues that we're facing. Both candidates recognize we are only as strong as we are united. Party politics is petty and divisive, and now is a time for unity and change.

"Where we breathe we hope. Yes, we can."




check out The Pendulum coverage

peaches

I spent the weekend in Atlanta with the freshmen Journalism and Communications Fellows. It was a blast. I made some new friends, and some excellent contacts and had a great time visiting a new city.

From Thursday to Saturday we were a whirlwind of nice clothes, clicky heels, notebooks and questions. I was placed with the strategic communications (PR) and print journalism group. We went to Atlanta Magazine (met the group at CNN briefly, see below), the Weather Channel, Weber Shandwick (the PR firm that holds the accounts for the got milk? campaign and Coca Cola), and Turner Field where the Braves play. I've posted some pictures below.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to visit the High Museum. It'll just give me another reason to go back to Atlanta.

In other big news -- The Pendulum was just awarded third place in the Pacemaker awards competition by the Associate Collegiate Press for our online election coverage package, and was given Best of Show for our Oct. 29, 2008 issue. This is huge, these awards are considered the Pulitzer Prizes of collegiate journalism. I'm so proud!

OK, on to the photos:
This is the view from my hotel window. We stayed in the Marriot Marquis, it was a beautiful hotel, the interior architecture is fabulous. I had my own room, care of Elon, and enjoyed a king-sized bet to myself.

This is the whole group in front of the CNN sign in Atlanta. Half the group went to the studio, then the rest of us met up with them for a photo-op. (I'm the one in the white shirt and brown pants.)

This is the view of Turner Field from the press box. We were taken on a tour of the press box and video production booth and then onto the field itself.

This is all of us in the dugout. (Green skirt, front row.)

And that's me, in the dugout feeling fully major league