Saturday, March 19, 2011

Taking a look back

Time sure does fly. I feel like it was just yesterday I was in college having a carefree life and hanging out with all my friends. This year has been full of changes both personally and in general. I guess one of the reasons I have decided to review this past year now instead of when the year actually started in January is because I still think of years in terms of school years. If I were still in school the year would be coming to an end, and I would be preparing for an exciting Spring Break. I would not be preparing for a move across the world. However, being an adult does have its perks.
This past year has been especially unique for me. After graduating from grad school in May I deemed myself a “professional dabbler”. Even though I have a master’s degree in Social Work, I have been tackling several other professional projects. My friend Samantha and I started our own business. We spend most of our summer weekends traveling around the SEC taking pictures of schools and selling them as prints. This past summer was the summer I took up photography. I have always enjoyed taking pictures and documenting every event in my life; however, I got the opportunity to take my love for pictures to the next level. While using my boyfriends professional camera I started looking at pictures a bit differently. I became intrigued with buildings and landscapes especially college campuses around the south. Samantha used her mad editing and graphic designing skills to make the pictures come to life. Then she turned the photos into prints that can be framed. We have been building this business all year and hope to continue to build it even though I will be moving. We are very proud of our website www.sec-prints.com and being named Top Entrepreneurs Under 25 on www.sawyerspeaks.com
Photography was not the only hobby I turned into a small business. I have been making and selling feather/flower headband in a store in Jackson, Mississippi for about a year now. The store I have been selling Green Tree Accessories in is called Samoa which is inside Swell-o Phonic. I am truly going to miss making accessories and selling them. It has become very therapeutic, and I hope to continue selling them in England or on Etsy.
In my personal life I have also experienced a new side of myself. I have learned to enjoy reading and running. These are both things I have really hated in the past. I started to enjoy reading because I can now read whatever I want, and it is not an assignment for class. I began to love to run after challenging myself to run a 10k for a research project I had to complete in graduate school. It is not only a great way to exercise, but it can be very relaxing. This year I have also given up eating meat. I know this is a lot of change in one year, and although I don’t know how long it will last, I have really enjoyed it so far. I feel like I have more control over what I eat, and I am trying not to eat as many fatty foods.
While visiting my friend in the Peace Corp, I grew my nails out. I know this may sound stupid, but it has always been something I struggled with. I have never had long nails, and this is the first time in my life that I have been letting them grow. I did not realize I was letting them grow while I was in Guatemala. I was honestly just too scared to touch them because the water was so unclean.
This has been the change for the past year however, the change to come will be much greater and much more exciting. I will keep y’all posted on all of my new and exciting adventures! My next post will be coming from England..
Bye for now,
XOXO

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