IMAGE Chicago

Keeping my Options Open

I feel like living in Chicago has helped me see what I want for myself down the road. While I love the hustle and bustle of the city, I've realized that I picture myself in a suburban house with my own backyard. I love the outdoors and sunshine too much to be staring at concrete sidewalks from a loft window. I've also slowly realized that I miss going outside and breathing in a gasp of fresh air! In my mind, Chicago is an amazing place to spend one's vacation but I don't think I could live here year round. Perhaps a suburb would be the best of both worlds!

Throughout the summer I feel like I have been uncovering more passions, goals and desires. I have discovered that I truly love designing ads and lose track of time while graphic designing. I wish I would have realized this love before declaring my magazine journalism major, but people carve their own success all the time and I think it's silly to limit myself for the rest of my life because of a decision I made in my teens. Moreover, I have become increasingly interested in law. This may be a strange revelation while working at a magazine; however, I feel like I'm destined for something greater than writing about luxury items and entertainment news. Perhaps the picture is no clearer than when I started; after all, I now am interested in graphic design and law, but who has just one passion? I think it's possible to cultivate passions in more than one arena of your life. I have far too many interests to pigeon-hole myself into one career at the moment. For now, I plan to keep my options open.

Moments

I truly believe that life can be more accurately measured by the number of moments that take our breath away instead of the number of days we are here. Likewise, I feel like my stay in Chicago is more memorable because I've tried to take advantage of the opportunities that the city offers. I don't understand how some people spend so much money to be here but then choose to sleep the day away. I have attended every excursion and have explored the city with the new people I have met. I feel like I will be leaving Chicago with no regrets because I've tried my best to take it all in. I really enjoyed the Cubs baseball game and the second city comedy show. And although some of my attempts to explore the city were stopped because of unexpected subway construction, I've covered a lot of ground. I'm looking forward to going to Chinatown, North Ave Beach and a concert at Millenium Park this week!

Making Progress

I'm starting to really enjoy the work I have been given at my internship. I am getting to dabble in a little bit of everything, which is exactly what I wanted to do at the beginning of the summer. It is giving me a much better idea of what I want to do and don't want to be doing after graduation. Not only was I able to write several articles for the publication that I'm working for, but I have designed several ads that will run both online and in the magazine. I think the important distinction in telling whether or not I'm enjoying something or not is based on whether or not I loose track of time while completing a task. If time seems to fly by, it really is an indicator that I'm enjoying my work. On the contrary, when it feels like my teeth are being pulled to accomplish an assignment, I can better tell that probably isn't something I'm going to be enjoying on a long-term basis. Luckily, time seems to be flying by; much more so than with the marketing project I was given at the beginning of the summer. Thank goodness I'm not a marketing major.

I must say that this summer has been so different from how I've spent my last three summers. I finally feel like I'm branching out into the real world as far as having a career goes. Lifeguarding is great, and nobody can really complain about a great tan, but this internship leaves me feeling like I'm putting a foot in the right direction instead of waiting for my job to come to me. All the speakers we have had at the seminars have also shed light on the importance of making it happen for yourself. I think the change of pace that this summer offers, being in a new city, having a new internship, and meeting new people, has allowed me to make some changes as far as my thought process and what I need to do to get my career in line for after I graduate.

I look forward to making the most of Chicago while I'm still here.

Ambition and Asking for What you Want

I'm slowly falling in love with Chicago and what the city has to offer. The lifestyle here is so different from what I'm use to; however, I feel surprisingly at ease. Living in a big city allows you to dream big; there are no caps on what you want to accomplish. It's not like living in a small industrial area where you are almost out of place while trying to break the boundries. Rather, in Chicago, you can be inspired by the people who have made it in their fields. Or you can look at the awe-inspiring skyscapers and appreciate the hardwork that it took to make the city what it is today. I have always found the feeling of accomplishment one of the most rewarding emotions, and it seems that in Chicago you cannot step outside without being reminded of what hardwork is. John Wooden described hardwork best, "There is no trick, no easy way, no alternative, to old fashioned work.” It is only through this driving ambition that you can get anywhere.

Furthermore, I believe it is through ambition that you can turn any situation around to best suit you. My first couple weeks at my internship were disappointing because I was not writing or editing articles as I was told I'd be able to do. Instead, I was given a marketing assignment in which I had to promote a subsidary of the company. I embraced the project but was also sure to speak up about what my expectations of this summer were. This was a big step for me because I usually go with the flow. Luckily, speaking up served its purpose. I am now coming up with magazine story ideas, writing articles and designing a media kit. I don't think I would have gotten any of these jobs unless I had made my voice heard. I am currently looking foward to getting more projects and learning more about the magazine industry.

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