A Farewell to J2150

2 week left.... 2 WEEKS. Those are the words that are constantly making laps around my brain lately. One minute they bring a sense of accomplishment because I've almost completed my second year of college with a lot to be proud of. Then the next minute those words create a sheer panic inside me. I have so much to do in a small amount of time, and I don't want any of my work to show that stress. It's pretty safe to say these past couple weeks have been full of plenty mixed emotions.

While my mind is a complete mess lately there is one thing I know for sure, J2150 has challenged me in the best ways possible. If someone had told me back in January that those words would come out of my mouth, I would've laughed out loud. This class scared the crap out of me, it was completely out of my comfort zone and I wasn't exited about it. Now 3 months later I have learned the advantages of stepping out of your comfort zone, you realize things about yourself you never knew. I am in no way convinced to change my major, but I learned I can actually put some media pieces together that don't look horrible, which is all I could've asked for.

So I just wanted to end with the biggest thank you to Kellie Stanfield for being an incredible lab teacher this whole semester. You helped me go from dreading the start of this class to actually looking forward to it. Your confidence in all of us means more than you probably realize. Thanks for one hell of a semester!

A Dog Adoption Story: How the Shelter Stays Afloat

The Central Missouri Humane Society is Columbia's own no kill animal shelter. They are a non-profit organization meaning they receive no national funding. This means they rely mostly on donations and fundraisers.

This year the shelter decided to switch up their fundraiser event. On April 9, 2016 they held their first ever Duck Derby. The event was made possible through the help of a lot of hardworking staff and volunteers. I know I enjoyed being there and I am sure plenty of others felt the same. It was a great place to spend the day with both your human and dog friends. I have hopes they will host the 2nd one next year.

Watch the video to see what really went on during the event.

Baby Steps Toward the Real World

As the second year of my college experience is coming to a close, I can't stop thinking about it how it already been 2 years since I walked across that high school stage to accept my diploma. So much has changed since then and I can honestly say I am proud of who I am today. While so much has changed though I am glad one thing has been constant in my life for the last 8 years, my friendship with my amazing best friend Abbey Leach. We've been there for each other through so much that I know our friendship will be one that will last forever.

It has been within the last several months though that we have both been realizing the changes that go along with growing up and getting closer to stepping into the real world. Right now we go to schools 2 hours from each other (She goes to school in Kansas City) which makes it easy to still stay close because of how easy it is for one of us to drive to visit for the weekend. We both know thats starting to change though. For the first time in 8 years I won't be spending pretty much my entire summer goofing off with my best friend. She will be living and working in Kansas City while I will be in St. Louis very busy with my River City Rascals internship. I am beyond excited for the opportunity I am being given for this summer, but I can't shake the feeling of nostalgia. Words can't even describe the horrible feeling that goes with watching a friendship change so much. Growing up comes with so many great experiences, but know one ever tells you what its like to watch your best friend walk down a path on the left as you're walking down one on the right. So, heres to the hopes we will be those old ladies that can one day tell people we've been friends for over 50 years. 

Too add to all the memories brought up by writing this story I'll end with this little throwback and a very big thank you to puberty. We've come a long way since those unfortunate middle school years. 

A Dog Adoption Story: A Forever Home (Repost)

This weekend I definitely stepped out of my comfort zone. I created something I never thought I would be able to do; a short interview and B-roll video. As someone who's creativity more comes in the form of marketing and advertising strategies, I never even thought I had the skills to do anything other than take a Snapchat video. This assignment really helped me believe in myself and help me see  what I am capable of if I push myself.

With that aside, I had the chance to work with the sweetest duo, Hailee and Kash. Hailee chose a more unconventional adoption route and found her dog on craigslist. He was a farm dog from the Lake of the Ozarks that had 2 other litter-mates, but she fell in love with her soon to be pup named Kash. They were both such a joy to work with, and Hailee had some wonderful insight on the ups and downs of adopting and raising a puppy. I can tell from my time with them that they are a perfect match for each other. I'm sure Kash is ecstatic to know he has found is own forever home.

Here below is the short video to give you an inside look on the relationship between a girl and her dog. Its not all easy, but those cute faes sure make it all worth it. Lastly, I would like to thank not only Hailee, but all those out there that save a life by adopting instead of buying, it truly makes a difference.

 

Spring Break In St. Louis

Unlike many others this week, I will not be spending spring break on a white sandy beach. I will be spending the week home with my family in St. Louis, which honestly is fine with me. I am extremely close to my family, so sometimes I prefer to spend time with them over friends my own age.

With that being said, for the first day of break my mom decided to take a spontaneous trip to Forest Park and spend the day taking advantage of the beautiful weather and blooming flowers.

Our first stop was the Jewel Box where hundreds of beautiful tulips lines the walkway.

Once we were there and I saw how awesome everything looked I decided this would be a perfect opportunity to practice my skills with the 360 Panorama app. While the app can be very frustrating if you take all the time to make one and then you find white spots that you missed, it can also be a lot of fun. Here is the panorama shot I got in front of The Jewel Box (due to some technical difficulties the panorama is featured at the bottom of the post) 

Another Stop we made was at the World Fair Pavillon. Lucky for us it was completely empty inside, allowing us to get some pretty cool shots like this one.

All in all, it was a pretty nice way to spend the first day of break. I suppose I'll close with a picture of of my sidekick and me because I guess she's pretty cool.