Day Trips: Renaissance Festival

Living in the DC metro area gives me access to some amazing events to partake in. One of these events is the Renaissance Festival. What better way to escape the daily grind of Post Grad life than going back in time, drinking Meade and throwing axes? That's right, there is no better way!

Some people go all out with their attire for this. I tried really hard to find a suitable outfit, but to no avail. Turns out I have no clothing for the occasion, but my friends do!

At the festival there are so many shows to watch, all of which are included with admission. One of my personal favorites is the "O'Danny Girls." According to their bio they are " a harmonious trio that is ribald for your pleasure! They will regale you with harmony and lyrics that will tickle your funny bone - and other areas not fit for printing." This is a very accurate description.

There are also rounds of Jousting to watch while a Jester holds up a "Huzzah" sign for the crowd. There mare many comedy acts, a ballet performance, almost anything you can think of they have.

Speaking of anything you can think of, there are so many varieties of food it's amazing. The giant turkey legs are a classic, but there are also things like fried mac and cheese on a stick, fried pickles, fried ice cream, steak on a stake, etc. Between all the fried food and the Meade, though, my stomach was not too happy with me.

If ever you need to escape real world, try going back in time, this Post Grad highly recommends it.

9/11

Today marks ten years since 9/11. Do you remember where you were when you found out? 

I was in 8th grade, switching between classes when a friend ran up to me in the hallway and told me that  planes had crashed into the twin towers. I think I was in disbelief, because it didn't really register with me that people were actually inside those buildings, dying as we went about our morning classes. I just remember thinking that it must have been some sort of accident. In the next class periods, our teachers turned on radio news reports and tried their best to explain what was happening. Tons of kids got picked up early from school as the twin towers fell to the ground.

That evening, my family and I sat in the living room and watched the news replay the planes hitting the towers over and over. It was on every single channel and just didn't look real. 

I remember my band teachers telling us how we are all related to each other by some law of sixths (he could have been making that up... he was an interesting man) and we likely knew someone who knew someone that was now dead. I didn't personally know anyone who passed away that day thankfully, but it's likely that there were people in my town who did. Shikole and I grew up and hour and a half north of NYC, and many people in our town are city transplants or work in the city part time.

We sincerely hope that all of those who lost loved ones or were affected in any way by 9/11 are finding some peace today, ten years after the horrible event. Take a second to remember where you were that day, reflect on how far you've come as a person, and think about how far we still need to progress as a nation.

LinkedIn

There's no question that everyone and their mom (literally) is on Facebook these days. But what about Facebook's slightly dorkier and business-minded cousin website? Yup, we're talking about LinkedIn today.

When I thought I might like to have a career in online publishing, I made an appointment to talk with one of my favorite professors to see what options were out there for me. Before we got into career options, the first thing she asked me was if I had a LinkedIn profile. I made one that afternoon.

What is LinkedIn?

For those who are only vaguely familiar with the site, your LinkedIn profile is essentially your online resume with a more personal touch. You can write your own "about me" section and link to personal websites/ twitter pages in addition to providing all of your past job and schooling info.  LinkedIn also has a recommendation feature, where past employers can write up summaries on your work experience that will display on your profile.

What you should include in your profile:

One of my professor's best LinkedIn tips: make sure you don't put "SUNY Geneseo (insert your college name here) student" under your profession at the top of your profile, unless your plan is to become a graduate student. I was ready to hit the workforce, so instead I took stock of my personal writing projects and called myself a "magazine journalist and blogger". Since I had examples of where I was published, I felt okay using this title. It made me feel powerful to stop placing myself into the college student category. This is definitely not to say that you should make up a career, but make sure you are giving yourself a title based on your skills, not where you attend school.

The other tip I have for anyone new to LinkedIn is to make sure you commit to your profile. If you want a career as a social media strategist or writer, make sure your profile reflects your skills. Leaving your profile completely empty with only "I'm a recent grad looking for job opportunities" under "about me" is not the way to go about attracting potential employers.

Instead, take the time to write out a thoughtful LinkedIn page. Contact old employers on LinkedIn and ask for recommendations. Hook LinkedIn up to your Twitter account, join LinkedIn groups, and actively participate in discussions.

Why LinkedIn is so valuable:

Resumes are great tools to use in the job hunt, but they can easily get lost in the shuffle of a busy office. LinkedIn is easily accessible anywhere with an internet connection (which is pretty much everywhere nowadays.) For example, every time you write a follow up email to a potential employer, include your LinkedIn page link under your signature. This not only makes you appear social media savvy, but is also a quick way for employers to scan your qualifications and see what past employers have to say about you.

LinkedIn is also a valuable resource for job openings. I'm alerted at least five times a day about job openings in my field that might be of interest to me. It's possible that you and a potential employer will even be members of the same LinkedIn group.
About half of the people I know the professional world actually don't have LinkedIn profiles, which seems crazy to me, since the site is entirely free and easy to navigate. I hope a few of of these tips can help you turn your LinkedIn profile page into the best one possible or inspire you to create one for yourself!

Drive to Work Playlist

It's very hard for me to be happy on the drive to work. It took me from my nice, comfy bed and will provide a headache for the next 9-10 hours, why would I be happy? Unfortunately I have to talk to clients at work so being unhappy is not an option. The only solution I have found is listening to great music on my commute.

1. Kane Show on 99.5 FM. I know this isn't a song, per se, but the morning show is really funny.
2. Ida Maria "Bad Karma" It is so upbeat but has a message I can relate to while driving into work.
3. Kanye West. Just about anything by Kanye. Top 2 right now are "Hell of a Life" and "Power"
4. Citizen Cope "son's Gonna Rise."
5. MGMT "Time to Pretend"

What songs do you listen to to make going to work a little less sad?

Working Out Before Work

                  

Last week, I did something that I swore wouldn't be able to accomplish. I dragged myself out of bed at 6am and worked out in the morning before heading to my 9-5 job. I know that tons of dedicated athletes and gym rats do this daily, but for me, doing this twice last week was quite the eye opener.

For the longest time, my nights after work have always been filled with something. Either I was heading to the gym, or cleaning the apartment, teaching piano, seeing friends/boyfriend, getting groceries.. you know how it goes. I felt like I never was home before 7:30 and by the time I'd get back to the apartment, I'd just be too tired to do much of anything. Working out in the morning completely frees up my night time. I'm planning on using my new chunk of free time to go on long walks, read, develop a professional website for myself, and play more music.

What do you do stay healthy while working a 9-5? I'm always looking for new exercise ideas! I've been obsessed with zumba lately.. mostly because the class is so fun that I forget I'm actually toning muscles. I definitely recommend it! I've also always wanted to become a runner, but I find it hard to stay motivated/ entertained during long distances. Give me workout suggestions, friends! :)

Hope you all had a wonderful long weekend!

Why I Love My Friends

Friends are the most important part of being a Post Grad. Almost every other part of your life has changed. You need your friends more than ever. And as we have written before, making friends as a Post Grad is not easy. Who else is going to help you move? Or carry you home when you've indulged in a little too much at happy hour? Your friends of course!

So below are the reasons I love my friends.

• They judge me juuuuust enough. I hate being judged as a rule, but I also know that I don't always make the best decisions. My friends judge me just enough to let me know that they care and I might be an idiot, but not too much so I know they still love me.
• They indulge in my culinary adventures. Actually they usually encourage them. How am I supposed to know how fantastic, or vomit inducing, my cooking and baking is unless they try the creations?
• They encourage my creativity. Now that college is over there is less opportunity that presents itself for being creative, unless you've somehow landed a job in that field. From this blog to the writing group that was just created, without my friends they would not exist!
• They are dorks just as much as I am. I need to be able to make casual references to The Cave and be understood.
• They are awesome. 'Nuff said.

I hope all of you have a great Labor Day weekend and that you get to spend it with your friends!

Random Thoughts Before a Long Weekend

Nothing like waking up with a head cold to start off the labor day weekend right! Tonight I'm packing, consuming as much Vitamin C as possible, and then trying to get to bed early so I can wake up, work a half day, and drive 5hrs home for the weekend.

I can't wait to relax at home and see my parents, but I'm also excited because my boyfriend is coming with me this time around. There is something about showing off your hometown to out of town friends or boyfriends that really helps you to see it with new eyes. I'm hoping this weekend will be a great way to send off Summer 2011.

Speaking of that... where did summer go? How is it that college kids are already back to classes? I guess when your working full time summer really is just a season. I can't complain though, because this summer I managed to fit in some pretty fun activities.

1. Last weekend, I visited Niagara Falls (about an hour and a half drive from my apartment). We stayed on the American side, which I have to say is definitely not as nice or built up (or clean) as the Canadian side, but it's always amazing to see those huge falls.

2. I finally went to see a minor league game for the Rochester Red Wings (Triple-A affiliate of the Twins). They lost, but watching the game with a beer and popcorn on a beautiful summer night was just so fun and relaxing.

3. Saw fireworks. One of the towns here puts on July 4th display that is on par with Disney World fireworks.

4. Went on a double date mini golfing. So cliche, so summery.

5. Exercised outside and swam! I know I still have more time to do this, but after being cooped up all winter, running around my neighborhood just does not get old.

There's more, but these were some of my favorite summery highlights this season. Are you sad to see another post grad summer leave us behind, or are you ready for fall?