21 Thoughts on Being 21

So I've been slackin' on the blog posts...and it just so happens that my 21st birthday is 21 days from TODAY! So I decided I'm going to write a blog post everyday with one thing I've learned in my (almost) 21 years of life so far. So without further ado, here is number 21.

21. Appreciate being young.

You are only young once. Stop yearning for the future and live in the moment. Right now is the only time that you have your whole life ahead of you; the world is your oyster. You have plenty of time to settle down and be serious, enjoy this time with little responsibility and plenty of opportunity. Time flies and before you know it, you'll be wishing you were young again with the world just knocking at your doorstep. 

Sports

Sports are something that I've always love and have always brought me great joy. Whether I was playing them or watching them it has always been fun. I strongly believe everyone should become a loyal fan of a sports team- follow them, cheer for them, build a community around them. Although it may seem silly to those who don't understand it, sports bring people together in a way that is different than anything else.

I obviously know a lot about this being a FLORIDA GATOR. I am almost unhealthly obsessed with my school and the sports teams. I love em all, but football is my thing. Nothing makes me more proud than a Gator win and there is nothing like the orange and blue sea at the Swamp on gameday. I am so happy with the way our season is going and I think its safe to say WE ARE BACK BABYYYY.

Anyway, the real point of this post was to say 1. I love sports 2. I love the Gators and 3. I love the Giants and they are going to Game 7 and I'm freaking stoked. It is so fun being in the bay for these MLB playoffs. It is so cool to see all the Giants fans come to the cafeteria at DreamWorks to cheer for them during the games...man, I love that camaraderie. 

This post was obviously full of brain power.

Everyone should like sports.

Hebrews 12:11

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Facial Sculpture

So one awesome thing about working for the Training Department is I know about all of the classes that are offered to employees. The classes can be technical or just artistic like figure drawing or sculpture. These past two weeks I've had an awesome opportunity to sneak into a Thomas Applegate facial sculpture class. This is my sculpture from this week. Not perfect, but a big improvement from last week!

Also, the Training Department often arranges for speakers to come talk to the company. Today we had Ryan Woodward come speak about his animated graphic novel, Bottom of the Ninth. Its an app on the iPad and let me tell you guys, it's totally worth downloading. This thing is an amazing and impressive work of art. It's free so just do it.

Tomorrow's Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday.

YOLO

I sincerely do want to update this more often, but I hardly have free time and when I do I find it hard to put into words what I am experiencing and learning from my time here. Hell, I don't even know if anyone reads this anyway, but here's an update about what has been happening in my life the past week or so.

My weeks are long, especially the commute. 3 hours of driving a day is not something I would recommend to anyone nor something I will ever do again. Its definitely important to live close to work, which is something I'm glad to learn before I am fully employed. This internship has been good for learning many small things like that, and also many big things about myself. If it was up to me, I would insist every student have a full time internship before actually entering the real world. Going from student/full time employee is a tiring transition.

I am glad I am doing something I love and working for my dream company or else it would be hard to get used to. I would encourage everyone to try to find a career that you enjoy and are passionate about, or else 40 hour + weeks would be hard to endure.

It's funny how in college you have such little understanding or care for the bigger picture. Yes, you might think about it, maybe even plan for it, but when reality hits, its a whole other story. I'm sure people struggle with the transition from college to real life all the time, actually, I know people do, and I know people that will.

This internship has been so rewarding and it has only (or already, depending on how you look at it) been four weeks. It has given me perspective and insight that I would not have achieved otherwise. It has opened doors and opened my eyes to what I need to do in order to achieve my goals. It has made me even more ambitious and driven, as if it were possible.

Every day I am at DreamWorks I enjoy myself. I laugh wholeheartedly, every day. And for the first time in a long time, I feel at peace. I feel satisfied with who I am and what I am becoming; I feel sure about my future and what I am meant to do with my life. I feel mature and grown-up, without losing my wide-eyed and youthful spirit. I pray I never lose that spirit.

I am exhausted, but in a good way. In a way that feels whole and calm, undisturbed by the stresses that come with being a young college student. My mind doesn't race at night, and worry about what I need to do tomorrow. I don't feel anxious about my future being dependent on a single exam grade. This God-given peace is just what I needed in the middle of a trying and difficult college career. I feel renewed and ready for everything that is to come.

Every day I am in awe that this is my life. I am thankful that I get to learn from the best in the industry. I am thankful I got this opportunity period. This is a life-changing experience, and I am glad I recognize that while I am in the midst of it and can still take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way.

"Luck is when preparation meets opportunity."