Kyla's Long Way Home: Intern Blog

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2014-01-08T21:54:00.000-05:00

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Journey to A+ Success: Tip #1

2014-01-08T14:23:00.000-05:00

Hey! Looks like you have decided to come along with me on the Journey to A+ Success! Welcome! Just a short disclaimer: be ready for some tips and tricks that I will be practicing over the course of my semester. There will be some trial and error, some frustrations, maybe tears (those can or can't be promised), but overall I'm praying and striving for a great semester where I have redeemed myself from a not so stellar last semester.

My first tip is more like a personal vow to myself: Buy a Planner & Stick to Using It!

Most schools hand out planners each year (especially to freshmen). My advice is to do search for a planner that best suits your personal style and taste. Because if you truly like it then you will pull it out and use it! I chose a really vibrant medium size planner VERA BRADLEY STUDENT AGENDA $18. I asked for it for Christmas! I really like the print and the size is perfect to fit in both my backpack and a tote bag. For some this might not be your style. Find a cool color and also choose a size that works for your lifestyle. A mini planner that fits in your pocket might better suit or a full size planner that measures the size of a sheet of paper. Whichever just make sure you adore it because it's going to be your friend this semester. Open it daily. Take it out at the start of class along with your textbook, pen, paper, etc,.

While on this mini shopping trip here's a few more items to pick up for your planner:

Colored pens (I'm taking 4 classes so I want to write assignments, deadlines, extra credit for each class with it's assigned color. I went the less creative, blue, red, green, purple and any other items that don't fall into those classes can be written in black, pink, and orange)
Highlighter (one or two colors are only needed; I use these as a last chance reminder of tasks that MUST be done soon that have been put off)

Now for me I like writing stuff down, but with it being 2014 and all, there's an app for that right? So I'm going to search around for a few apps over the first few weeks of my semester and see which I recommend. I've used one before and preferred paper/pen but hey if I find the right one maybe I will conform.

I'm so excited and pumped to apply the tips I will be sharing with y'all to my success this semester!

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Psalm 138:8 ESV

On The Road to Redemption: Bouncing Back from a Not So Stellar Semester

2014-01-07T09:08:00.000-05:00

Nothing like a new year to revitalize the motivation and drive for all A's this semester. Grades were less than awesome for me last semester, and now I am on a mission to redeem myself. I mean it's one thing to say "I'm shooting for all A's" at the start of each semester only to get halfway through and shape my thinking to "heck, if I pass I'll be okay!". I have let senioritis get the better of me, but not anymore! This semester I'm not just shooting, I am AIMING and having aim is much more accurate than idly shooting.

Let's flashback in time to me as a freshman: fresh-faced, overly ambitious, and on the Dean's List most importantly. What helped me stay so focused? I received the extra push with the help of some advice books. I picked up again HOW TO WIN AT COLLEGE: Surprising Secrets for Success from the Country's Top Students by Cal Newport over the course of winter break. It's an easy read with less than 200 pages containing 75 tips from top performing students all over the country! As I read the book again, like the back cover states, there were some surprising tips like: don't do all your reading and drop classes every term. Now don't let these two pointers keep you from checking this book out; like with any advice book, everything does not have to be taken wholeheartedly and is circumstantial. Over the course of the spring semester I will be putting some of these tips to the test on my journey to A+ success (I think this is the makings of a mini series: Journey to A+ Success).
Disclaimer: Don't let my trial and error approach to tips I have deemed beneficial substitute checking the book out for yourself! There are tips that I will overlook that you find valuable that I overlook. On the other hand I also hope that my testing encourages others to change their old patterns by practicing a new tip or two I am trying.

Won't you come along on this journey with me this semester to prove to myself that I can aim and hit the target of A+ success in school?

And if anyone has any awesome tips, advice, or stories feel free to comment below. I am always open to new ideas for studying!

May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests.
Psalm 20: 4-5

Go See The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Form Your Own Opinion)

2014-01-05T14:08:00.000-05:00

I have been inspired to write again after a 3 month hiatus. I convinced my mother to go see Ben Stiller play a serious role! That's impressive people, round of applause please. Anyway today I saw the Secret Life of Walter Mitty and I have mixed reactions to this movie. Usually I'm more into action or thriller type movies but seeing commercials for this movie touched a special part of my heart. Is it sad that I saw a bit of myself in the character, Walter? There sparked a fear of growing older and living a life of mediocrity. Ok that word is a little harsh, more like complacency or unfulfilled. Walter loves his job; he lives for his job and goes through the motions of everyday life. Is it scary to think my life could be the same? Do others have that fear too?

I sympathized with, related to, and and yet loathed Ben Stiller's character in the movie. I felt sympathy for his contentment in life and his father passing. I related to the part of him that realized he wanted something different for his life and went for it. But I realized that the whole adventure in this movie was because he wanted to spark the attention of a woman! It was in that aspect of the movie that I loathed him.

Where is the person that decides they want to make a change in their life for themselves? I know I am not the only person that wants to see themselves as a particular character they are watching on the big screen. Some want to be Katniss (Hunger Games) other see themselves as young Simba in the Lion King. Whatever the character, relating is inevitable and maybe a piece of you aspires to have their characteristics: courage, spontaneity, passion etc,.

I realize that technically he did want a change in his life, he was lonely and wanted to share his life with someone else. I guess what I am getting at is this movie did not break past the surface. The go-getter message conveyed merely stepped out of the kiddie pool and lurked in the shallow end of the big pool. I think a better story would have been if Walter discovered (or really re-discovered) himself for himself, not for the approval of the opposite sex. Finding yourself seems to be a theme that is missing in the cinematic world. Instead the ultimate goal is a happy ending with significant other. Now this is not going to turn into some rant about feminist views, all that is being stated is where is that strong individual at the end, not necessarily a power couple?

My next step is to read the short story written by James Thurber and go from there. I did enjoy the movie and would encourage others to go see it for themselves to form an opinion about it. This film so eagerly wanted to encourage a strong message ("To see things thousands of miles away, things hidden behind walls and within rooms, things dangerous to come to, to draw closer, to see and be amazed"), it scratched the surface with good intentions, but somehow lacked depth.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE MOVIE??????

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4 6-7

DAPPER DAY!

2013-09-24T10:23:00.001-04:00

This weekend at Disney's Hollywood Studios, hundreds of sophisticated dressed ladies and gents filled the park for Dapper Day! I have been looking forward to this event since September of last year when I first found out about the event. The participants are still small in number, but as the number of park goers and the media for the event increased soon the park will be outnumbered during this bi-yearly event.

My roommates, Hanna, Jordan, and I have been nonstop excited about Dapper Day, that it was probably sickening! Finally Saturday had arrived but the day was not so smooth sailing as expected. I had an online test to take; 2 hour exam with 100 questions. Talk about putting a damper on things. Hanna had been expecting her petticoat for her dress to come in the mail all week and was resorting to shelling out money for a last minute substitute that would have been super plain. Luckily the package came in RIGHT before she was heading out to the store! Great luck right? A quick drugstore run for false eyelashes and we were in business for preparation for the evening!

We didn't get to the park in time to get in the picture with everyone at The Great Movie Ride, but we took some awesome pictures and even were snapped a few times by guests. One guy even approached us and asked for us to pose for a picture. We felt like celebrities. People staring and taking pictures of us as we enjoyed our evening at Hollywood Studios. People would even come up to us and want to know "what the heck was going on with all these beautiful people dressed up".

The best part of it all was passing other groups of people dressed up and acknowledging each other with a warm "HAPPY DAPPER DAY". Even some of the cast members knew what was going on and greeted us with the same welcome.

Ending the park experience by watching Fantasmic, next we headed over to Beach Club Resort for some much needed food. We were so excited about the night we had not eaten since breakfast!

A few bumps in the road did not bring my spirits down Dapper Day; it was like the social event of the year for me! I am still on a high from the event and how stunning everyone who participated looked! I have a new adventure in the works, going to Disneyland Dapper Day next fall where the event originally started.

For more information about Dapper Day check out the website www.dapperday.com

Hanna retro updo

My roommates Jordan, Hanna and I on the tram outside Hollywood Studios

Shelby, Hanna, Jordan, and I posing near this vintage classic

Hollywood Tower of Terror

This was taken right after these ladies complimented me on my outfit! I had to get a picture with these dapper dolls!

Picture taken by Kanoe Lontayao

Sarah and I

Ending Dapper Day events at Beach Club Resort for dinner

A photo-op in a foyer at Beach Club

Their recreation of the classic scene in Titantic

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Program to Talk About DAPPER DAY!!

2013-09-19T15:27:00.000-04:00

DAPPER DAY!!!!!!!!!

What you've never heard of it? It's only the greatest Disney event to hit Hollywood Studios since EVER! Actually my opinion is bias. Plus this event has only been going on for about 3 years. There might be greater things, but none of them include guests dressing to the nines and heading to the parks for an evening of retro magic.

Inspired by the original Disney park designer's illustrations, which often featured extremely well dressed guests enjoying the park, DAPPER DAY events celebrate the tradition of stepping out in style.
This is your chance to visit the parks while looking your best. All elegant fashions from vintage-inspired to contemporary chic are encouraged. (Taken from Dapperday.com)

I am SUPER excited for this event this weekend! More excited about this than Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and ALL the Christmas events put on at the Walt Disney World Parks! This is my kind of event, dressing up and going out (and it's NOT to a club! Bleh!).

Here's a video that features the creator of this event, Justin, and looks at some snazzy looking folks!

And just for fun here is a video from DAPPER DAY-Walt Disney World February 24, 2013

Uncertainty: Unclear of my decisions

2013-09-16T07:50:00.001-04:00

Today officially marks week 5 of my Disney College Program. I am comfortable in my role at work, accustomed to co-workers and leaders, and pretty much figured out the bus system to my favor.

I should more excited about my experience than I feel. Constantly lingering in the back of my mind is the question "should I have come back?". Trust me it's not a good feeling to have, questioning my decision. Never have a made a decision so big that I felt was possibly a mistake. In the past, every decision I have made has been a learning experience. Being back here though I feel is not a learning experience but instead is not the place I should be right now.

There has not been anything bad about my program: great job, leaders, and roommates. But have you ever felt God was this God's plan and timing or my own? Decision making about the future could be playing a lot into my reasoning. With graduation inching closer upon me, I wish I knew my next step in life, where I want to live, whether or not to go to grad school, career paths. These thoughts make my heart grow heavy. I hate to think my heavy heart is keeping me from truly enjoying all Disney has to over.

This is sort of a different kind of post than I normally share. I feel that I should express concerns I have in life and that my life isn't all pixie dust and grand adventures. My life is not perfect and it definitely is not figured out! I will continue to seek God's help in my journey and ask that anyone reading this pray for direction for me.

For anyone unsure of their decisions loke me there is a scripture that continues to speak to me:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5, 6 NLT)

The Power of Music: Rock The Universe

2013-09-08T08:19:00.001-04:00

It was that time of the year again: Christian Concert Series at the two biggest theme parks in Orlando, Disney World and Universal Studios. During the same weekend in September both parks host a 2 day concert event featuring some of the top artists in Christian music. The downside is having to choose which one to go to, Night of Joy at Disney or Rock the Universe at Universal.

I choose to attend Rock the Universe with one of my roommates, Aubry on Saturday. Originally I was going to attend Night of Joy on Friday, but I forgot to buy a discounted ticket plus I didn't have anyone to accompany me. Things worked out for the best because Rock the Universe was excellent!!!

I had heard stories about how cast members despise working the events: basically tons of church groups kids away from their parents for the night. You do the math. Attending and observing guests I could understand where cast members could feel little pleasure in working the event due to the amount of unchaperoned teenagers being let loose.

Overall though I felt like everyone was just having a great time! How many people can say they rode rides while their favorite artist played tunes on the stage below?

There were so many great artists performing it was hard to pick who to see! Saturday night performers included: Red, Lecrae, Jesus Culture, Casting Crowns, Reliant K, Dara Macclean, OBB, Love to Outcome, and Crave. We decided to pick our favorite artist and see each perform. I picked Dara Maclean and my roommate picked Reliant K. The best part was getting to meet them and get autographs and pictures! Dara Maclean is such a sweet and down to earth woman of Christ. Her performance was so soulful and spirited! My roommate became a fan that night! Reliant K was awesome too even though we were so far back from the stage. I definitely knew some of their older songs.

I think the most cherished and beautiful moments of the night was small but touching to my heart. As we were walking through the crowds to get to the Reliant K stage we pasted Jesus Culture performing. The hundreds of people watching the concert as well as the moving crowd passing through were singing along to One Thing Remains. Imagine as you're walking among hundreds of believers in Christ singing "Your love never fails and never gives up and never runs out on me" at a theme park in unison!! I loved it!

The night was completely magical because through the power of music, The power of Christ filling the theme parks this weekend! I would love to go back again in the years to come

My roommate Aubry and I outside Universal Studios Orlando

Rock the Universe Banner

Aubry gets the autograph of lead singer Matt Thiessen of the band RELIENT K before their show

We met singer Dara McClean after her performance (such a beautiful sweet woman of God)

How's Disney?

2013-09-03T13:30:00.000-04:00

If my lack of blogging could be an indicator of how life back at Disney World is then voilà! I never have time to inform about my experience here, which is quite tragic. The pace has definitely slowed down from my summer in New York City. Actually I think living in Orlando requires tons of patience: buses, monorails, traffic, 5 roommates, Disney guests......it all forces you to be patient and wait. I am okay with the lifestyle change too.

I moved into Disney housing on August 12 so I have been here a little over 3 weeks. Certainly feels much longer since I am accustomed to both my work location and to the area from my previous program. Speaking of work, I am sure you're dying to know what the heck I am doing this time around. I work at Walt Disney World's flagship resort The Grand Floridian as a hostess for the Perfectly Princess Tea Party and afternoon tea. It is a very small operation but I enjoy the slow pace of the location compared to the chaos of the theme parks. Can I just say that God has blessed me with such a wonderful location that has great hours. With taking 12 hours online this semester I needed a schedule that was pretty set. My location is only open 10:30am-5pm! Talk about a princess shift.

When I first came back to Disney I will admit I wasn't sure what to expect about my second program; I was feeling uncertain about whether coming back was a good idea. My roommate shared with me how she felt it was perfect it timing God's perfect timing bringing her to Orlando at this time. Unfortunately, that was not the same feeling I had. Questions lingered for about the first week and a half about if this was God's place for me. I did not start working until a week after I had arrived, and that also made me a bit anxious about what to expect about the outcome of my College Program. Honestly, it does not feel awesome questioning your decisions, and I knew praying about uncertainty would help me make a decision. I cannot believe the slight possibility of leaving so soon crossed my mind because of my uncertainty of my timing here. Being back here is like God's strengthening me I believe. I am forced to balance classes, work, faith, friends, and playing around Orlando, and I like the idea of the challenge.

Can I stop for a second and mention my roommates. I live with 5 other girls in a 3 bedroom apartment. Calm down people, I can hear your gasps! I absolutely adore my roommates, and living with these girls is such a joy! We share a faith of The Lord and I love how open we are about Christ and The Word. How many people can say they have devotional with their roommates? Our strong faith helps us bond as sisters of Christ and it is a beautiful thing.

Now that I have been working 2 weeks I am comfortable about being back here and I enjoy working at the most elegant resort on Disney property. The best part of my day is getting to here the big band play swinging music between 3-6pm while I am working afternoon tea.

More exciting experiences are here to come! Here's some pics of the first few weeks!

At the Woody's Round Up Welcome Party

Not the best batch of pancakes at our pancake party

Blending of 2 apartments for an awesome PJ Pancake Party

Hanna and I right after riding Pirates of the Carribean. Arrrgh!

Garden View Tea Room (my work location)

Night time at Grand Floridian's Garden View Tea Room

Walking down Main Street USA, Magic Kingdom

Dancing with Bolt in Tomorrowland

Space Mountain

Monsters University Welcome Party at Chatham Square

Jordan in her Port Orleans Resort Quick Service Costume

Aubry in her Beach Club Resort Quick Service costume

Delisia and I in front of Cinderella's castle, Magic Kingdom

Rainy day at The Commons pool

Gabby and I spending our day off at Blizzard Beach Waterpark

Visited Kayla at work at Blizzard Beach

Right before the rain clouds came at Blizzard Beach

Long Lost NYC Pics

2013-08-24T09:08:00.000-04:00

Over the course of the summer I had experiences that I did not get to share so here's some long lost pictures from my summer in NYC!

Frida Kahlo Self Portrait

MODA Modern Museum of Art

Dylan's Candy Bar, Upper East Side

Dylan's Candy Bar

View of Times Square pedestrian traffic from 2nd story

Aeropostale, Times Square

Disney Store, Times Square

View of Manhattan from Staten Island Ferry

Delisia abroad the Staten Island Ferry

9/11 Memorial

Waverly Place

Washington Square Park

Apollo Theatre, Harlem

Black Ink Tattoo Studio, Harlem

Statute of Frederick Douglass, Harlem

Trayvon Martin rally, Harlem

Brooklyn Bridge

Downstairs at Webster Apartments

Museum of History & Science

Museum of History and Science

Museum of History & Science

This man photobombed Jessica's picture outside Insomnia Cookies, Upper West Side

Raccoon in broad daylight, Central Park

Upper East Side

Central Park

Jackson Pollock, Autumn Rhythm, MET Museum of Art

Andy Warhol, Ethel Scull, MET Museum of Art

MET Musum of Art

MET Museum of Art

Last day at my internship at Ross with Ashley and Jessica

Deep in the Heart of TEXAS!!

2013-08-06T11:50:00.000-04:00

So I officially am back home in Texas! Man it feels great to come back after being away for a summer. Never have I been away from here and been so anxious to get back; I guess New York does that to a Southerner. You realize how good you got it once you leave.

I can officially say that I did the whole New York thing, and I know that is not the life for me. Do not get me wrong, the city is magnificent but for me personally, I would not want to live there permanently. For millions of other people though, they call NYC their home. Overall being in New York City for the summer was like a once in a lifetime experience, that I am glad I did so young in my life. There are people that go their entire lives wishing they could live in NYC, and I am blessed and fortunate to have been given the opportunity at this time in my life. It was this summer that I have gained great appreciation for the South; it's unlike any other part of the country with its charm and hospitality unparalleled.

Friday evening I flew into Austin Bergstrom International Airport where my family awaited my arrival by minivan. We were staying the weekend at Horseshoe Bay Marriott Resort in quiet hill country about an hour west of the state capitol. The place was adorably situated in a resort country town of lakefront summer homes and stucco condos. It was not our typical vacation location, but something different. This town, Horseshoe Bay is where the Texans go to get away from the city.

Below are some pics from the weekend back in Texas:

Last Week in NYC

2013-07-28T16:52:00.003-04:00

It's Sunday and this is officially my last week in New York City. I have never been so excited to leave a place to get back to Texas. It is not that I do not like this city, there is so much liveliness and wonder that this place possesses unlike any other place, but there is something about the South that I need to get back to.

My last post I briefly described a lull in internship, but it officially passed. Between my buyer and I there was a bit of workplace tension that would not pass, so I scheduled a private one-on-one meeting with her to discuss how we could get past this down point in the internship. It was very courageous to sit face-to-face with her and verbally describe how I felt there was a problem with our lack of communication and how I wanted a second chance to prove myself as a strong asset these last few weeks of the internship. After the meeting initially I did not feel like I had got my point across but as the week went on there was alot less tension and we even enjoyed a few laughs on Friday.

My weekend overall has been less than eventful since I have a final internship experience paper due on Wednesday. I have mostly been in and out of the public library and Starbucks. It is a pretty easy write, but it the finding the willpower to write it for more than an hour before I stray away from my Word Document. I am about 4.5 pages into it and it is 5 pages minimum, but I haven't even put a dent into answering all parts of the prompt so that is an accomplishment.

On Friday, after the graduation ceremony Ross is holding for us, I will be saying goodbye to this big bright city, and get back to suburbia for a few days before it is off to my next big adventure, Disney World!

I promise to make a post of long lost NYC pics that I didn't post throughout my summer so stay tuned!

Highs and Lows

2013-07-17T23:02:00.000-04:00

It has been a while since I last posted and I apologize; it has been just so busy with work and all the things to do in the city. I have even sacrificed sleep, which is something I love! Anyways I seemed to hit a low point in my internship. There are always times in a job when you are just not performing at your best and everything seems to be going less than swell. Well this is my week! Really it officially started last Friday and seems to be carrying over into this week. I was sure a weekend would do me some good because we would all be away from the office and Monday would be a fresh start. That has not been the case.

Last week we received our mid-term evaluations from our department and from HR. The constructive criticism was valuable and beneficial and I hoped to be moving forward from that point. Friday just seemed to open the floodgates for destruction. My biggest need for improvement is with communication and follow up to my buyer. Which seems to be the root of this week's issue, miscommunication. I know that this is just a low in a sea of highs this summer and I will get past this. I cannot let a few days dictate how my entire internship will be.

Tomorrow will be a nice break from the office because we go to New Jersey for comparison shopping and get to visit a Ross Store since there are not any in the state of New York. So hopefully by my next post I will have resolved the issue and be back to posting about wonderful moments while in NYC.

Also this past weekend my friend from Texas, Delisia came to visit the city for a weekend. I will be sure to post pics of our weekend soon!

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7

Punk: Chaos to Couture

2013-07-07T00:09:00.002-04:00

I promise to do an extended holiday post, but today was such a special day I had to share! Over a year later, but I finally made it back inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the largest art museum in the United States to be exact) today. Jessica and I ventured out to the Upper East Side this afternoon towards 81st and 5th Ave. It was her first time visiting but none of the other exhibitions seemed as important as a special one, Punk: Chaos to Couture, that "examines punk’s impact on high fashion from the movement’s birth in the 1970s through its continuing influence today" (excerpt taken from MET website). We were excited to see this fashion exhibit! I have not been to tons of fashion exhibitons but this has to be one of my favorites. Although the top prize for best fashion exhibits hands down goes to The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk from 2012 shown at The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) & The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA). Anyways, I loved how it blended both punk style of the US (circa 1975) and London (circa 1976). There were over 100 pieces including many from the infamous duo of London's SEX 430 King's Road boutique, Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm Mclaren. Other designers featured included Alexander McQueen, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren (Viktor & Rolf), House of Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Hussein Chalayan, and Burberry to name a few.

Basically the exhibit is about the punk rock movement being more than leather and torn cloths; it was the self expression through clothing to make a social statement using unconventional methods like D-I-Y, recycled and reused materials, and of course, studs and spikes. In my opinion, the outfits mirrors some of the styles that have been recurring the past few seasons such as the studs and spikes and leather moto jackets. This year has seen a huge resurgence of the choice punk footwear, the Doc Marten boot.

Unfortunately I was not allowed to take photos inside this part of the museum, but I got a few photos online to give a glimpse of the awesome punk fashion. ALSO for those wanting a guided tour with narration by Andrew Bolton, curator of The Costume Institute the video is at the bottom. It is quite interesting even after I walked through. I do not own any of these photos.

Kyla's Internship Search Tips

2013-07-03T22:53:00.003-04:00

It's 2013 and internships seem like the only way to even come close to landing a career after college. People have been asking me how can they get an internship, since I have done two. So finally I have decided to give some tips that would be helpful.

Here are a few tips from a novice internship finder such as myself that can help you land your first or your fourteenth internship:

You Gotta Have an Internship to Get an Internship: This is kinda like the whole you gotta have work experience to land a job sort of theory that most teenagers have faced when trying to land that very first job. These days nobody wants to hire candidates that do not have experience, and in the internship world, this is no exception. If your dream internship is to work for Cosmopolitan Magazine, I recommend seeking your first internship at a local newspaper/magazine company. By all means I am not suggesting aiming low, but through experience I know big companies tend to pick candidates with lengthy resumes. The goal is to build up your resume to have the best chance possible of landing your dream internship. Also, working for your school's journalism department, helping with the school's newspaper, and joining an organization or club for journalism are all great additions to helping land that internship. Any kind of internship experience is beneficial. If I had never participated in the Disney College Program (DCP), I do not think I would be interning this summer in New York. Disney did not necessarily correlate with Corporate Buying, but skills learned through the DCP are transferrable to other areas in business. If you are a nursing major, go ahead and apply for that summer internship at a local PR firm. There are skills you will learn there that can help you in the long run, as well as build your resume.
Have an Expert Look Over Your Resume: I have had my resume looked at my at least 6 different people. Do not just let anyone look at it though. Your stay-at-home mother may not be the best person to ask resume advice to, unless she worked in HR. Get as many professionals to look over it and give you suggestions. You can never be given TOO much advice from people. Be prepared for each person to give their own opinion about it though. One person will tell you to change the entire layout of your resume, while another will let you to change it again. Be open to suggestions but overall find a style or two that you feel showcases your greatest talents foremost. If you have more relatable work experience to the internship you are seeking have that information closer to the top. If you have had a lot of unrelatable jobs (such as waiter or sale associate) and are seeking an internship in a field unrelated (such as Marketing) have your skills experience before work experience so recruiters read about your involvement in your school's Marketing Club for example.
Use Internship Search Engines: There are tons of websites out there that companies list their internships openings to. Here are a few of my personal favorites:

Don't JUST use the internet: You limit yourself when you only apply to internships online. A lot of smaller companies may not even know they need an intern. That is where you come in! Cold call a few companies to check and see if they are willing to take in an intern. PLUS if you mention you are willing to do work for free, you increase your chance of gaining experience. You never know until you ask.
Job Shadow: If you cannot intern for a company at least ask to maybe shadow someone in a field you are interested in for a day or two. If you play the "student" card, it's the perfect reason too! My sophomore year I shadowed a department manager at Neiman Marcus for a day and even got to contribute to the effort during an in store jewelry trunk show for David Yurman. Let's just say there were live models, music, and expensive jewelry. Job shadowing is the perfect way to live like an employee for a day without either parties committing to a long term agreement.
Pick up a copy of Lauren Berger's book!! I read this book from the InternQueen herself, which I HIGHLY recommend anyone searching for internships should buy. It is called ALL WORK, NO PAY: Finding the Internship, Building Your Resume, Making Connections, and Gaining Job Experience. It is an extremely easy read and it is not even 200 pages long. She does a great job breaking down topics and highlights the main points at the end of the each chapter. I would say she is an expert in getting internship expert because over the course of her undergraduate studying she had 15 internships! Here is the link to purchase from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/All-Work-Pay-Internship-Connections/dp/1607741687/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370997658&sr=8-1&keywords=all+work+no+pay
Prayer: Asking God to lead you in the right direction should really be the first step, but I placed it last because it is the most important. He can help you find your way, and He will open doors for you unimaginable if you were go through the internship search by yourself. So by putting your faith in Him can make your internship wishes a reality.

Searching for an internship takes work people. If you do not put in the effort to make yourself stand out from other candidates, then point blank you do not want an internship bad enough. It seems harsh, but it is the truth. Big companies hire interns who are the cream of the crop, why would you not want to be in that top spot?

If you have any specific questions leave a message in the comments, I am more than happy to help!!

As an Intern: Week 4 Recap

2013-07-02T00:58:00.002-04:00

Week 4 of my internship has come to an end. Before I know it I will be packing my bags and heading back to Texas. Thinking about it is bittersweet. I have great appreciation for my state being in New York, the southern hospitality unparalleled, air condition everywhere, and the space! There are things about New York that I love too! I love walking the streets among hundreds of different types of people. The term cookie cutter does not exist here and I love it. Never have I drank Starbucks as much as I do here, and I am not even ashamed about it....not too much. I am going to miss Central Park! I need to get out there a few more times before.

The entire shoe buying team headed to Miami for SMOTA Shoe Trade Show last week, without me, unfortunately. On the plus side it was the perfect time to be independent and hold myself accountable for office tasks I was given throughout the week. I was given My buyer set me up to shadow with buyers from other departments too. On Monday and Wednesday I worked with the womens lingerie and socks buyers.On Tuesday and Thursday I was with the newborn and kids pajama buyer. The two worlds were so different than going out and buying shoes. My experience with the clothing aspects were quite similar. Over the course of the four days I went to a womens sock vendor, a little girls panties/bras vendor, and two newborn onesies vendors. Little kids clothing is just so cute and colorful. It was cool to notice similar trend patterns between the clothing and shoes for kids. I also got to share my opinion during appointments about some of the shoe trends we are noticing (sorry folks the trends are classified information be on the lookout for fall in stores).

Friday was a new experience altogether. My team did not come to work that day since their delayed flight did not make it back until the wee hours of the morning and I do not blame them for not coming in. My buyer gave me the task of doing shoe markdowns. I felt so empowered given this responsibility to perform all by myself. 2.5 hours and over 250 markdowns later it was finished and I was off to my lunchbreak. I frequent this self serve place called Cafe Bistro on 34th because they have so many types of foods to choose from. And for a flat rate of 6.99 a lb you can get as much or as little food in a container as you want. Their vast selection of fresh fruits and salads is what I crave. They also have tons of drink options including about 5 different brands of ginger ale, my go to soda when i drink it!

My afternoon task: go out into the city and go window shopping at some of our competitors. I felt like my buyer had placed alot of trust in me to send me out solo for this task. The afternoon was awfully hot as I walked the streets of Manhattan. Luckily Starbucks was having a special, 1/2 price Refreshers from 3-5pm. Since there are over 70 Starbucks in the city I had no trouble finding out and quenching my thirst. I made my rounds in Burlington Coat Factory, Aldo Shoes, Steven Madden, and GEOX before calling it a day. My next task was to use my notes and pictures to create a small presentation for my buyer. I will let you know how that goes when we discuss it on Wednesday.

Everyday I am learning something new about the job or the city in general. Well overall as the weeks go by in my internship and I get more accumulated, I am loving being an intern for Ross more and more. Until next time. Peace!

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.
Proverb 3: 13-14

Intern Recap Week 3

2013-06-24T19:33:00.001-04:00

So I just finished my third week of my internship. Time is really passing by fast! It is a little sad. I want to do so much during my time in the city. One of the drawbacks I face here is coming home after work and being exhausted. It is not a physical exhaustion, instead I am mentally exhausted. In between, meeting new people each day, going to vendor appointments all around the city, and the tons of new information I am learning about reports, trends, and vendor personalities I feel like I am going 1000 miles an hour. I will say I appreciate NEVER having a dull moment on the job. There are interns working for other companies that count the minutes until the end of the day and are bored, but for me I do not face that dilemma at all. Instead I am trying to figure out how to get everything accomplished before the end of the day. Time seems to fly by so fast that I blink and it is lunchtime. I blink again and it is already 4pm and I am in crunch mode to finish running and formatting reports that I have not finished in the morning before getting away from my desk.

I attended a shoe vendor show in New Jersey Monday morning, and as GLAMOROUS as it may sound, it was exhausting. Yes do not get me wrong looking at shoes is never a bad thing, but I have been going to see shoes for three weeks and the styles get old. There are only so many ways to style a mens loafer or a girls combat boot. I have caught on to the lingo of the shoe business "there is nothing fresh". Anyways that day was long, and I couldn't wait to get back to the city and back to my apartment. The following day came a change to my routine, which was very much needed. I went to market with another buyer. I got to experience the world of clothes buying while accompanying the little girls clothing buyer. We went to three appointments, one for leggings, dresses, and denim shorts. What I took away from that day was that clothing vendors are totally different than shoe vendors. Whether of not the vendors we met were a good representation of clothing vendors, it is too soon to tell, but I found they were refreshing to the shoe vendors I usually encounter. Every side of the business is so different, and I learned that. Maybe I have found my calling, kids clothing!

Finally after three weeks, I am starting to get the hang of how to be of help to the buyer. With the assistant buyer on vacation the latter half of the week, I was forced to step up to the plate and perform tasks she normally does. My buyer expressed to me how impressed she was with my fast learning, and it made me finally feel like I was apart of the team. I ended Friday being proud of myself for a job well done.

I will be sure to blog about my weekend affairs soon, including pics!

Jessica's View of NYC

2013-06-23T23:02:00.001-04:00

Last weekend my very best friend, Jessica came to New York City to visit me. It was her first time in the Big Apple and I wanted to show it all to her. Over the course of the weekend, we saw a good amount of stuff that every tourist should see, as well as some hidden gems of the city. I usually recap the adventure, but I am going to let my dear friend Jessica take the reins this time and let her share her experience in the city with y'all!

Take it away Jess!

Hey everyone, this is Kyla’s best friend – Jessica! Aka Jess, Crystal, JoJo, Shorty, etc. Yeah…I have a lot of different names people call me. So not this weekend but LAST weekend (specifically June 14-17), I had the privilege of going to New York City for the first time to visit Kyla. Before I left for NYC, it sort of felt unreal that I would be going to the Big Apple because for starters, I have never traveled that far by myself. I go to school in Oklahoma City, but I’m from Dallas. So of course, it is only about three and a half hours away. Not too far at all. Since my parents trust Kyla so much and have known her for a while, they let me visit her in NYC. So this is how my mini journey to the city that never sleeps begins!

Early morning of Friday, June 14, I left to New York from Dallas. I was supposed to arrive in NYC by 1:10 in the afternoon, but I didn’t arrive until 2:30 due to delays at the airport. I got off the plane at LaGuardia airport (which is so much smaller than I thought it would be) and caught a cab to go to mid-Manhattan, where Kyla’s apartment is located. Since it was my first time in a cab, I was excited and nervous because I was in a huge city by myself! I didn’t have much time to feel nervous though because the taxi driver talked my ear off; I was so glad when I arrived at her apartmen.t Let me tell you, the walk to her job was SO awesome!! It was my first time on the streets of NYC, and I was taking in as much as I could. Just by walking on 34^th street from her apartment, I saw so much – The Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, and the Manhattan Center! People were walking in every direction, so many cars were driving by, music was playing in different shops, and I was just in awe of the city.We met at a Starbucks next to her building and were SO excited to start doing things around the city. We took care of business first though…we ATE DINNER at this place called Cosi. It reminded me of Panera, but better! We tried this Tucson chicken sandwich with raspberry mojito lemonade that was delicious! After dinner, we strolled around Garment District for a while and then to Macy’s at Herald Square. Then, we took the subway to go to the MOMA because it’s free on Fridays 4-8 pm. I was even in shock when I went on my first subway ride. I totally stood out from all of the locals in the subway because I was taking pictures. By the time we made it to the MOMA, they were closing in fifteen minutes. That didn’t stop Kyla and I from looking around though. Afterwards we walked around Rockefeller Center where NBC Studios is located, and we even met some people from Henderson, Texas. YAY TEXAS! The last thing we did was…TIMES SQUARE. As we walked down 42^nd street, it wasn’t hard to notice because of all the lights and commotion. It was AWESOME!!! I was in the same spot where they filmed Disney’s Enchanted (I’m a little obsessed with Disney movies by the way)! Needless to say, I had a great time seeing everything in that area like the Broadway theatres, the New Year’s Ball (which is NOT that big by the way), the M&Ms store, the ginormous Toys ‘R Us, and so much more. Kyla was tired from work, and I was tired from being at the airport all morning, so we got back to get some sleep for Saturday!

Saturday was A LOT of fun, but it was also very tiring because of all of the walking we did. We left in the morning and took the subway to the Upper East Side where all of the fancy places are at like the St. Regis Hotel, the Trump Tower, Henri Bendel, Tiffany’s, and Bergdorf Goodman.After another five minute walk, we were crossing the street from the Plaza Hotel to Central Park. I LOVED Central Park! Kyla and I were listing off the MANY different movies that we have seen that were filmed at the park.We took a bunch of pictures, too! It was so cool to see where they filmed that famous “That’s How You Know” song and dance number in the movie, Enchanted. Then, we walked over to the MET to take pictures on the steps like the infamous lunch scenes on Gossip Girl with Blair and Serena. We asked a girl to take a couple of pictures of us “acting normal,” which wasn’t a total fail because we got a decent picture out of it. We also tried our first NY hotdog on the MET steps. I am not a big fan of hotdogs, but the ones from NY are pretty good! It was about noon, and we took a taxi to Brooklyn because Kyla bought us tickets for a Hipster food tour. We went to Williamsburg, which was totally awesome because of all the shops and restaurants. Before the food tour started, we walked around for a restroom because Kyla had to pee so bad! Another thing I learned from Kyla about NY was that it is VERY hard to find a public restroom. We finally found one in a local food market. Soon after, we ate some macaroons at a cute bakery, and THEN met up with our tour guide and the rest of our group for the food tour. Oh my goodness, the food tour was YUMMY. We tried a slice of brick oven pizza, a bagel with some really good spread, some cheese (the cow cheese was FUNKY because it smelled and tasted so bad, but the goat cheese was alright), some Oklahoma-style BBQ (Kyla kept asking me if I thought the BBQ was good since I go to school in Oklahoma but I had no idea haha), a piece of peanut brittle at a candy shop, and some rich chocolate at Mast Brothers. Our last stop was at a Hipster winery, which was pretty cool! We didn’t try any wine though. If you know Kyla and me, you know we’re not about that life! The food tour was an awesome choice, and I am so glad Kyla choose an awesome one to go to. Our Italian tour guide was even Hipster! As Kyla put it, he looked like a more put together Russell Brand. I thought he looked like Jesus, too. Too bad we didn’t take a picture with him. Anyways, after the food tour, we went down to a pier and saw the Manhattan skyline. It was so beautiful! The Williamsburg Bridge wasn’t too far either. We then took the subway to lower Manhattan to meet up with Kyla’s other friend named Jessica. Before we met up with her, I got to see that famous bull in Financial District, as well as the World Trade Center. We met up with Jessica at the 9/11 Memorial Site, but it was closed! Instead, we took the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. Since it was nighttime, Lady Liberty was lit up as well as all of the buildings, which looked incredible. I actually got a pretty decent picture of the Statue of Liberty! Once we arrived back in Manhattan, we took the subway back to their apartment. We were SO tired and hungry! We stopped at this diner, Tick Tock, to pick up food. Kyla and I grabbed our food and ate in one of the cute study rooms in the building and talked till almost two in the morning! It was some good girl time.

Sunday was another full day. My feet hurt throughout the day, but not as bad as Saturday. If it were possible to change my feet like changing my shoes, I totally would have done it. Sunday morning, Kyla and I had tickets for the NBC Studios Tour at 9:45. We couldn’t take pictures though, which was lame! We got to see the studio where Brian Williams does the Nightly News and where Jimmy Fallon does his Late Night show (which used to be the studio of Late Night host, Johnny Carson). We also saw some other floors of the building, which was awesome and even took an awkward picture at a news desk! Yeah…we didn’t buy the picture at the news desk. Anyways, after the tour, we went to Times Square to get tickets for a Broadway musical. After searching for the best deal for a show, we got tickets to see Annie starring Jane Lynch as Miss Hannigan. The show was so much fun!!! Everybody laughed at Jane Lynch, even when she wasn’t trying to be funny. It was great! When we left the musical, we had Annie songs in our head for the rest of the day. I still do even now! After the show, we took the subway to China Town. Kyla had never been before either, so I was glad she was able to go somewhere she hadn’t been to in New York yet. Literally, we walked out of the subway and Chinese people were EVERYWHERE! I felt like we were in a different country, but it was an awesome feeling. If you ever go to New York, and you want to buy stuff for cheap, China Town is for you! While we were in Chinatown, we grabbed some delicious bubble tea and some food from this place called Prosperity Dumpling. I got four dumplings for one dollar! They weren’t my favorite, but the price wasn’t too bad. This pancake thing Kyla got for two bucks was really good! After China Town, we took the subway to check out Grand Central Station. This train station is HUGE and really beautiful, so we took a bunch of photos! At the station, we stopped at a bakery so I could try the famous NY black & white cookie. It was so yummy! It was almost ten in the evening, so we made our way back to Webster. Before we got ready for bed, Kyla took me on the roof of Webster, which has a spectacular view of the city. I couldn’t stop taking pictures! We called Sunday a night, and Kyla kept convincing me that I really wasn’t leaving New York the next day – I was only going back to Dallas for vacation.

Well Monday came, and I ate breakfast with Kyla and her friends before they left for work. Kyla was leaving to the Penn Station for New Jersey, so I was able to walk her as far as I could. I didn’t want to say goodbye to her! Since we talk all the time, I knew we would hear from her soon. My flight didn’t leave until 3:55 in the afternoon, so I decided to go to Times Square one last time before I left. If you haven’t been to NYC yet, you’ll find out that it actually is pretty safe walking on the streets because there are people everywhere. Especially in Times Square, there is pretty much nothing but tourists so I felt completely fine walking by myself. After Times Square, I grabbed some lunch from this place called Café Bistro and ate on the roof of the apartment. It was such a nice feeling to eat on a NYC roof while listening to some worship songs. I didn’t want to leave the city! I imagined that I would stay there for a couple more days, and that I would wait for Kyla to get off of work and we would continue to have a blast in NYC. But, it was time for me to make my way to LaGuardia airport. I caught a cab on 34^th street, and made it an hour and a half early before my flight had to leave. God had other plans for me that day though! My flight back home was supposed to leave at 3:55, but I didn’t leave until 6:30. I was supposed to arrive back in Dallas at 8:45, but I didn’t make it back home until midnight! It was a super long day for me just because I was at the airport for forever, but I was just so thankful that I had been in NYC for a few days.

My dream to visit New York City came true because my bestie, Kyla! If it wasn’t for her, I would not have been able to go. This girl is already like a local up in NY! Even if we got lost on the subway a couple times, she knew where to go for the most part and she showed me a great time. Kyla and I even made a bet on Saturday night. Here it is: Whoever gets married first, owes the other girl $100. So now I’m hoping Kyla meets a guy up in NYC. She said it won’t happen, but anything is possible, right? Anyways, this NYC trip is definitely the highlight of my summer! Thanks to Kyla for being the greatest friend anyone could ask for by making it possible. LOVE YA, girl!

And thank YOU for reading! You are awesome. You know why? Because this blog post is super long, so God bless your little eyes for reading. Until next time…deuces everyone!!

Pictures courtesy of J.Estrada herself

Every Good Thing

2013-06-12T15:30:00.000-04:00

Sharing my experiences with you I want to take a moment and introduce a song. It has been in my head constantly and I have even gotten my friend Nicole hooked to it. I am hoping to maybe do the same to you!

The Afters came out with this song earlier this year "EVERY GOOD THING" and I heard it on the radio a few times thinking how catchy it was. Once I saw on XM Radio who the artist was I had to acquire the song and share it. Joshua Havens and Matt Fuqua share in the first short clip the meaning behind writing the song. I suggest watching it before listening to the song because it gives a great understanding of where they were coming from in writing. (BTW Havens and Fuqua formed the band while working together at a Starbucks in Mesquite, Texas!!! Yay Texans for awesome music!!!)

I am so grateful to be able to go different places and have many new and exciting experiences. God has made all of these things possible and I give him all the credit for bringing good fortune to those who believe and trust in his Word. His greater gifts are not tangibles of this Earth but are the gifts such righteousness and His everlasting Grace make I am so very grateful for as well. Because he is the reason for every good thing!

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17

Story Behind the Song

The AWESOME song!!!

Exploring NYC 1

2013-06-11T22:27:00.000-04:00

I sit at one of the 50 plus Starbucks that are near me in this grand city on Manhattan Island. The internet at my apartment is almost impossible to use during peak hours, so I am forced out of the apartment to blog and people watch. The people in NYC are so eccentric, especially the people that sit around me here at this moment. They are so engaged in their conversations; I absolutely love it!

Well anyway I am here to share about my weekend of wandering through the city. The Lord was good to us because the weather was wonderful Saturday and Sunday. Today, well the rain here is a different story. I finally had enough energy to go out and explore the city.

SATURDAY

My new friends Ashley and Jessica, from work/apartment building ventured past the Financial District over to South Street Seaport. Amongst the bustle of the area, there were storefronts boarded up from popular shops such as American Eagle and The Body Shop. Even though Hurricane Sandy came through and left it mark on the area, most of the shops were open for business. There were also plenty of street vendors selling local items.. It was there we found the cutest store, Christmas in New York, where it is always the most wonderful time of the year. We made a reservation to eat out on the deck at a restaurant, Cabana Nuevo Latina. It probably wasn't the best thing because it was a bit windy near the water, but hey it's New York! Do as the locals do. Rain or Shine! Speaking of locals, I saw the plate of the man sitting next to me and didn't care what the dish was, I knew I wanted it! It was a good choice too, Coco Cabana Pollo, which consisted of chicken breast, potatoes, green peas, broccoli, carrots, spinach, yuca, calabaza, coconut milk, curry, and peppers topped with rice. Oh gosh it was delicious. I think I may start ordering like that more often. See what a local is eating and literally point it out the waiter and order. The only problem with that is I might be afraid when I get the check!

Our next stop: CENTRAL PARK! This is byfar one of my favorite places in New York City! It is the perfect place to take in the city in a relaxing manner. It is so breezy and lush from the trees. The people that linger in this humungous place are so interesting, whether it's the guy guarding the memorial for John Lennon in Strawberry Fields (btw there are no strawberries there, I know how unfortunate) to an improv salsa class or a group of college students picnicking in the grass, there is so much to see and do here. While at this beautiful place, we met up with my friend Tanya (she works with us and we go to school together). On our way out of the park we even stopped to watch a group of street performers (or should I say "park performers". Not only did they put on a good little acrobatic dance show, they were crazy funny! We ended the evening on the rooftop of our apartment building where we get an awesome panoramic view of the inner city including the One World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, and East River.

SUNDAY

Jessica and I decided to venture over to the piers of East River where we saw the cutest dog park! We are both obsessed with dogs, and any dog person is good in my book. We made our way back up and ended up in Chelsea neighborhood where we found the most awesome street market. The vendors set up shot each weekend and it is basically like an outdoor thrift store. I saw some awesome finds: vintage pillbox hats, actual 90s Dr Martens, fur coats and tons of turquoise jewelry. I am definitely going to check this place out more often and buy something in the future, after a paycheck or too.

We met up with Ashley later in the evening to attempt to get a glimpse at stars on the red carpet of the Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall. Jessica swore she saw Neil Patrick Harris; moments like that I curse my short height. There was not much to see other than the tons of non-famous people walking past us in beautiful gowns and tuxedos making their way to the ceremony. Since we could not see the Broadway stars, we went to the next best place, Ellen's Stardust Diner, the place where Broadway wannabes work! We got a great show at a fraction of a Broadway ticket cost. Plus I got a huge plate of food.

First Week as an Intern

2013-06-08T03:25:00.002-04:00

So it's officially been a full work week as an intern for Ross, and it has by far been one of the best work experiences of my life. I am one of 98 interns for the company's New York Buying Office that employs around 900 people. We just increased the size of the office by 10%; we definitely make a presence!

This definitely isn't the type of internship where you are in charge of bringing coffee; people are bringing it to you! I go to appointments with the buyer and assistant and I am treated like a equal as I sit in on meetings with vendors. As an assistant buyer intern, I have not sat at my desk for more than about 30 minutes at a time. I am paired with a buyer and her assistant for men and children shoes. The best part about working in shoes is the shoe vendor shows and going around the city to go to different showrooms. The office is on the edge of the Garment District (think Project Runway area) so buyers working in the clothing departments are walking distance to their vendors. In the past week I have travelled to Queens as well as up and down the streets of Manhattan in the Flatiron District and Union Square area. FFaNY (Fashion Footwear Association of New York) held a shoe show the latter part this week, so I jumped right into appointments.

MONDAY:

For my first day we spent the first half of the workday in orientation as one big group getting all sorts of information needed from the fabulously Human Resource team. After 4 hours of orientation, our mentors came to pick us up. It literally felt like kindergarten where you sit and wait for your parent to pick you up from school as each person's name is called out. Our mentors took each of the interns out to lunch around the city. My mentor and her assistant treated me to lunch at a Butterfield 8, a local place that takes pride in being the place "where business professional meets the social scene". With that in mind, my pesto chicken sandwich and side salad ran at $16, a little steep of a price, but for that place, the price came from its location.
http://www.butterfield8nyc.com/

After lunch and back in the office, I got settled into my desk. By the way I love the location of my desk because it is in a training room converted into a large intern office. The room houses computer desks for about 12 interns in total and I feel we can really help each other out being together we are all working under buyers and doing around the same type of work. Good move on Ross's part. I spent the afternoon between my desk setting up calendar meetings and shadowing my mentor and her assistant at their desks. Before I knew it the day was over and was off the clock at exactly 5:30.

I met up with my new friend and co-worker, Ashley and made our way back to our apartment in the rain for dinner in the dining hall. With the rain outside, and exhaustion waning our bodies we stayed inside for the rest of the evening.

TUESDAY:

I was excited for my second day of work because I was already going on my first shoe vendor appointment so soon. I have to admit when I was told we were being picked up by car to go out to the showroom in Queens, there was a bit of excitement. How exciting to be an intern getting to ride through the city chauffeured in a Lincoln Towncar that waited for us until we also finished the appointment. This definitely was not your average taxi service. We went to a mens work boot showroom where I learned there were so many options to make a mens work boot different. To the common eye all the boots looked the same, but there were slight details that made each shoe different, from the material of the sole to the height of the actual boot.

After my lunch break, I spent most of the afternoon in a training class with other interns about computer programs. The little time left, I shadowed and learned the basics of some of the reports used. I was surely thankful for the Merchandising Math class I took this past semester because terms used throughout the reports made sense to me.

WEDNESDAY:

The morning was spent in another training class for interns. My teacher for the class was an amazing man who also just happens to be featured on a new show on Bravo, Princesses of Long Island, where his daughter is one of the main characters. I have not gotten a chance to watch it because I never watch TV.

After lunch I got to go the the first day of FFaNY shoe show. After meeting a group of vendors we headed to an appointment at Nina, a company that specializes in womens and girls shoes. The showroom was absolutely adorable as well as their staff, a great group of people. This trip even featured pastries and coffee which is always a plus in my book.

This was the first time I had been exposed to childrens shoe buying. The little girls shoes for Spring 2014 are just precious. Unfortunately I cannot go into detail about what I saw but let's just say little girls are going to have foot candy basically.

Our next appointment was another showroom that makes shoes for licensed characters such as Spiderman, Batman, and Disney. I had never seen Spiderman on so many different shoe styles! There were blue and red canvas shoes, boat shoes, sneakers, flip flops, and clogs, oh my! And for every hot cartoon character around. I met the nicest man there from Texas and we had a moment sharing stories about our home. It highlighted my day, being so far from home and meeting people that know where you are from. We were not too far from work, so we walked it back to the office and called it a day.

THURSDAY:
This is was best shoe show day. I literally spent the entire day at FFaNY. I had never seen so many shoes at one time in my life. I was exposed to thousands of shoes on three floors of convention center space. Even though we went searching for children and mens shoes, the majority of shoes at these shows are womens. The market for womens shoes is extremely vast with tons of options.

Our first official meeting for the day was nearby for Rachels Shoes. They specialize in little girls shoes, especially the really cutesy play sandals that feature little flowers and butterflies with velcro straps, those types of shoes. The room had a few hundred styles of shoes, each shoe being an open toe sandal for young girls.

Afterwards we headed over Vida Group, which is a company houses 15 different shoe brands including Carters and OshKosh for kids, Unionbay and Sag Harbour. We met with Carters and OshKosh. During the meeting a younger gentleman came into the room and sat his chair right next to me. Richard, was the head shoe designer for the two kids brands. I was a little starstruck, even though he was a regular person. He walked us through the story line for the Spring 2014 collection and he was really able to express to us what he was going for with each shoe color and print. It was a great moment being able to listen to him express about his designs. We stopped by Unionbay for a bit and I saw the design team for Kohls, a large group by the way of about 10 people, at work picking, choosing and discussing shoes for their stores. What I found interesting was that they had a model who would try on shoes for them. She would be handed a shoe, try it on, and do a few posses, then again with the next shoe. That was very interesting.

Our last formal appointment was with mens showroom for Giorgio Brutini, GBX, and Bass Shoes. I had noticed throughout the past few days, but it was during this meeting that I realized the shoe business was run by men. Liked stated before this place was no exception. I really appreciated the craftsmanship in shoes at this company that specializes in men dress shoes. Leather is a business they know very well.

We ended the day back at the FFaNY floors where I got to meet 2 shoe buyers from Ross's Buying Office in Los Angeles and our womens shoe buyer. We accompanied them to a few different vendors to see how they did business and saw what they were looking for. Again womens shoes is like a whole new world as far as options. There was just a plethora of shoe styles and colors.

That was a long day and ended the day at the shows.

FRIDAY:

The tropical storm had began to make its way to the city as it rained the entire day. Today was team building activities for the interns which was more fun than team building sounds. I think at this age we have the idea of not appreciating team building activities because they take us out of our comfort zone, which in fact is the point of these things. I think the rain was what also put a damper on the idea.

Overall though I thought the day was fun, plus getting paid for these types of activities was fine in my book. We were instructed to not go to our desks at all today. Our first challenge was a scavenger hunt around the city. We were broken up into groups of ten and sent out into the cold steady rain. For about 4 hours we made our way as far as 60th St and 3rd and all around getting total strangers to take group photos of us for the hunt. Our team only got 17 points out of 49. We were not too upset about it since the objective of the day was to get to know each other. At one point we made our way into Saks Fifth Ave to dry off for a bit and had major bonding time with browsing. On the way out though a girl and I totally spotted an NBA basketball player with his entourage of 4. Unfortunately neither of us knew who he was or what team he played for. They walked right past us and he totally looked back at us because he knew we recognized him. If only we knew who he was we could have gotten his picture with us for 5 extra points to our total. Some of the places we checked off our list where: Gershwin Theatre (home of the Broadway Musical Wicked; great show btw), Carnegie Hall, Rockefeller Center, Plaza Hotel (Home Alone), and Tiffany & Co.

We were treated to pizza back at the office and got to dry off for a bit before the afternoon of more team building. We had a team t-shirt contest, and played the name game in groups of about 20. That was a huge challenge since I was the third to last to go! Our final game was 2 truths and a lie and I must say it was during this game that people obviously forgot that they were in a work environment. Some of the truths told you would have wished were lies! The day was ended overall with a great laugh and a better acquaintance to more interns. Despite the downpouring rain the day was a success.

New York State of Mind

2013-06-03T01:00:00.000-04:00

It is a stormy Sunday night as I sit at my desk in my small New York room listening to the sweet melodies of Ella Fitzgerald, a fitting choice since she got her start in this very city! So I have officially moved into my new place for the summer as of Saturday evening. With my internship starting tomorrow morning, I am excited and anxious for what is in store for me with Ross Stores. It is like a dream come true, a summer internship in New York City.

After missing my first flight, US Airways was very accommodating and put me on a noon flight. I changed planes in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was in New York City by 6pm. Even though I missed my 8:30am flight, the day went pretty smoothly. I had even better seats on the plane this time around with seats at the front of the plane, SCORE! I headed straight to where I am living for the summer, at Webster Apartments, which sits on the outskirts of the Garment District. The location of this building is absolutely fabulous! I am walking distance from Ross's office which is also situated in the Garment District 12 minutes away. The Piers on Hudson River, Chelsea Neighborhood, and even Times Square is all super close to me!

I have not done any exploring of the city yet since I got in later in the evening last night. Today I had lunch in our building in the dining hall with a fellow co-worker/resident Ashley. We connected through LinkedIn of all social media networks! Ashley is from Pennsylvania and is doing a planning internship for Ross. Her room also just happens to be 4 floors directly below me. How oddly funny. After lunch we ventured on into the streets of Manhattan so that I could run a few errands. Our first stop was to the closest tattoo shop, not to get a tattoo though. I needed to get a nose stud to replace my nose ring for work. Infinity Tattoo NYC was where we ended up. The storefront can be seen from the street but to get inside you must taken a semi-hidden staircase from the the street up to the second floor of the building. They were very nice and professional and even put my stud in for me. Plus the stud was not pricey at all, only 10 bucks!

The location is 614 8th Ave #203 New York, NY 10018
http://infinitytattoo1.com/home.html

Our next stop was at a nearby Kmart for some snacks for the room. Word to the wise, do not shop at Kmart on a Sunday afternoon because everyone is there! With a small case of water with me we headed back to Webster and I rested for a bit.

The evening came around and I met up with a classmate staying at Webster who is also interning with Ashley and I, Hahna. We quenched our thirst at one of the plethora of Starbucks cafes near us and headed to see where Ross's Buying Office was located. We would be walking to work so we wanted to time it out. Food was our next objective, so we stopped at a nearby eatery, Bravo Kosher Pizza, where a slice of pizza will run between $2.99-4.50. Also try the garlic knots, they are knotted garlic bread rolls and cost $1 for 3. There are few locations around the city. Post dinner was a quick exploration of Times Square before heading back home for the night.
http://www.bravokosherpizza.com/Welcome.tpl

New York City will be my playing ground for the summer and I want to take advantage of every bit the city has to offer! I also plan to take away tons of beneficial knowledge through my internship. My entire college career has led to this Buyer internship. My dream job is to be a retail buyer, and I will officially have my foot in the door starting this summer.

This next piece is a thanks to Jesus Christ because through him all things are possible. He is my rod and my comfort and he provides me the strength to go out and seek opportunities that are outside my comforts of my hometown. I want to thank the Lord for him believing in me and seeing a great achiever inside myself, that I sometimes struggle to see. People ask me how do I get to do the things I do and see the places I have seen and I am here with one answer: I serve a Great Lord who never leaves my side wherever I go or whatever I do. It is through God's strength that I am not alone in my decisions to travel and seek new knowledge. I challenge those who feel they cannot be "as bold as me" to trust in the Lord with life decisions. God would never mislead or forsake you in life. So my answer is: TRUST!

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." Isaiah 12:22

Island in the Sun: Hawaii

2013-05-27T12:36:00.000-04:00

I just got home from a week in Paradise, a place my friends Nicole and Courtney call home, the island of Oahu. It was a Disney reunion of not seeing my friends for a year. The girls showed me their island and I must say God gave this place great beauty and wonder.

To start I want to mention how I came to the island with no expectations. My eyes were wide open to all aspects of the state of Hawaii. The common question I received from people was how expensive it was, but I had the help of my friends who knew how to have an amazing time while not breaking the bank. We did tons of sight seeing without spending crazy money. We checked out Pearl Harbour and Dole Plantation, we hiked Pillboxes, experienced great weather at Pali Lookout, and of course spent plenty of time at the abundance of beaches. I went to five in total! The most expensive activity we did was the luau at Paradise Cove for $65, which was pretty reasonable because there are other shows that can be almost $200 a ticket! Maybe when I make my marvelous six figure salary working in corporate America, but for now this college student is ALL about a great deal.

Originally I was going to blog each day about our adventures, but by the end of each day I was completely and utterly exhausted. So instead I will highlight the moments that truly made our Disney reunion special!

THE REUNION: Seeing my friends after leaving the Disney College Program last year was magic. We told each other we were going to see each other again and after months of planning it happened. Seeing them was surreal and yet it was like we had just seen each other a week or so ago. It could not have been a year since we left Florida! I also reconnected with a old tennis mate from high school. We had come to the conclusion that we had not seen each other in over six years because we both moved away from the school. Of all places and people to meet again it was Jeremy and me!
Staying at Ko Olina Marriott Beach Club: I am so glad we decided to stay near the city of Kapolei over Waikiki Beach. The entire Ko Olina area was majestic and hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki and Honolulu's hecticness. The hotel was a paradise in itself. It was also on the same street as Disney's Aulani Resort. (In my opinion Marriott Beach Club was nicer than Aulani especially for people without small children: nicer beach area and better hotel room).
Leonard Jrs Hot Malasadas: Portuguese originated heaven!! I ate them like water!
Driving to North Shore: You leave the city and drive through the mountains into the countryside. No buildings no traffic lights just the open road (and a slower speed limit than the mainland that's for sure!) Being at North Shore was where I felt like I was living like a local.
Jumping off a 30 foot rock at Waimea Bay: If it were not for my friend Alika, I would not have had the courage to jump off not once BUT TWICE! I just learned how to swim about two months ago and my biggest fear was not the jumping off the rock but the water below. I overcame the fear with his help and I feel I can conquer the world, literally!
True Aloha Spirit: Courtney and Nicole's family and friends welcomed me with open arms and an Aloha spirit. They let me into their homes and into their lives and I am truly grateful because they have forever made a lasting impression about what Aloha spirit is! Both ladies parents showed my such generosity and I gained so much knowledge about the culture of the island and the people that call it home. Also their friends I met, both Laurens, Tiffany, Nick, and Danielle, Dylan, and Chris, the sweetest group of friends! The way you guys look out for each other, to say you guys are friends is an understatement. You guys are a beautiful blending of cultures, Ohana! And you took me in as part of it. I loved it! I even left the island with a nickname, Professa!
Food: I was NEVER hungry during my trip. From Red Velvet Macadamia Nut Pancakes at Cinnamon in Kailua to Pork Hash from 7-Eleven to Acai Berry Bowl in North Shore, there was always delicious food around every corner.
BEACHES: How could I not fail to mention the beautiful beaches of Oahu! I visited 5 in total, with my favorite being Waimea Bay. I also visited Ala Moana Beach, Ko Olina Beach, Lanikai Beach, and Waikiki Beach.
Windows down, cool breeze blowing, blasting our favorite tunes! There is something about singing aloud with your friends to a song on the radio. Spotify is like God's gift of music with the abundance of songs at our fingertips. There were moments in the car that stuck out to me the most: singing along to Island in the Sun-Weezer as we drove home from North Shore and the night drive from Waikiki while we did a quartet to Buffalo Solider-Bob Marley.

Speaking of music, Nicole+Me+Bag of Godiva Chocolate=Pure Madness!! We were on a sugar high for Christ that Sunday night! We walked around Waikiki Strip singing Christian songs like the Holy Spirit himself! We did our best renditions of songs from Hillsong, Chris Tomlin, and many more!! That was a great moment in itself.

I left my friends Nicole and Courtney on Monday night, along with their friends and family and their paradise called home. It was not until I got to the airport that I felt emotional about the departure. In the end though we know this is not goodbye, but instead, in the words of Mickey Mouse, See Ya Real Soon!

Now the moment you have all been waiting for....PICTURES!!

So You're Like Religious & Stuff

2013-04-25T04:03:00.001-04:00

I had a conversation with someone yesterday who described some folks as being "all super religious and stuff". I have heard this type of phrase before when referring to Christians, but I was taken back by it for some reason this time. My response to the comment was something along the lines of well I wouldn't say that I was religious but I do believe in God. I cannot describe how I feel about the phrase used.. Should I be offended about the term being used as a descriptor of a person? All I know is that I do not like the connotation of being a "religious person".

Where I am going with this is how I do not like how society views believers of Christ as "religious". I watched a video on youtube (posted below) about how the word religious is interchanged with the word habit. "I go to the gym religiously (habitually)" or "I watch this show religiously (habitually)". It is like the word religious means habitual.

I do not want others to think that a relationship with Christ Jesus is merely a habit. Biting your fingernails is a habit. Checking emails is a habit. Following Christ is not a habit. Instead it is a relationship. I never want my love for Him to merely be habitual.

In the eyes of the world, praying to God, going to church, and tithing are seen as habits we Christians do, but it is SO much more than that. It is through our love for the Father that we strive to glorify His name and grace.

I want to end this by stating that I am not religious, instead I am in a relationship with God that is ever growing with each passing day.

Toya Exnicious made some EXCELLENT points on the matter in her video Religion vs. Relationship, so definitely check it out!

God has given you His Spirit to enable you to live in a way that pleases Him. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25)

When Disney friends reunite!

2013-03-28T14:04:00.001-04:00

The bipolar rainy and freezing weather of this weekend couldn't bring me down because I had another treat this weekend, my friend from the Disney College Program, Jonathan was coming to visit! We hadn't seen each other since May 2012, nearly 10 months! What he didn't know was that although he was coming to visit me, there was a special surprise coming to Texas to come visit him. I'll explain a little later.

FRIDAY:
I felt most of our day was spent driving from one end of the Metroplex to the other! He found out that day just how BIG Dallas/Ft. Worth is! From Dallas to Arlington to Denton and a few places in between! We did stop for lunch at my favorite Asian Fusion restaurant, Bamboo Pho & Springroll. If you are ever in the Arlington area and craving pho and boba tea (which I am always craving), stop by this place! It's cozy and plays great music! There's also a HUGE TV on the main wall in the dining area that you CANNOT miss seeing! I always go for their lunch special $6.95 eggroll+pho+soft drink. There's also a bar area with drink specials.
The location is 330 Matlock Rd. #102 Arlington, TX 76015
http://www.bamboopho.com/

The evening was spent in Dillards prepping for the fashion show (my previous blog post) and then Studio Movie Grill with my beautiful friends Bria and Sonia! I am so glad they invited us out to the movies with them because we had a great time. You know that feeling you get when you bring two groups of friends together and they mesh, I felt it Friday night and it was good. If you have never heard of Studio Movie Grill, the name does it justice; it's a dine-in theater. It can be a bit pricey but there are ways around it:
1) Groupon offers movie ticket+soft drink for $5 (unfortunately sold out that Friday night)
2) Student Discounts-use your ID and a ticket is $7.50 for peak evening which saves $2 off your ticket

Olympus has Fallen is what we saw. Of course with us being college students and all we questioned the accuracy of some of the events in the movie such as how much time passed between CERTAIN events (I won't go into detail so that I don't give anything away). Overall I liked the movie because I'm all about a movie with a few gun (or in the case a bunch) of gun fights. I'd pick a action/thriller or a romance movie any day of the week. If at least one person isn't shot in the movie, I'm bored! Point is, go see Olympus has Fallen.

Jonathan, me, Sonia, Bria
Studio Movie Grill

SATURDAY:

I spent the day with fashion show business and Jonathan spent the day with Fraternity business.

SUNDAY ie THE BIG DAY:

I told Jonathan that we were going to meet Matt and Diana, friends from high school, and there visiting friend from school, Steven at Six Flags. Which was true, but what he DIDN'T know was that there was also another group meeting us there, to surprise him which included our favorites Ashley and Taylor and their friends Kayla, Caleb, and Won Ton.

Ashley and I had been planning this surprise for weeks! And it was hard to not tell Jonathan that our friends from Oklahoma were driving down that morning to meet us!

The plan was to meet in Gotham City in front of the Batman ride, but we all arrived at different times and were in different parts of the line for this thriller ride. I feared our cover was almost blown when I happened to look up above at the exit bridge and see Ashley scurrying along! I was convinced Jonathan would look in the same direction I was looking and see her, luckily that didn't happen. The night before she and I thought the same fate when I had left my phone next to Jonathan faced up and Ashley sent me a text about where to meet up in the morning. He didn't pay the phone any mind, thank goodness!

There was a little miscommunication and Jonathan and I met up with Matt, Diana, and Steven, but headed to another ride that the Oklahoma group was going to ride. But they had came back to Batman! We are still unclear how we didn't pass each other but nonetheless, my friend Matt came through for me and we made a pitstop at the restrooms so that I could call Ashley in private to get everyone together!

Cutest reunion EVER because Jonathan was so surprised! Ashley ran up behind Jonathan and covered his eyes. He had NO idea who it could have been either! We had pulled it off, a successful surprise at Six Flags! And our group of 10 headed to ride Six Flag Over Texas' biggest roller coaster, the Titan! Actually we rode it twice! Our groups split up for a bit to do our own things and after 8 hours in the amusement park we ended up at Chilis for dinner.

Ashley needed wifi to finish a homework assignment due at midnight so we ended up at a nearby McDonalds before finally all heading home :(

Oh and we also ATTEMPTED to do homework lol

He was "helping me with homework" lol

MONDAY:

We definitely couldn't top Sunday. Monday was no where near as eventful since I had to be in class in the morning and Jonathan and I both had to study for tests the following day. It took us relocating to three different study locations, two libraries and the business building, but by 8pm we had enough of studying.
On the drive home we did a quick car tour of my city and took a few pictures of the lit up buildings. My mother cooked stir fry for dinner and my entire family rallied around the den for funny conversation. I think that was the best part of the evening just all laughing together.

TUESDAY:

Awake for the break of dawn, Jonathan and I headed to the airport for our last goodbyes. It wasn't goodbye though it was more like a see ya real soon (that's the Disney talking lol), December is the next reunion, at Disney World of course, and it will happen sooner than we know it!

In closing I just want to say how great of friends I have! They made Jonathan's weekend in Dallas truly memorable! Until next time, peace!

That is the Titan. Yeah, we rode it....T

I was caught off guard and didn't get any other pic of the reunion SORRY

Disney brought them together; distance can't keep them apart

Diana and I friends since High School!

Me, Kayla, and Ashley at All American Cafe
my hair had deflated at this point

She's my absolute FAVORITE!!! <3

TIRED, HUNGRY, & FREEZING last pic of the day
Jonathan, Won Ton (Daniel), Taylor, Ashley, Kayla, Caleb, me

Exploring Downtown