This Weekend:

Hope you'll be watching! :)

130.

First things first: I haven't blogged in days, I missed my Friday post, and I've been kind of vague and generic with this lately. I have to say that while I can't write down everything that's going on I do wish I could share every experience and moment with you because I want everyone to know just how amazing this internship is.





My first event was last night and it ROCKED. I had an absolute blast, and I hope you all were watching! Anyways, I'm realizing how irregular I'm going to be blogging this summer, and learning to be ok with that. During fight weeks (which, as it turns out, is basically every week for the next 7 weeks) I'm not going to be able to do a Friday post or many updates for lack of time. It's a small price to pay for the awesome experience I get to have!

I also posted another picture to my twitter!

It's my favorite one so far so take a look HERE! :)

Before I go, I have to acknowledge that I got 4 letters this week! A card from Katie, a letter from Tanya, and a letter & postcard combo from Regina! All of them totally made my week and I've already pinned them up at my desk so I can look at them all the time - updated desk picture to come soon. Thank you all for thinking of me and making me feel special and loved. You are appreciated more than you know.

I'm on my way out the door so I have to depart for now, but I hope you all enjoy your 3 day weekend! I plan on laying by the pool all day tomorrow and relaxing. Margaritas are a definite possibility.

A Busy Third Week

I wish I could put into words everything that's been going on in my internship lately but sadly I cannot. However, I will say that my current state of being is exhausted, productive, stimulated, excited, and happy from the last three days. I say it over and over again but I am really learning so much about Public Relations and I'm loving every second of it.

I posted another picture on my twitter today with fighter Brian Stann - check it out HERE!

Anyways, this must be a short post because it's already 8:40pm and I JUST got home from work and still need to shower, eat something for the first time all day, and attempt to get some sleep before another eventful day tomorrow. Just wanted to quickly say that I'm doing great in my third week and that I hope you all are doing well and enjoying your summer breaks!

Ps. After I mentioned that my desk was empty and people could send me letters and decorations, I had an overwhelming (in an AWESOME way) response and it made me more happy than I can say. I can't wait to see what you send so I can pin it up and work and take a new picture with all the love. I appreciate every one of you who has read and asked for my address :)

<3

Weekend Update.

Well, my idea about finding a random coffee shop somewhere and sitting down for a while to blog ended up not happening which I'm a little disappointed about. I still really want to do that. I ended up doing a lot more than I anticipated this weekend, but it was actually nice. I caught up on some much needed sleep, had a fun work experience, and hung out with my sister a lot (which I'm loving).

On Friday night my sister and I met one of her old high school/college friends at the Luxor for dinner. I've known her since I was practically a baby so it was cool to see her again and get to go out and do something. Saturday I went to an interview with someone from work which was a great time (I have pictures, but I'm still fuzzy on what's ok to post on here so for now check it out on my twitter). Then I desperately wanted to see Amburli, but plans fell through which was super sad so I ended up watching Harry Potter #7 pt. 1 with my sister and just hanging out. Today, I ran some errands, checked out the library in town, CLEANED* and watched another Harry Potter movie with Ash...obsessed or just preparing for the final installment??

Needless to say, it was a relaxing but productive weekend and it was just what I needed. I have a feeling this week is going to be pretty fast paced so I'm enjoying lounging around.

*Back to my issue of cleaning. It's not an exciting thing to talk about but doing laundry and cleaning up my "area" has turned out to be a hilarious chore that I can't even take seriously anymore because of what I'm working with. Let's just take a look at my furniture for the summer, shall we?


Yes. That is my fancy 2-drawer dresser. It's about a foot and a half high and fits about 1/4 of my things. The rest are still in my suitcases. So trying to "organize" is more funny than productive. My stuff is just doomed to be all over the living room until there's an actual house with actual furniture in it. And as a side note, my family had a garage sale this weekend in Parker and sold EVERYTHING we own. I only wish I was exaggerating about that. My poor bed and dresser that's been mine since I was 2 was sold for a mere $50 and everything that didn't get sold is now resting at a goodwill. It really is the end, guys.

But coming out of that small depression, so far it's been great here. I'm learning so much and having a great time with everything so I can't complain too much about the tiny "dresser" or my living room-bedroom. There's still a lot I want to do here, but it's only just begun so I have lots to look forward to!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!
And again, if you want to send me something fun for my desk and/or 4 inch dresser top, let me know and I'll give you my address and love you forever :)

Five for Friday

Gotta get myself back into a regular routine of doing my one constant post every week! I won't allow myself to drift from my blogging happiness so no more Friday Oops's!

1. A song: My sister showed me this song this week and I immediately knew I was putting it on here for my Friday post. It totally sums up my life at the moment, plus it's super catchy. Really, take a listen. I feel so motivated after hearing it.

"Something Good Can Work" - Two Door Cinema Club

2. A quote: "It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, 'Always do what you're afraid to do.'" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

3. 5 things I learned this week:
-I work very well under pressure.
-Making lists and crossing things off as you go makes you feel so accomplished.
-My stanky cat, Weasley is coming to live with us in Vegas.
-American Idol is a complete joke. If the show was redeeming itself on any level, it's 100% gone now after the last few weeks.
-Leather car seats in Vegas will burn your ass off.

4. A picture: I love being in a place with palm trees again. They're just so beautiful to me.

5. A takeaway: Sometimes when you're feeling stressed or homesick or annoyed with something, the best thing is to just take a step back and take some time for yourself. I've only been alone for about an hour and already I feel loads better. I was planning on doing nothing tonight, catching up on some sleep and maybe popping in a movie but then my sister invited me to dinner and I didn't even hesitate to say yes. One hour was all I needed and I feel much better. Sometimes you just need a minute to recoup and it will help in more ways than one.

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

A Quick Note

It's hard to find the time to blog, lately! I'm still working on getting into a regular routine here so forgive me if I'm slow or random with the updates. I realize I've really only given like, 2 since I've been here so this weekend I'm planning on finding a random coffee shop somewhere and sitting down for a while to put a few things down.

Today was the first day I started to feel a little homesick. It was ironic, because I was just talking to my sister last night about how weird it was that I wasn't really homesick yet. And then just like that, it started to slowly come in. It's nothing in particular that's making me feel that way, and to be honest, my "home" is slowly on it's way out here so I really have no good reason for these feelings. My sister lives here now, my mom was here last weekend, and one of my cats is going to be out here for good on Sunday (which I'm nervous about because it's not the cute cuddly one I love so dearly, it's the smelly annoying one that I love so dearly). Also, I've been iChatting with my friend Katie which makes me feel closer to home. We've set aside a weekly Thursday night time slot for iChatting which is just amazing. Now if I could only get her to come visit me out here this summer.........

But back to the point.

I think what it boils down to at the moment is my lack of privacy here. I'm used to living by myself and getting to change wherever I feel like it or shower whenever I want or talk on the phone if I want to. So my living arrangements at the moment are starting to drive me slightly crazy. The good news is, my dad is going to Colorado this weekend to help my mom with some packing and garage-saleing so I'm going to have some alone time and I can't wait. Not that I don't love my dad and appreciate him for letting me live here, I'm just happy to be able to have a couple days with myself. I've missed me.

So, on the agenda is some serious me time with my blog, catching up on sleep, and seeing my bestie AMBURLI!!!! She's in town this weekend and I obviously NEED to see her face. So I'm looking forward to hopefully spending some quality time with her which will make me feel a little less homesick. And I can't forget seeing my God-sisters too! Now that Lindsey is back from Australia I can't wait to see her face!!

But before all this happens, I have one more day of work this week. Next week will be an interesting one with another PR intern starting and it being "Fight Week" so I'm sure I'll have LOTS to write about. Hope you are all well and enjoying the beginning of summer - more tomorrow.

Internship Update: Week 2

Things are starting to pick up at my internship because for the next couple weeks we have a BUNCH of stuff to do for the events. UFC 130 is next weekend, TUF 13 (The Ultimate Fighter reality show season 13 finale) is the following weekend, and then UFC 131 is not too long after that. So I'm getting to help out a lot with preparing for everything which consists of making schedules, putting together press credentials and media packets, and doing "walk-throughs" of the arena, ballrooms, and studios for all of the press conferences, interviews, open work outs, and main events for each fight week. It's pretty busy but it's really exciting.

I like it when I have a lot to do because I feel like I'm learning so much. I love that this internship is so hands on and I'm not just following someone around an office all day watching them do work while I sit back and do nothing. I have actual work to do that contributes to making the events run smoothly which makes me feel like part of the team. I'm learning a lot about Public Relations - tons of things I didn't know went on within the department. I really feel like this is the best possible experience for me to be getting before I graduate in order to pursue it as a career so I feel very lucky to be here.

Today I had a slightly frightening experience driving from the office to the MGM Grand hotel on the strip. For those of you who don't know, I'm TERRIBLE with directions. I'm horrible at following them, I can't see far enough away to read street signs, I get lost all the time but mostly I get really frustrated when I don't know where I'm going. Add all that to being in a city you don't know your way around and you have one car-sick Chelsea following someone from work who's cutting through gas stations and side streets and attempting to maneuver through construction and having a panic attack while driving. It was quite the experience. But high-intensity situations like that are only going to make me better and more able to handle anything that's thrown my way so I'm trying to think of it as a good thing.


I've been trying to take pictures whenever I get the chance, but opportunities are limited. However, I sneakily took this while driving on the strip today (post-panic mode). I'm sure you all have seen it before, but I still think it's cool to say "Look! I'm here!"

Friday Oops.

Well, dear readers, I have many excuses for not having my usual Friday post out this week and they are as follows:

1. Blogger was down for the last 2 days and every time I had a chance to get on was forced to resist.
2. I am POOPED after my first week of my internship. Lame excuse, I know.

But instead, I will just give a short, condensed, makeshift version and we'll see how it turns out.

A song: Because my boss played this classic song at work today and it made me realize how lucky I am to be interning in such a cool place.



5 things I learned this week:
-Working 9-5 is a LOT tougher than being a full time student.
-Sitting at a desk in front of a computer all day long REALLY hurts your neck and eyeballs.
-Having an In-N-Out in the same parking lot as your work is bad news (in the best way).
-Sleeping on a futon isn't THAT bad.
-My dad is totally loved at UFC.

A Takeaway: I'm the first person to get major anxiety when faced with an uncomfortable situation, and this week I feel like I really dealt with it in a positive way and put myself out there. I made some great first impressions at work, helped people, got a lot accomplished and learned a lot just by forcing myself to get past my fears. So far the first week of my internship has been great and I'm really excited to continue it all summer. I think it'll feel weird spending a whole summer doing real work, and then going back to school for one more semester, but I think it's a good thing too.

Oh, and as my good friend, Regina pointed out, my desk is looking rather sparse, so if you'd like to send me a letter or something pretty to decorate with, let me know and I'll give you my address and probably love you forever :)

[*And as a quick side note, I totally haven't forgotten about Tanya, Hannah, Kelsey, Emily, or Cory for my homemade gift project - already sent one out recently so I promise I haven't forgotten!]

First and Second Days.

Well guys, I did it. I made it through the first couple days of my internship without throwing up, getting yelled at, or embarrassing myself - the three things I fret most (kind of) when throwing myself into a potentially uncomfortable situation.

I always make a bigger deal out of things than is necessary and I was really fine. I'm really good at acting like I'm not nervous so I don't think anyone could tell I was walking on egg shells with myself on the first day. But it turned out to be something I think I'm really going to enjoy all summer. The people were totally welcoming and helpful, not to mention really cool, and I'm already learning a lot about the company and what I'm going to be doing all summer.

On the first day I worked a lot on press briefs for the company which was made out to be the "chore" that no one wants to do, but for me it was really helpful because going through all these articles about the company and fighters online was helping me get to know everything better and what the important things to look out for are. I also worked a little bit on putting together schedules for the fighters which made me feel important (ha!). Overall, it was a low-pressure day and it was great for me to ease into the 9-5 corporate world. PLUS we get to wear jeans to work which is ahhhh-mazing.

[Here's my sweet desk with TWO adjoining computers and my own phone with a personal extension number. Just call me corporate, I suppose.]

Today I had a little bit more going on because my actual boss was there. I was really impressed with him and how cool he is. He seems to be really great at his job and knows exactly what needs to be done and how to get there. He was really making sure that I'm going to have some responsibilities in the days to come and be really helpful during the fights. Overall it sounded like I'm going to be doing some really hands on stuff and I am so excited to get going. I already have a small event to go to tomorrow after work so it'll be my first little taste of what it's like to work in PR.

Anyways, that's my little update on the first couple days. I'm feeling more settled and getting into a routine so I'm feeling more confident every day. I'm pooped from waking up early and being active all day so it's time for me to pass out for the night before I do it all again tomorrow. I think I'm really gonna like it here!

Arrived.

I'm in such a weird place right now. Physically and...emotionally I guess? I just got to Vegas a few hours ago and right away it felt like home when my dad greeted me at the airport and immediately said "Let's get Islands for dinner!" which, as a side note...I just ate last night and one other time this week, so it was like getting a taste of home right off the bat which was comforting.

Now, after hanging out with my dad and visiting my sister's cat for a while, I'm laying on my dad's futon bed in his living room, using someone else's internet (because we can't figure out his 9837897 character password) and feeling slightly uneasy. I'm not really sure what to do...

This whole thing happened really, really fast. I finished finals, packed, and now I'm here. Tomorrow will be my one adjustment day, and then I start my internship on Monday (which is a-whole-nother story). It's just kind of surreal how fast everything happened and to be here for an extended period of time. Not being able to go back to my apartment or get any time alone. It's kind of difficult to process all my emotions.

I kind of realized that I have the opportunity to leave everything that's been stressing me out or bothering me behind in Colorado for the summer. I can completely start fresh here and have all kinds of experiences with nothing holding me back and not a lot to worry about. It's kind of freeing when you think of it that way. And that's what I want. I want to leave my other things behind in Colorado for the time being and get a taste of what it'll be like when I graduate and move on for real. I think this could really help me prepare for the big changes ahead.

So for tonight as I lay on this futon, not really knowing what to do with myself, I'm going to work on letting the uneasy feelings settle. I've arrived at my summer destination and it's going to be great. After a few nights I'll start to feel like this is where I'm supposed to be.

Five for Friday

School's officially out, and I'm out of here for the whole summer starting tomorrow. Scary, weird, a little sad, but most of all exciting. I'm excited to get out of the college bubble for a while and surround myself with something new for a while. Right now I'm looking forward to getting away for a while.

1. A Song: I always study to Angels & Airwaves so I've been listening to them a LOT this week and I've recently become obsessed with this song (A Little's Enough) off their first album. Such amazing lyrics.



2. A Quote: This one has been floating all over everything this week, but I think it's fitting given the circumstances the United States are in at this moment. There's some controversy now concerning who said this, so I wont quote anyone, but it speaks my sentiments exactly.

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

3. 5 things I learned this week:
-I've had some really great and supportive teachers in the last couple of years.
-We have a pretty baller president (not that I didn't already know this, but it was re-confirmed this week).
-My lucky underwear really IS lucky.
-One of my teacher's thinks I'm a good candidate to write an honors thesis at CU - very unexpected and made me feel good.
-It costs $957 to get credit for a summer internship. Pocket change.

4. A picture/memory: This is usually how I spend my summers. I'm going to miss these little ninos so much this year!


5. A takeaway: This is my last Friday post before I leave for the summer! I can't believe the semester is already over, it definitely went by way faster than usual. My takeaway is just that I hope you all (including myself) have an amazing summer break. Take risks, have fun, enjoy yourself, and surround yourself with people who give a damn and make your life worthwhile. I'm looking forward to updating you all on all my exciting internship adventures and experiences! :)

Happy Summer Break!

Half Graduated

Today I finished my certificate in Technology, Arts, and Media and graduated from the program! So even though I'm not technically graduating, I still got to kind of graduate with my graduating class (kind of. Not really, though). So here's me pretending to be all overly excited about my little certificate.

[Sorry it's backwards...]

I knew no one at the ceremony except for a teacher I had last semester who was super excited to see me and congratulate me. It actually made me feel really great and happy to be a part of that program. I'm so glad I decided to do it, and I'm really going to miss it now that it's over because I enjoyed those classes so much and will definitely be using everything I learned from it. Yet another bittersweet ending :)

2 Ends and a Beginning

Well bloggers, my last update was pretty darn sad. And this one probably isn't going to be *too* much happier, but it needs to be done.

I went home on Saturday night with the intention of packing up some things and saying bye to my mom before I left for the summer, and it turned into a horrible realization that this would be the final night I would probably ever spend in that house. From there I had to pack up my entire bedroom (which meant throwing things away, and making piles of garage sale items and good will items) and somehow try not to have a melt down in the process.

Well, I failed miserably at the not melting down process. I just couldn't hold it in. I had one when I deliberately drove by Brianna's old house (which may or may not have been a good idea) and before I left I went into my backyard and had one last jump on the trampoline (I used to do that the morning before every first day of school started) and I just cried. When we first moved to Colorado I never imagined ever being in this place. I never imagined that one day down the road I would actually be sad to leave this place that I swore I would never consider my home. Now that that day has come, I'm feeling tons of mixed emotions. I'm so happy and relieved for my mom who deserves this, I'm mad at certain things, and most of all I'm sad that it's not my home anymore. The bed I've been sleeping in since I was 2 years old I won't ever get to sleep in again. The lime green walls that I finally got around to painting right before I left for college are no longer reflective of the person I am. All the high school memories that hung on the walls are taken down, and the room is no longer mine.*

*too bad it'll always be mine, because just like in my house in California, I wrote my name in a secret spot in the closet :)

Then comes the second ending. I just got finished with 4 of my finals and only have one left on Wednesday. I had this really awesome class with a great teacher who let us meet at this restaurant called "The Sink" for our final presentations. We all got to just be really casual and share a drink with our teacher and it really made me think of how I get so attached to my classes every semester. Maybe it's just getting comfortable with a routine, or maybe it's the classes themselves, but it always makes me slightly sad to see a semester end. Especially now, because this ending marks more than just the end of the semester: it's the graduation of my high school class and many close friends, and also the transition into my very last semester of college. It's such a surreal feeling, watching the end near.

Then there's this great beginning I have directly in front of me. I've gotten some really great advice lately in the form of reassuring me that just because a lot of things are ending in my life, there's still a lot of great things about to begin. This internship is a once in a life time opportunity that I get to partake in, my family will finally all be closer together, and I have the chance to go anywhere and do anything after I graduate, and so even though I'll be grieving the loss of my childhood home (and maybe even my childhood in general), I have many positive things coming my way.

So I guess what I'm getting at - if I'm even getting anywhere at all is that I'm probably going to be going through these ups and downs for a while. At least until the end of college and probably after then when I'm freaking out about what comes next. I've never been good at dealing with change, but since it's inevitable I guess I'll just have to take it as it comes and do the best I can. I'm allowed to grieve. I'm human. I'm allowed to be sad and get upset. I'm going to miss this chapter in my life so much because I've done the most growing up during this time. But maybe that's why I'll miss it - because it means I'm growing up and I'm making the official transition into adulthood.

Scary. Weird. In total denial. But *almost* ready to take on the world.