What else can I say? I've joined the gym! After a year of being in denial about the weight I have gained while here in Florida, I've snapped out of it!
I am in the process of looking for a trainer right now, but as of mid-Jan, I have been in the gym about 4 times a week. I've always liked working out, but I guess when you're out of it for a while, it's hard to get back into it.
I think I'm ultimately getting prepared for an all-inclusive trip to Aruba, or that Celebrity Cruise to Italy!
The gym is about 2 miles from where I live, and I pass it on the way home. Sometimes I go to the gym before I get home, but I have also enjoyed going later in the evening. A really good workout equals a good night's rest!
Well, wish me luck and we'll see where I am in the next few months!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
22- Academy of Art Meetup
I originally moved to Florida back in 2008 to start work towards an Art degree (MA) at the University of South Florida. After taking some intro courses, I quickly realized that the path I had chosen was going to take me too long to complete. Through prior research, I thought it would have been best to have a strong art foundation before pursing graphic design, but that isn't necessarily the case. In those intro courses, I was learning everything that I had already taught myself in previous years! It was interesting, but not so much a waste of time. I learned new things, but most importantly, I learned that I had enough knowledge to pursue an MFA in Graphic Design.
"Heck....I can hang with the best of them", I told myself!
After about six months of research, I applied and was admitted to the Academy of Art in San Francisco. It was HIGHLY important to me to find an accredited program where top companies recruit and where top professionals mentor and teach. I was also very fortunate to find that this school had a complete online program and that my employer would reimburse a certain percentage. Perfect, huh?
I am currently in my 3rd semester, and I have about 2 years or so to go. It depends on if I take summer courses what my actual completion date will be. But, I am not worried about that right now, as I am completely wrapped up in my learning and connecting with other students. I can say that online studies is much harder than on campus studies, but I am a nerdy student who LOVES to do work outside of the classroom. I am very independent, and in undergrad I had a hard time physically going to class! I just wanted to tell the professors, "give me the syllabus and I'll reach out to you if I need anything"! I walked away with a 3.9 GPA in Philosophy, so I thought I would do well on my own in a Master's program that was completely online.
The hardest part about being online is not actually being online. It's being online AND being on the other side of the country....... away from my school. There is a TON of online support for me, but there is something to be said about being around like-minded individuals. Even if I lived in San Francisco, I believe I would still take courses online, but I would have the luxury of attending events, networking, and being completely immersed in design culture. There are also a ton of jobs available for students in San Fran, but I'm not quite so ready for that move just yet. :)
Thank goodness for the Online Student Groups on Facebook. The Academy has reached out to thousands of students, all over the world, to connect those online to other students online. Isn't that neat?
Way to go facebook! Another buck for Zuckerberg, huh? LOL
Anyway, there is a Florida online group that I have joined. In December, emails went out to the group announcing a "meetup" so students could meet other students. I was thrilled. They planned three meetups: Miami, Sarasota, and Orlando. I knew Miami and Orlando would bring larger crowds, but I had just gotten back from Miami, and Orlando's event was late on Sunday. So, I left work on a Friday and drove the short 45 mins to beautiful Sarasota (for the first time).
There was a good turnout, and I met some new peeps. I was the only graphic design student, but it was GREAT to share stories about similar experiences, and I actually gave great tips on succeeding online! Other students were in the schools of New Media, Architecture, Photography, and Fashion. With food, drinks, and camaraderie, I was glad I didn't miss out that night.
I mean, I only had plans to go to sleep!
In the weeks after, my new peeps and I started to make plans to get together again, and I even got feedback on my new website (if you haven't seen it, check it out: www.wix.com/PhearsCreative/Monique-Phears).
I'm making progress, I would say :)
23- Carnival Cruise
Man, I don't know if any of you know.....but I am deathly afraid of large bridges & any other man-made monstrosity that is supposed to get me from one point to the next. Needless to say, I am a little freaked out by cruise ships, even more so because there is a cruise port down the street from where I live. Cruise ships never bothered me when I would see them on TV, but when I got to see one up close and personal last year, I freaked out! I could stare at that ship for days. How the heck does that thing stay on top of the freaking water?! I started to think, "there's just no way that all that fun can go on in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, without the ship sinking!"
I just didn't get it............
After some convincing by coworkers, I did some research and invited my twin and friends for a cruise. We chose to cruise out of Miami because we wanted to spend some time shopping and hanging out before going back home.
I did get pretty excited when I got a Carnival email saying, "Hello Monique, 8 days till cruise!" This is probably because when I booked the cruise, the first email said, "Hello Monique, 88 days till cruise"!
Whoa baby!
Now, I have to say that I never thought much about cruises until I moved to Florida. I am assuming because there are like 5 cruise ports down here, people rave about them because they are so convenient. I remember people thinking cruises were some extravagant and expensive vacation, however cruises are pretty darn inexpensive. For the food, entertainment, lodging, and destinations, cruises are a great option for vacation.
I chose Carnival Cruise Line because I was told that it was more fun and young. I was concerned about young meaning being under 18, but we really didn't experience any issues with kids running around because Carnival has a kids camp. Thank Gawd! We did, however, see quite a few kids walking around on their own. Now that was just crazy.
I'll try to sum up my experience as best as I can. Wait, I'll do a countdown!
10- 10x10 is how much I paid for parking for 5 days
9- nine is for the number of times the DJ played the Cupid Shuffle song (and I still don't get it)
8- eight is for how many times I visited the casino (I had a pretty good return, though)
7- seven is how many times we enjoyed the "sit-down" dining
6- six is for the number of towel animals we found in our room every now and then!
5- five is for the time we had to spend in Grand Cayman (felt like 5 mins!)
4- four is for the number of guys that ran to help us with our bags. So sweet.
3- three is for the number of times I ordered room service
2- two is for the dollar amount left on my cruise account by the end of the vacation
1- one is for the motion sickness patch that actually made me more sick than the ship itself
I know for a fact that I would try Celebrity Cruise line next. It's more expensive, but I hear that it's probably more of the experience I am looking for. (It's kinda like how I love the Grand Hyatt more than LaQuinta Inn. )
I'm just saying :)
Saturday, February 12, 2011
22-Ladies Night
Back towards the end of November/beginning of December, I started to itch for something new to do. Speaking with a co-worker (and good friend) of mine, we came up with having a "ladies night" at my apartment. I had been hesitant about inviting people over because I like to keep work life and home life separate, but I have to say that I have met just a handful of chicas that I think are super cool. Meaning- they are cool enough to hang with me and my super-cool self, you know? LOL
So, the plans started for ladies night, and by the time the night rolled around, my apartment was full of six gals, champagne punch, wine, FANTASTIC appetizers, games, flameless candles, and laughter! The fun part of the evening was that I ended up having to bring out some games, but none of my games had all the parts! I guess I never noticed because I never play with them!
We played OPERATION, and I think I was missing the rubber band or something. We played UNO, but I would say there was a good 10 cards or so missing. How can I tell? They told me. I pulled out a silver case with a poker set in it, but the deck of cards was missing. Lastly, I pulled out some dominoes I had from who knows where, but there were only like 10 dominoes in it. Needless to say, after all of that and after losing the games we did play, it was obvious that I should just stick to drinks and food from now on!
I'm definitely looking forward to having another shindig, especially since the weather is getting warmer.
:)
So, the plans started for ladies night, and by the time the night rolled around, my apartment was full of six gals, champagne punch, wine, FANTASTIC appetizers, games, flameless candles, and laughter! The fun part of the evening was that I ended up having to bring out some games, but none of my games had all the parts! I guess I never noticed because I never play with them!
We played OPERATION, and I think I was missing the rubber band or something. We played UNO, but I would say there was a good 10 cards or so missing. How can I tell? They told me. I pulled out a silver case with a poker set in it, but the deck of cards was missing. Lastly, I pulled out some dominoes I had from who knows where, but there were only like 10 dominoes in it. Needless to say, after all of that and after losing the games we did play, it was obvious that I should just stick to drinks and food from now on!
I'm definitely looking forward to having another shindig, especially since the weather is getting warmer.
:)
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