I’ve been blessed with parents who love to travel and because of that, the love and appreciation of travel has been instilled within me. Traveling has taught me how important it is to leave your comfort zone and experience new things. Not only have I seen and learned so much through traveling, traveling has actually changed the person I am. It has given me new perspectives and made me understand and appreciate that just because I do something one way, doesn’t mean it’s the best and only way.

I’ve been lucky enough to visit a lot of cool places overseas, but you don’t have to make it across the ocean to have an unforgettable time. I have many memorable vacations that have happened right here in the great USA. As long as you’ve got a good attitude, good company and a final destination, any trip you take has the potential to be amazing.

• Possibly, my favorite trips are the ones that were planned spontaneously, sometimes within a week, sometimes even in a couple days. A spontaneous trip is usually to somewhere within driving distance. This might be one of the only times in our life a spontaneous trip is possible, so take advantage of it! Just because you didn’t plan ahead doesn’t mean you can’t have an awesome time!

• Did you know that Study Abroad programs aren’t that much more expensive than a regular semester at Auburn? If you’re an out-of-state student, it’s actually a lot cheaper to study abroad for a semester than attend classes on Auburn’s campus. I know the idea of living in a foreign place for a semester might sound a little intimidating, but I’ve never once heard anyone say they regret studying abroad. Actually, one of my only regrets of my college career is that I wasn’t able to study abroad because of scheduling conflicts. I’d suggest doing it earlier in your college career, during sophomore or early junior year.

• Planning a big trip to take with all your friends can get a little stressful, but it is always worth it in the end. I’d encourage everyone to start a travel fund. Even if it takes a few years until you can afford to take the trip, when you’re getting ready to board that plane, you’ll be happy you did. My friends and I have been saying we were going to take a spring break ski trip our senior year since we were freshman. Now that everything has worked out and it’s actually happening, I am completely ecstatic and I know I will carry the memories we make for the rest of my life.

Stay tuned for another blog where I go into more detail about the trips that I've taken!

Cassie Fernandez
AU Senior

Prove Them Wrong

I suppose I should’ve seen it coming, because in the back of my mind I knew I was in an uncommon position. I’m a female in engineering, and I work in IT, setting up and fixing computers as well as answering questions from helpline callers. I was used to being in the minority when it came to gender, but I doubt that anything could have fully prepared me for the woman who refused to even speak to me regarding help with her computer purely because, as she told the co-worker to whom I transferred her, I’m a woman.

Being denied the chance to perform the duties of my job simply because of my sex was devastating for me, and I’ll admit it: I went home that night and cried. I had been brought up in a semi-sheltered, idealistic world that was primarily free from gender stereotypes. It hadn’t occurred to me that my potential would ever be seen as any different from that of males when it came to intelligence, leadership, or other abilities. I was unaware that people would make snap judgements of any sort based purely upon my gender, yet that woman had shattered that naïveté.

I thought a great deal about that phone call for days afterward. I felt helpless, as though I would always be looked down on no matter how skilled I became; if she wasn’t willing to even hear what I had to say on a simple computing matter, who would listen to me about bigger things? I was afraid to answer the phone at work, and for a day or two I didn’t want to go into the office at all for fear of encountering more people like her. Slowly, though, I realized I would have to get over it and do something productive. The only way to work to end her prejudice, and that of the dozens of others who have made snide and hurtful comments since, was to prove that her doubts about me were wrong and set a positive example.

I wrote her phone number on a sticky note, which still sits by the phone on my desk, so that when she called our office again, about two weeks later, I could make sure to answer it. This time, I didn’t transfer her call or shy away when she asked for nearly every male in the office (each by name!). Instead, I helped her with her computer problem, calmly and competently, and at the end of the call she thanked me and voiced her appreciation for my assistance. Even though she probably didn’t remember that I was the same girl whose help she had rudely turned down not too long ago, it was an empowering moment for me to hear her say “thank you” and truly mean it.

Today I am grateful for that first phone call. It was painful, true, but also eye-opening and inspiring. Yes, I am a woman, and yes, I am in a traditionally male field, but that does not and will not define me or my abilities. By learning as much as I can and working as hard as I can to better myself, I work every day to make a difference against gender stereotypes and prove people like that woman wrong.

SueAnne Griffith
AU Junior

Wise Words from Lady GaGa

You probably never thought the phrase “wise words” and “Lady Gaga” would be used in the same sentence did you? About a year ago, I came across a quote that Lady Gaga said in an interview that inspired me. Some of my friends thought the quote was depressing and cynical and others thought, like I did, that the quote was empowering and inspirational.

“Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you're wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up one day and tell you that it doesn't love you anymore.”

Whatever your opinion on the quote, in a culture obsessed with romance, I think this is a harsh but necessary reality check for girls and women that are at important turning points in their lives. I, along with many of my friends, will be graduating in May. I am at the point in my life where so many girls are getting engaged, planning weddings and starting new lives with their boyfriends, fiancés or husbands.

Don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing that. Now is the time that we are stepping out in to the real world and starting our future, but there are too many times that I see girls blindly following their significant others to wherever they go or give up a job or schooling opportunity to stay where their boyfriends are.

It is 2014. It is no longer just a man’s world. The percentage of women college graduates are beginning to slowly pass men’s and women are working their way into better and more important career positions every day, so why are we still compromising our futures to follow the men we love?

Although the Lady Gaga’s quote may be slightly cynical or blunt, I believe it’s a little food for thought. Why should we as women be the ones to alter our goals and dreams for our partner? Society today should be about compromise. Women have just as much opportunity to make as much money as their husbands and should believe in themselves enough to go where their career takes them.

To all young women graduating college: Don’t be afraid to follow your dreams, follow your career and follow your aspirations in a time when most young women are just following their men.

Carlye Poljacik
AU Senior

Empowering Yourself

Today I read an article written by Sheryl Sandburg, the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, and about her experience speaking on Ted Talks. I proceeded to watch her actual video posted on Ted Talks, which is a site of motivational speakers sharing their empowering stories and ideas which range from just about any subject. Sheryl Sandburg’s in particular was ‘wowing’ to me. Here is this woman who is the Chief Operating Officer for one of the biggest forms of social media in the world, and is ranked by Forbes as the number sixth most powerful woman in the world, speaking directly to us woman about holding our own.
In her talk she focuses on three things that as working woman we should do.
• First is to “Sit at the table”,do not get seated to the side, your thoughts and your input, in any field, is just as important as any man’s out there. So be confident in yourself, be engaged, and sit at the table.
• The second message she addresses is “make your partner a real partner”. For those women out there in relationships, married or not, you must work at making that relationship a partnership. More often than not woman get the short end of the stick when it comes to pursuing their career. This is usually due to society’s stereotypes. When you start having kids and someone needs to be home with them, who usually is the one to do it? The woman. Well that needs to change. We need to stop stunting our career aspirations just because of society’s image of what a mother is. Do not be fooled, you can be a strong compassionate mother, wife and worker; it just takes a little effort.
• Lastly Sheryl Sandburg talked about not clocking out until it is truly time, or in other words “Don’t leave before you leave”. It is important to consider the future you want to have, whether that is getting married, having kids or any other choice you want to make, but it is really important to keep yourself in ‘the game’ until the very last possible minute. As women we tend to slow down when we begin to start a family, whereas Sheryl Sandburg is suggesting to “keep your foot on the gas pedal”, keep the drive in your life to succeed and keep the determination of empowering yourself.
I feel empowered by what Sheryl Sandburg said. I don’t want to ever live my life to less than my abilities. She reminded me that what I, Hanna Bjork, have to offer is important, and to not let anyone tell me differently. She reminded me, down the road, any relationship I may be in should be a partnership, where we both are encouraged to thrive in what we want to do. And she reinforced to me that you can be it all. You can be the mother you want to be, you can be the wife you want to be and you can for sure be the worker you want to be.


Hanna Bjork
Auburn University
Sophomore

20 Something Blogs...Good or Bad?

I don’t know about you, but lately I have been BOMBARDED by blogs about 20-somethings. They all have similar titles… 20 things twenty somethings should do… or not do… or know... or accomplish. Literally, I cannot get on facebook or twitter without seeing their headlines, each of them drawing me in. I’m particularly entrapped by the ones that explain things YOU KNOW HOW TO DO while in your twenties. Sometimes these lists can affirm you. I often feel myself puffing up when I come across a list that I have almost mastered. But, more often than not, the lists show things that I have not accomplished, seen, or know. Then the panic sets in…WHAT AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE?

That internal question then leads down a slippery slope that ends with me feeling like a failure. Sure, some of the items like, “know how to parallel park”, aren’t too heartbreaking to not have mastered. (P.S. I have not been able to nor do I ever foresee myself being able to parallel park. Let’s hope I never live in a large city.) But, there are the other accomplishments that “I should” have mastered that never even crossed my mind. I see the tasks a twenty something should have mastered and I feel small. I feel behind on the curve. I feel like what I’m doing isn’t up to par with what my twenty something friends are accomplishing.

This is not me saying that “20 something” blogs are bad. I am saying that letting others make a list for your life can be harmful. The twenty something lists can be fun as well as act as a sort of guide but should never be seen as a checklist for life. I believe that we are all placed on a path and my journey is different than my twenty something peers. Not only is my journey different, but so are my talents, weaknesses, and dreams. So instead of panicking that we aren’t falling in line with what twenty somethings should be doing, we should celebrate what we have done and what we will do (even if it doesn’t include parallel parking).

Senior year vs. freshman year

Recently, a good friend of mine, Allie Heckel, wrote an article talking about the differences between freshman year and senior year on Auburn's campus, and I do not think I could have said it any better myself!

Check out her article: http://family.auburn.edu/profiles/blogs/10-things-that-change-from-your-freshman-to-senior-year-at-auburn?xg_source=activity

Comment and let us know what has changed most for you from Freshman to Senior year!

I think my biggest change has been the way I care. That sounds very broad of a subject and I could probabaly talk about it all day, but I am secure in my frienships, in myself and what I've got going on. I care so little about what others think and so greatly about what my friends think. It's been a really interesting change for me. I was ultra involved on campus the past 3 years at Auburn, and I kind of let that go senior year and it has made all the difference. I used to be so focued on what position I would hold next and defined myself by the amount of people I knew and the amount of people that knew me. As you get older you realize that true frienships mean far greater to you than all the acquaintances in the world.

The change from freshman to senior year is inevitable. You grow and mature so much that if there is no change there is no growth.

Heather Duncan

The distance isn't too long...

I am in a long distance relationship and chances are that you have been in one too. Some estimates state that up to 75% of college students have been in a long distance relationship at some point. Being in a long distance relationship has its pitfalls for sure. Many friends, family members, and even strangers seem to have a take on my long distance relationship. I often hear comments like, “UHG isn’t that SO hard?”, or my favorite, “Why don’t you just date a nice Auburn boy”. (Note: I am proud to come from a university that has such fantastic gentleman. The fact that I’m dating someone from a different university doesn’t reflect negatively on the top notch men here on the plains!) The comments about my relationship are often times discouraging. Rarely do I tell people that I am in a long distance relationship and hear, “WOAH! That’s awesome.”

 Each of these comments reminds me what of a fact that I know too well: That the person I love isn’t as close to me as I want. 

Of course, anyone in a long distance relationship wishes their significant other was closer. Don’t be discouraged. Being in a long distance relationship IS awesome! I am here to encourage you my long distance loving friends! I should have known after meeting my current boyfriend on an airplane (YES that does happen.) that our relationship would be a little different. He is currently a student at the University of Georgia while I attend the most beautiful school on the plains, (he disagrees) Auburn. Between school, work, internships, and extracurricular activities a relationship is hard to juggle. A long distance relationship just adds another added curve ball to the mix. An article from CNN (September, 2013) states that persons in long distance relationships felt more committed and connected to their significant other. In my opinion long distance couples work harder to show their love through different medium.

Below I listed a couple ways that I have strengthened my relationship and made the distance seem shorter:

Communication is key in relationships and not being able to see your loved one face to face is difficult, but thanks to technology we have the next best thing. Video chatting is a great way to stay connected. The best video chat programs I have found are Skype, Facetime, and ooVoo. If you prefer the written word you can email, send a letter, or even send a telegraph. TelegramStop.com is a website that lets you send an old fashioned telegram for less than $7. You can also write a few letters to give to your love that they can open at a later date or moment. If you’re in the mailing mood, sending a care package is always a great idea! Fill a flat-rate shipping box with all their favorite things. The dollar store is full of fun items and food to fill it with!
Surprises are also a great idea when you are in a long distance relationship.

My favorite thing to do is to order food from Chris’ favorite restaurant and have it delivered to his house. It’s an easy and cheap way to let your someone know you’re thinking about them. Since your relationship is long distance it’s always a good idea for Christmas and Birthday gifts to be something you can do together (think concerts or fun festivals).

The most important way to make long distance relationships work is to make the most of the time when you are together! I know it can be difficult to begin the moping before your visit is even over but STOP. Make the time you have together count. Make sure you make lots of memories to make up for the time you aren’t together.

If you have any other ideas on make long distance relationships better let me know!

-Logan Hubbard