Twas the week before summer Orientation was over-
If I would have had the time or energy to do a weekly blog, I wish I would have because this experience is so inexplicable through words that I can write a million blogs about it and it still wouldn't be enough to describe my Summer 2011 Orientation.
It was everything: from talking in "Life on campus" skits vocab, to the weekend getaways, to the deep meaningful conversation with family members, learning how to juggle, Dyads, Purple Nurples, 3rd Floormates, to pushing myself to the absolute limit and realizing that even at 1am when you have to be up in 5 hours, you will choose to be an Orientation Leader off the clock.
Even though everyone has a different experience throughout this process, and even though I couldn't possibly write about all of the fun times, I will start from the end of spring semester up until now ...
Intensive Training:
It is all a blur now! I do have to confess that I never ever imagined this job being so time and energy demanding. It all started the first week of May 2011 during Intensive Training. And to be honest, the title of "Intensive" it's definitely an understatement. WOW. Talk about pumping you up for a job! 7am-11pm!! I guess besides training for the job, we were also being trained on how to run on zero hours of sleep. Oh but we were very well rewarded on the last day of training when surprise surprise: Wakulla Springs! I learned so much throughout training: about FSU, about diversity, how to run small group sessions, flopping can be so much fun with the right music and the right people, that staying up until midnight doing arts and crafts is the best time for creative juices, that backpacks and jackets are the coolest things ever and that community service is only fun with sorority sisters or your orientation leaders!! :)
First Check-in!
So then after the move-in, the building up, the training, there it was the night before check-in. As much as I want to write this next part down for the world to see and for me to remember in the future, I rather keep this next part our secret and the secret for all of those who are coming after me. But I will say this (and OL you know that I'm talking about!) There was this night, the most memorable night if I may dare, where it all became a reality, when it all hit me that I was about to embark on an entirely new journey ;) The night when I realized that "There is only only one you, There is only one Team, There is only one Summer. We will pass this way only once. We have to do it right" I was ready to Dream big with my new family of 40
Oh my gosh how funny! We even had to be at our first meeting 30mins earlier to go over everything. I don't really remember much about our first weeks except that I had students the first time, and it was the moment of truth!! I remember making silly mistakes like not walking my students back from Bellamy to the SLC the first night and because of that some got lost throughout the way .. hehe sorry guys! or looking thoroughly through my cheat-sheets and making sure I didn't forget to mention anything important, playing Link- always interesting, and loving every single one of my Outrageous Jesters!!
LIVING THE DREAM!
So, here we are, after a whole fall semester of applications, recommendation letters, interviews, dinners and eagerness. After a whole spring semester of weekly classes, spring break trips and retreats, opening up and starting new friendships, video shoots and projects, we are now in week 5 of 6 of the summer of our lives. I know it sounds so cliche, pathetic and corny (shout-out to carly's corny corndogs!) BUT, I have grown so much from this job. It is incredible how much I found out about myself, my capabilities, my strengths, weaknesses, about others, working with others, the list goes on and on....
First: let me say throughout it all I am the number one advocate and believer that I am in all aspects of the phrase: LIVING THE DREAM!!! I guess it has something to do with the fact that I've had to listen to Curtis Zimmerman's inspirational speech for 5 weeks now and if his message didn't sink in the first 4 times I heard him, it has definitely touched me now. "LESS THAN 1% of the other people in this world will EVER have the same opportunities that I have" meaning that "99% of the people on this planet WISH they were me" most importantly and the message I will try to live by for the rest of my life: "I am the star of my show!" and will FOREVER: "Live my life at Performance Level" It's my life! I choose my attitude and choose the people to surround myself with, choose what to make of my everyday! That's so powerful man, gosh if this just sounds like a lot of gibberish I recommend that you CLICK HERE and check him out.
Second:
Just when I thought I couldn't possibly love FSU more than I already do, I found myself in another family to love <3 I love the diversity on this team and the respect we have for each other. I am so comfortable being around my OLs and sharing all of our inside jokes: Like "Ketchup!" or "Okay Pinkay!" ... when we first met I remember thinking to myself "Oh man how am I supposed to remember all of these peoples names?" hehe! AND not only the OLs but my wonderful University. Talk about school pride to the max!! If I did the math, let's see: Its been 5 weeks times 5= 25 plus a couple on the weekends plus a couple just for fun, plus intensive training plus bus rides: Okay so I've sang the FSU fight song at least FIFTY TIMES and counting! I've worn Garnet and Gold from head to toes for the past 2 months. I've answered FSU questions and proffessed my endless love for 16 hours a day. I've explained how someone from Gainesville chose FSU instead at LEAST once a day.
Third: Being a leader
There was times when I was tired, when I was pushed to the limits, when I was crying and sobbing in tears, and then I walked in to a room full of students who were expecting me, their Orientation Leader, to rock the show and be the best I could be. I was so impressed at myself to find out that I can do this! I didn't even have to fake it, somehow it came natural even after 4 hours of sleep to be a leader, to show the new noles why this was the place for them. WOW what a responsibility right? If you think about it, my attitude was going to shape their perspective on this campus. (I know this is a bit dramatic but follow me on this) those days when I was tired, cranky, dealing with personal problems, I don't know how but I managed to pushed it all aside and focus on my role. I wish if I take anything with me from this summer, that I take the ability to do this in any future job: just forget about the problems and smile on and give it my all.... because it works :) I must say I had the most wonderful bosses and supervisors I will ever have in my life in the real world, Thanks so much for this opportunity and for your support. Thank you EVEN team for dealing with me even when I just rolled out of bed and Monster Oriana was still on - Thanks for all of your smiles, your help and contagious energy- Thanks for lifting me up! R-O-C-K Ya'll ROCK!
Third: Being a leader
There was times when I was tired, when I was pushed to the limits, when I was crying and sobbing in tears, and then I walked in to a room full of students who were expecting me, their Orientation Leader, to rock the show and be the best I could be. I was so impressed at myself to find out that I can do this! I didn't even have to fake it, somehow it came natural even after 4 hours of sleep to be a leader, to show the new noles why this was the place for them. WOW what a responsibility right? If you think about it, my attitude was going to shape their perspective on this campus. (I know this is a bit dramatic but follow me on this) those days when I was tired, cranky, dealing with personal problems, I don't know how but I managed to pushed it all aside and focus on my role. I wish if I take anything with me from this summer, that I take the ability to do this in any future job: just forget about the problems and smile on and give it my all.... because it works :) I must say I had the most wonderful bosses and supervisors I will ever have in my life in the real world, Thanks so much for this opportunity and for your support. Thank you EVEN team for dealing with me even when I just rolled out of bed and Monster Oriana was still on - Thanks for all of your smiles, your help and contagious energy- Thanks for lifting me up! R-O-C-K Ya'll ROCK!
AND THEN IT ALL HIT ME:
And just this past Thursday when I got off orientation, finally the weekend, as I'm walking down the stairs, walking through the union I see MY Orientation Leader, the guy who welcomed me to FSU exactly three years ago!! I can't believe I'm going to publicly admit this but ... I started crying so bad!! I ran to him, and hugged him so hard for about five minutes and then the tears began. I don't know why I was so emotional and why I am such a stereotypical girl, but it just all hit me. I realized then that this is FATE. I love that word and that concept. FATE. I believe in it so much. I was meant to be right here right now. I was meant to be an Orientation Leader and he was meant to be mine (for embarrassment reasons on his part I won't publish his name lol ) but gosh he greatly inspired me to apply for this job and now here I am, a senior with absolutely no idea where to go after graduation and scared out of my mind that the next place life takes me will not fill my heart up as much as this place does. But seeing my OL that day just put it all into perspective that here I am after three years and all I have accomplished and how I made FSU my own .. and now its time to move on and prepare myself for whatever is next: with the same enthusiasm and optimism I had as a college freshman.
-SIGH-BREATHE-RELAX-DON'T THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE ANYMORE- CONTINUE ...
yeah thinking about what's next scares me so let's move on:
I will close my long blog with this thought: If I have in any small form inspired any of my Outrageous Jesters to have this job next year, or if they eventually fall in love with Florida State as much as I did, then, or more importantly, If I take all of the concepts, growth, and lessons learned and apply them to my future then I will officially thank Fate for all it has done for me and forever LIVE THE DREAM :)
GOODNIGHT!
GO LAST WEEK OF ORIENTATION!
I will close my long blog with this thought: If I have in any small form inspired any of my Outrageous Jesters to have this job next year, or if they eventually fall in love with Florida State as much as I did, then, or more importantly, If I take all of the concepts, growth, and lessons learned and apply them to my future then I will officially thank Fate for all it has done for me and forever LIVE THE DREAM :)
GOODNIGHT!
GO LAST WEEK OF ORIENTATION!
GO NOLES!
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