So Long, 2010! It's Been a Time!

As 2010 draws to a close and we prepare to welcome 2011, it's time for me to reflect on what's happened in my life during the past year. This time last year, I had decided that 2010 would be The Year of Elizabeth, and I have to say, I actually managed to live up to that in regards to a lot of things!

There were some ups, some downs, but I certainly wasn't out. After everything that's gone on, I still think it's been one of the best years yet. :)

Here are some of the highlights:

- Completing the craziest year of school of my LIFE and graduating from Humber College with my PR certificate

- Turning a quarter of a century and and having a fabulous 25th birthday weekend, complete with a surprise visit from my brother Dan who flew up from Newfoundland for the day

- Really making the move to Toronto and moving into my first apartment ever (While I did move to Toronto last year to go to school, I feel like I moved this time because I wanted to, not because I had to for school. So it's different!)

- Developing an addiction to the Food Network just in time to meet some of my favourite celebrity chefs during their stops in Toronto on their book tours

- Going home to Newfoundland for the summer and completing an internship with one of the best companies in Newfoundland and learning about the PR industry in my home province

- Starting another internship in Toronto with one of the best and most exciting companies in the country & being fortunate enough to work on an awesome digital team

It's been a year where I've learned a lot, not just about my new profession, but about myself and what I'm capable of when I put myself out there and just try; try new things, new foods, new books, new areas of the city, new whatever.

Mark Twain once said, "Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So sail away from the safe harbour. Explore. Dream. Discover." and I think Twain was right. I've learned that trying and failing is better than not trying at all. Though I've had some experiences this year that have been not great - in fact, they've been downright awful - they didn't kill me, and I managed to go away from them having learned a lot.

It was a year of growth for me, and I'm looking forward to seeing what 2011 has in store. Perhaps 2011 will be "The Year of Elizabeth...Again"?

Happy New Year, everyone! All the best for 2011!

Internship = Done!

Today is the last day of my internship, and it's with a heavy heart that I'm leaving. I've really enjoyed my time here, and there are so many things I'm thankful for:

The people I've learned from, worked with, and received advice from. What an amazing group, I'm going to miss them!

The clients I've worked for and the projects I've worked on...I've been exposed to many different fields and a variety of clients, and I've really gotten a taste for the industry here in Newfoundland. I'm so glad to have worked here at home, even for a short period of time.

Thanks for an amazing couple of months, and who knows...I could be back sooner than I thought. :)

I'm Back!

I realize I've neglected my blog for a few weeks, but it's for a good reason! Not only had I been doing my internship but I'd been working part time at the bookstore...so 3 or 4 days a week, I'd work 14 hour days. Let's just say...not fun.

But my time at the bookstore came to an end, and while I was sad to go, I missed having a life outside work. Since I'm moving back to Toronto at the end of the month, I wanted to have time to spend with my family and friends before I leave.

In my last post , I talked about how well my internship is going, and I have to say, it just keeps getting better. Even though I've only been there for a few weeks, I've been so lucky to be assigned lots of different tasks, like writing for company newsletters, helping coordinate events and even heading up my own client project.

Next week is my last week, and I'm really sad to be leaving. Everyone I work with is wonderful; always full of advice and available for a chat if I ever have questions or need someone to proof read something I've written. They'll certainly be missed! :(

However, it's time to make a move and try to break into a whole other type of industry. I have no doubt I'll be learning even more in Toronto, and I'm looking forward to seeing what it has to offer.

One Week Down...and Loving it So Far!

Last week was my first week at my second agency. A little confused? Let's do a recap:

I started my internship a few weeks ago at Agency #1. Things were amazing. Then, Agency #1 shut down. A huge bummer. I was sad, I was stressed, I was frustrated and worried about what I'd do and about my immediate future.

Then, about a week and a half ago, I received word that Agency #2 agreed to take me on and let me finish my internship with them. I got to keep working with my boss from Agency #1 who is wonderful and I didn't want to have to part with, AND I'd finish my internship here in St. John's, so I can begin a job in Toronto when I return next month.

So how was the first week at Agency #2?

Fabulous.

It's been busy, it's been eye-opening, and at times it's been a bit overwhelming, as I've been thrown right into huge projects and am trying to get my footing. I'm doing lots of different things, from writing bios to making phone calls on behalf of clients, to writing countless emails about this, that and the other thing.

To be honest, I was waiting for the internship to really judge how much I liked public relations, and so far, from the few weeks that I've been interning....I really love it. I was nervous that I wouldn't like it, and I'm sure there will be days when I don't, when I bang my head on my desk in frustration, and resort to upping my chocolate fix to 8am instead of 2pm, but for now...I love it.

I've begun week 2, and the days just seem to speed by at times. When 5pm comes, I'm actually disappointed sometimes, that I have to go home. That must be a sign that you love your job, right?

Until next week, have a happy week!

Changes...again.

The past couple of weeks have been pretty crazy.

I posted an entry almost two weeks ago, sharing my excitement over getting an internship here in St. John's. I was loving it; the people, the work I was doing...it was perfect.

Until I went in last Monday morning, and was told by my boss that the company was shutting down...immediately. As in: that same day.

Needless to say, I was shocked. And then nervous. And then a full-out wreck, because I had already turned down all my internship offers in Toronto, I'd already paid my first month's rent on my apartment in Toronto, and had already been looking for jobs...all in Toronto.

I kept going over and over in my mind what I'd do...I didn't want to have to go back to Toronto without having completed my internship because I want a job when I go back...a real one, not one "in a bookstore while I'm doing my internship" job. I need to be able to support myself while I'm up there, and not have to put everything on my credit card, or something like that.

So, after a week and a half of waiting...waiting...waiting....I finally got word yesterday morning: my boss at my old placement told me that I could come to the new company she's now working at and finish my internship there. To say I'm relieved is an understatement!!

Now, I can finally continue with my job hunt, my furniture hunt (anyone know where I can get a nice desk? Anyone?) and finally get on with my LIFE, now that I'm not stuck in limbo anymore.

Whew! I wonder if the famous Barrie Doyle would count this as a crisis....hmmmm....

The unexpected (but excited) Intern!

Being home in Newfoundland for the summer, I had originally decided to wait to do my internship in September, instead of starting in May like most of the other people in my Humber PR class. And while being home with family and friends in St. John's is great, I have to say, I felt a bit....bored. I'm working part time at the bookstore again, but barely getting any hours, so I decided I wanted to do a bit of volunteer work.

To be honest, I wanted to get some PR volunteer experience before I started my internship because I thought that after four months of being out of the world of PR, I was afraid I'd have forgotten how to write a simple press release. (I know, that's unlikely, but I still feared it!)

So at a family gathering, I cornered a cousin of mine who works in the marketing industry here in St. John's, and his wife works in PR. (I know, lucky me, family members who understand my line of work!) I told them about my wanting to volunteer, and they said they'd see if they could help set me up with something. The next day, I got an email from my cousin, saying he'd gotten in contact with a friend of his at an agency here in St. John's, and to forward some writing samples to her.

I've been at this agency for a few weeks now and I'm loving it. The things I've been able to work on are even better than I thought they would be, and I'm so grateful to have such a wonderful mentor! And since I haven't had much luck securing an internship up in Toronto for the fall, my time at the agency here is actually going to be my internship now, which I'm so pleased about! Agency work here in Newfoundland is not as fast-paced as it is up in Toronto, but this is suiting me just fine for now!

I'm still returning to Toronto this fall, but instead of looking for an internship, now I'm looking for a job. If anyone has any recommendations, or knows of any openings for entry-level public relations practitioners, I'm all ears!

Have a happy week!

Where to live...not just a question about apartments anymore.

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about living in Toronto versus living in St. John's. Obviously the two cities are massively different, there's no question about that. But lately, I've been doing some hard thinking about which place I want to make my home, for the next few years at least.

When I first moved to Toronto last summer, there was no doubt I was nervous about living here, not just because I would be away from family and friends, but also for the little things, like not having a car. I can honestly say that after my friends and family, I miss my CAR the most. Public transport sucks. Completely. It had been my plan, however, to stick it out and do my study here, and then my internship, and then if I were lucky, to get a job here. Now, I'm not so sure.

Obviously I'm going to finish up school here, but I'm on the fence about my internship. When I went home to St. John's for midterm break, I met up with Colleen, my cousin's wife, who is a PR practitioner in St. John's. We had a long talk, and she told me that if I wanted an internship in St. John's, that'd be no problem, she'd hook me up with something no problem. But, she said, if I wanted real experience and to really get to know PR, I should stay in Toronto. So, that was my plan. And that's still my plan. However, due to recent events and my health not being the greatest, I've decided to make a few changes in my career path. And ultimately, it'll be better for me in the long run. I've talked with the most important people in my life about my decision, and they're respecting it, so I'm glad.

I've been saying since January that 2010 is the year of me. I'm doing things that are best for me, and things I want to do for ME. I can't make everyone happy, and I shouldn't have to bend over backwards trying to do so. Certain people in my life right now are not exactly positive influences, so my relationships with them are changing, for the better, for me at least. If they have a problem with me finally looking out for number one, then that's just too bad. I can't care anymore.

So....May will bring a new change to my life, one that I'm okay with. And then, a few months from May, it'll change again. But here's hoping it all goes well. :)

-E