Like Billy Joel, I'm movin' out....

Sorry I haven't updated in about a million years. That's my bad. I've found a new home for my humble little blog...mostly because wordpress allows me to have multiple pages on my site. So...if you're still interested in keeping up with me I'll be at http://www.gfalconeiri.wordpress.com. Love to see you there.

The curve

Today while writing a letter to my good friend in Texas, I started expressing something I didn't even realize had been on my mind so much. And in a surprisingly eloquent manner if I do say so myself. I like when this sort of thing happens because it helps reinforce my decision to be a writer. Anyway, here's the sentiment:

Less than a month and a half until I'm walking across the stage in a cap and gown. Weird. People my age from high school/middle school/other random places are getting married and having (or already have) babies. I'm trying to keep my own life in perspective and remind myself that I'm not behind the curve, and more importantly that the curve doesn't really exist. It can be tough sometimes to live your life simply by your own standards because as humans we tend to judge our successes and failures by the progress of those around us. I continuously try to remind myself that what a classmate does can be used to motivate me, but shouldn't (and doesn't) have any real bearing on my life.

Bam. Morning philosophy via letters between long distance pals.

My brush with fame

On Wednesday (3/17) I got the opportunity to interview Ben Folds before the show he played at the University of Florida. It was definitely the first time I've interviewed a pop star...and the first time I've had to deal with the whole publicist/scheduling monster I know a good percentage of journalists have to deal with on a daily basis. I'm really grateful for the chance to do this story, mostly because Ben is a brilliant human in addition to being a fantastic musician. However, it was also easily one of the more stressful stories I've ever worked on.

I understand that part of "the biz" is dealing with event organizers who may or may not (usually the latter) understand exactly what being a journalist and covering an event on deadline entails. I consider myself a fairly organized and professional individual, so it's hard for me to deal with others that don't take their job as seriously as I take mine. Sometimes it can be rather frustrating when you show up at a venue and there's no information about where to go or what is or isn't allowed. Similarly, I don't appreciate getting reamed by staff members at the location because communication hasn't happened.

Ultimately, the experience was positive. I met a musician I already admired and learned a lot more about him. I even squeezed a little over 12 minutes out of my publicist-given 10 minutes. I'll have the transcript and audio file for a good long time and I'm proud of the package (preview, interview and event coverage) I put together. Also, I gained a little insight into what this type of journalism entails. I now know that there are many components to making an event, and covering said event, go smoothly and these components are exacerbated when there is some form of celebrity involved.

I chalk it up to one more journalistic experience that will help me prepare for the professional arena. I just hope I can continue to add them as I inch ever closer to graduation.

Items to cross off

I've noticed that people tend to carry a list of things they want everywhere they go. Sometimes these desires are expressed in their day to day activities, and other times very few people know about them. The person that holds said desires might not even be fully aware of them.

Personally, my list is mostly mental with a few physical manifestations on a white board I keep above my desk, this blog and the other online personalities I maintain. I also tend to constantly divide it into subcategories. Attainable. Frivolous. Impossible. Simple pleasures. Rights. Hopes. Possibilities. And so on.

The items on the list also shift in importance and occasionally something will show up that hasn't surfaced in quite some time.

For example, a digital SLR camera. I very nearly purchased one of these on impulse during my photojournalism class here at the good ole U of F but managed to talk myself out of it. Recently the desire has come back with a vengeance, ironically at a time where I most definitely do not have funds to spend on any extra expenditures. Much less one that costs $600 minimum. File this under frivolous.

Also on the list, a journalism job in Boston. My moving there is set but what I do once I get there is about as uncertain as possible. This is a little bit more difficult to categorize because I know that it definitely is attainable, but sometimes all of the extras and steps leading up to this get a bit overwhelming. Add a subcategory of possibility and a dash of hope and I think we're about there.

Going back to South America. Attainable and in my mind a certainty. There is no way I will let this slip through my fingers.

My morning cup of coffee. An undeniable right as well as a simple pleasure. You don't want to see me without this. Trust me.

Peace of mind/time to relax. The most difficult to achieve by far, but due to a litany of reasons that are both situational and personal. I'm in a very transitional period of my life what with college graduation, the "real world" and a more than 1000 mile move on the horizon. These facts don't really lend themselves to down time, much less peace of mind. But there's also just my personality. I'm the kind of gal that, even if I'm not saying a word, my mind is constantly whirring, spinning and clicking so that if you peered inside my skull I'm sure it looks more like a machine in Willy Wonka's factory than anything else. This has to fit in nearly every category I mentioned. Attainable, I hope so. Right? Possibility? Possibly impossible? Time will tell. I promise I'll keep you all updated.

A blessing and a curse

Being at the University of Florida's College of Journalism and Communications has some very distinct positives and negatives, which are often one and the same. I'm lucky enough to surround myself with other students, journalists and professors who consistently achieve at a high level and make the other people they work with better by doing so. I think my writing benefits greatly by the teachings of professors at a top 10 school and the comments made by my fellow students, many of whom will become the reporters and editors of tomorrow's top selling publications.

This same benefit can take a nasty turn when I begin to compare myself (and my achievements) against others around me. Some of this is natural. Where are people supposed to create their benchmarks from if not from the environment around them? Sometimes, however, comparing myself to my classmates simply results in a spiral into inadequacy.

Before you start in on the alarmed reassurance, let me set a few things straight. I know I'm a good writer, I might even be better than good. I also know that, given the opportunity I will make my place in the journalism industry. Sometimes I second guess the decisions I've made, especially in the last semester. I chose to go to Argentina for five months indulging the part of me that always wanted to immerse myself in a Latin American culture. And I did just that. But that means journalism took a backseat for a good deal of time. I wrote sporadically in my blog, but nothing official. My semester abroad meant I didn't get a national-level internship and that my resume (to me) feels a little lack-luster.

And 90 percent of the time, I know this was the right decision for me. I may have a few less clips, and nothing I've written (so far) has run in a publication with a circulation of more than 50,000 or so but I'm making my peace with this. I try not to get down when I see other people's resume with lines saying they've written over 100 stories for the Alligator or their multiple internships but sometimes this is a little easier said than done.

Lucky for me though, I've already started developing my plan. I'm off to the greater Boston area in July and I have an excellent support system already in place. Not only are there people that tell me I will be successful, but are willing to do everything they can to facilitate my success. I may have to bartend for a while before I find my dream publication, but that's okay. I've started to look at a few different weekly Arts and Entertainment papers and I'm ready to make my first foray into the "real world."

I can do this, full resume or not.

Love on the day

So I looked for a couple of different quotes hoping I would find one that summarized what I thought love "really meant," but alas nothing. I guess it's because I still have no idea what love means. I'm cool with that. I think it exists in so many different forms and at all levels. All I know is that it's important...and everybody should love somebody (and, ideally, multiple somebodys).

Love your significant other, love your parents, love your roommates, love the guy who makes the perfect caramel latte for you, love the car that lets you out of a crowded parking lot, love your representation of God when it's a beautiful day, love the feeling of a job well done, love food, love music, love life.

And if you can't find something to make you love, make a Boyz II Men station on Pandora. It'll do the trick, promise.

<3

Love round 2

So this will be quick...but here's my musical contribution to love. I first discovered this song in the movie Paris Je'taime and I think it's just about the sweetest thing in the world.

Love

So Valentine's Day is (sort of) just around the corner...and I thought I'd start posting things that represent love to me to get in the "holiday spirit"

I used to really resent Valentine's Day...and while I still maintain that it shouldn't take a special day for people to know that you love them, or for you to demonstrate your love...I've softened my jaded heart just a bit. Yeah, it's commercialized and superficial, but there also isn't any real harm in it. Plus, anything that brings a little more love in this world can't be all bad...right?

To start off, a few photos I took while in Santiago, Chile.

Music makes you lose control...

I've had music on the mind for a couple of weeks now, and you could say that the culmination of these thoughts occupying my mind is represented by the Grammys showing last night.

All in all, I was a little disappointed in "music's biggest night." My roomies and I discussed how Grammy appearances should be EPIC showcases of musical talent and spectacle...ala Kanye West singing "Jesus Walks" with a gospel choir backing him up. This year's performances were alright...but is alright really good enough? These are the individuals that are supposed to represent the music industry, and the cream of the crop at that. I guess I just expected fantastical numbers...I want our stars to rip out their heart, throw it on the stage and say "there...this is what I'm about and this is why I perform." Needless to say, I didn't really get that from the Grammys.

In other music news, Racheal got to MC an American Red Cross benefit concert with Gainesville's own Against Me! as the headliners. Pretty boss. Also, the Gainesville community has raised over $20,000 for Haiti relief...makes me proud to be from this area. Go Gators and all that jazz...

I interviewed Glypher (the creator of gainesvillebands.com) earlier last week for my magazine writing class, and it's got me all pumped up to go see some local music. There's a couple of sweet acts coming to the 'ville, local(ish) and otherwise. Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk (not local) and Soulphonics with Ruby Velle (via Orlando, I believe) will both be here this month and I'm going to try to hit at least one...though ideally I'd do both. Super soulful and funky dance-your-face-off kind of music. Yes please.

So yeah, other than that things are pretty much business as usual. Reached my capacity on Pandora for January so I tried out Grooveshark for the last few days of the month. Neither program is really better or worse...they're just different. Pandora is easier, but you have less control...and while I'm sure you can make multi-artist playlists in Grooveshark (or perhaps search by genre) that's a little more effort than I want to put in for background music.

Anyway...until next time...keep singing your song, whatever it may be :)

Returning home from Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. Beautiful people, beautiful view.

Retrospective

I've been home from Argentina for over a month and a half now, and not a single day goes by where my thoughts don't journey back to that beautiful country and the wonderful people I met while I stayed there.

Part of me loves that I still long for Mi Buenos Aires Querido, and I know that I'll never completely edit those feeling out of my life...and thank goodness right? Who wants to move on that quickly?

What I struggle with, however, is that this is an equally formative time in my life and I feel partially stuck in a different hemisphere. As I embark on my last semester as a undergrad I know that the memories I make in this very special time will rival anything else I've done up until this point. Except maybe climb on a glacier in Patagonia...but we'll just have to see.

And don't even get me started on the whole milestone of moving away from my home to go live with my boyfriend of 2(ish) years. Cold weather + far away from my parents/sister + unfamilar turf + living in the same abode with the previously long-distance significan other = scary. I know I can handle the challenge of so many elements colliding at once, but part of me is worried that the nuclear fission of my life will not result in the best outcome. (Extra points for chemistry imagery.)

But getting back to the wrapping up of my Argentine adventure. The final month or so in the Southern Hemisphere was spent traveling about Patagonia, scaling mountains, crunching around on glaciers and squeezing every beautiful moment out of my study abroad experience that I possibly could. Are there still things I wish I could have done? Of course. I'm glad there are, because it gives me a solid reason to go back.

I could give a very detailed run-down of everything I did in my 10-day adventure in Patagonia, but it doesn't really give it justice. If you're really curious, come over to the house for a cup of coffee or call me up on the phone. We'll chat. I have a wealth of adventures and stories.

I will, however, throw some pictures up here because Patagonia (the southernmost tip of South America...it belongs to both Chile and Argentina) is possibly the most heart-crushingly beautiful place I've seen. Mountains and ice and glaciers and lakes and guanacos and flamingoes and other creatures I never though I'd see in the wild (like penguins!!)

Getting ready for what ended up being a 15 mile hike in Torres del Paine Nationa Park in Chile. No, I didn't hike with all of that gear the entire time. However, we did hike up and down a mountain. Amazingly beautiful scenery which I still managed to appreciate the next morning when I couldn't move.

"Lobos Marinos" (Sea lions) on our boat tour in Ushuaia, Argentina. The southernmost city in the world...literally the end of civilization. Also, the most concecutive days of snow I've experienced in my life (four)...ps, it was springtime while I was there.

PENGUIN!! I really shouldn't have to explain why seeing penguins in their natural habitat is amazing.

Also part of the boat tour. I loved how low the clouds looked with the broken down shack and Argentine flag limply flapping.

The harbor in Ushuaia.

The Perito Moreno Glacier in El Calafate, Argentina. One of the only glaciers left that's advancing. I also got to go on an ice trek on top of this big guy for four hours. Crampons, hiking boots and everything.

Photographic evidence that I didn't just steal all of these pictures of off Google Images.

So there it is folks, the wrap up of what was easily the coolest thing I've done so far in my life. Which is saying something, because I've been fortunate enough to do some very cool things. The gratitude I have for this opportunity is endless, but I'm going to try to capture at least a little bit of it here while I have you all still listening (reading?)

First and foremost, I have to give my parents an enormous thank you for pushing me to pursue this trip, and for helping me fund it. You guys are amazing, and inspire me to keep traveling as much as I possibly can. I should also thank ISA because they provided the platform. Every Spanish teacher/professor I've ever had contributed in one way or another to my love of this language and culture, which in turn inspired me to take this trip.

To everybody I met during this adventure, thank you. Even the most seemingly insignificant moments stay with me back in "real life." You all know who you are, but there are a few people I'd like to mention individually.
Meredith: I have no idea what Argentina would have been like if you weren't there. Probably empty, the kind of void you know is there, but have a hard time finding the exact cause. Raphael: You rock, and also happen to be my media naranja. You have the biggest heart in the world, and let yourself get completely infatuated...sometimes to your demise, but I love your passion. Keep it up.
Jesse: You inspire me to be a better writer and a better traveler.
Sonya: I'm so glad to meet another opinionated, smart, strong and driven woman. You will succeed in whatever you do, I have no doubts about this.
Tara: I could not have asked for a better roommate. Whether it was ISA being spot-on in pairing us together or just incredible luck, you introduced me to new friends and dragged me along on a spectacular Chilean adventure. The laughs, memories and experiences are endless.
Belle: It took us forever to meet, and when we finally did it was under rediculous circumstances. Thank goodness we did though and you better be seeing me in Boston.
Kelly: Nobody thought we'd be traveling together, but we did it, and managed to conquer Patagonia while we were at it.

Jose, Kirby, Mark, Stella, Christina, Miles, Sara, Kirstin, KRumm, Allison, everybody I met traveling on the Patagonia trip, Felipe, Christine and anybody else I carelessly forgot to mention. You have all changed my life in one way or another. Each and every one of you has a permanent place in my heart.

That's all for now. My blog won't stop just because the South American adventures are over...I have a feeling this last purge will actually inspire me to write even more about "regular life."

It was an amazing ride while it lasted. Argentina, nos vemos otra vez. Catch you on the flip side.