mission: midwest- traversing the tundra continued

After traveling around the northern parts of Wisconsin with my sister, I headed back south to Milwaukee to hang out with my bff. We had our traditional dinner at Bravo and played Name the Teams in the Obscure Div-I Basketball Conference. Good times. I was particularly excited about the next Mission: Midwest stop because a) it was the home of my 2nd favorite college team in the country, b) I'd been emailing my contact there since the fall, and this would be the first time we could meet in person, and c) I kinda love Madison. I left early the next morning for the drive from Milwaukee to Madison, which oddly enough, I've come to know pretty well from driving it at least once every time I've been to Milwaukee.

Signs you're close to State Street and the awesomeness that is downtown Madison, WI

The weather in Madison was absolutely gorgeous despite the chilliness and wind (which was especially not fun around the construction at Camp Randall- dirt blowing everywhere!). My contact met me outside the athletic facilities and brought me downstairs to tour the Office of Academic Services first where I got to see plans for all the construction going on. We got to his office where I assumed we'd have a brief chance to discuss my questions about getting into student-athlete affairs and more about the UW-Madison office structure before he had to get back to work. Instead, we chatted while we watched the Illinois game in the Big Ten Tourney, which prompted conversation about the experiences in our field of working with different coaches and what those relationships are like. Since he'd already answered my standard questions before I got there, we had more time for some pretty laid back conversation about working in the field and getting tons of insight for what I can be doing now to prep for breaking into such a male (or former student-athlete) dominated career. He took me around the athletic facilities and across the street to lunch where I had an amazing toasted turkey sandwich with melted Swiss and apple chutney. It tasted like Thanksgiving on a sandwich. (He literally stopped mid-sentence to say he was impressed I finished the entire thing as I took the last bite. I mean, it was a pretty big sandwich, but seriously, this is how awesome of a visit this was.) We ended the visit talking about summer internship potential, but I'm not writing anymore (yet), because I don't want to jinx anything.

In about a year, this will be covered by the brick facade of the new Office of Academic Services building. Inside information from spending 2.5 hrs hanging out with the AD for Academic Services. No big deal...

From Madison, I headed back to Milwaukee to meet for dinner with my aunt and cousin that I'd met only once before when I was really young. Such a bizarre experience, but in a good way. Super excited for the potential to hang out this summer if internship plans go well- my cousin is only a few years older than me and she seems to be a go-do-stuff girl & a foodie like I am. Tons of random adventures planned already, like biking the trail between Milwaukee and Madison, Taste of Chicago, it's an on-going list. Post-dinner and custard, it was back to bff then off to UW-Whitewater the next morning.

On my way back, I made a stop at Brennan's Market- fresh fruits, cheeses, wine, and craft beers. Another of my favorite things in Wisconsin

I noticed the trend of everything in the Midwest (except Chi-town) being surrounded by farm in mass quantities. I literally feared the college didn't really exist (or existed in a barn), then all the sudden, there was a cute little town and a university in the middle of all the farm.

Downtown Whitewater. Well, pretty much all of Whitewater except the campus, from my understanding.

My contact at UW-Whitewater planned to take me on a tour of campus to meet people from a variety of departments that also work with athletics. Their athletic department is absolutely amazing, but since they're D-III, they can't have anything separate for student-athletes that isn't accessible for all students. She explained some of the challenges that come with that and how they handle them at each part of our tour. The campus was great, and everyone I met was incredibly nice and informative. The midwest is seriously just full of awesome people. I left their campus 2.5 hours later with a much different perspective of the D-III world and a lot to contemplate.

Ironically this showed up in front of me for a good portion of my trip back to Chi-town. A sign, perhaps?

I ended the trip with Culver's (ButterBurger, Cheese Curds, and purposely drove over near O'Hare where their custard flavor of the day was Snickers :) ) and Big Ten Tourney coverage of Indiana v Wisconsin in the car as I waited in afternoon traffic heading back into Chi-town to return my rental car. I spent one last night in Chicago, out to watch the Blackhawks game at a bar in Wicker Park, then headed back to Florida early the next morning.

Almost 20 hours in the car and the only traffic I hit was on the way to return the rental car. The irony.

The trip was amazing. So much fun to meet up with everyone, eat amazing food, explore Chicago some more, see my fam, and wander the Midwest. So much awesome potential and a great area in general.  Can't wait to see how the summer and life after May 2013 work out :)

Mission: Midwest-- accomplished :)

mission: midwest- traversing the tundra

The morning after the U of I trip, I got my rental car and headed for Wisconsin. The only part of the trip I regret is that I didn't have time to stop at all the campuses I wanted to.


On may way through the suburbs north of Chicago, I drove around the campus of Lake Forest College, which I had discovered via a Twitter #sachat contact. When I looked up their website after our initial conversation, the pictures were gorgeous, and seeing it in person, the whole area was just as nice.

One of the less old school parts of campus, and therefore, less creepy. There was a castle-looking building like at Boston University. I left promptly after seeing it. 

After crossing the border into Wisconsin, I decided to take another detour and drive through UW-Parkside's campus. I looked into their orientation position through NODA, but as most of you know, ended up ditching the NODA route to put my own creative genius to work (see Traversing the Tundra part 2). It seemed that it had only snowed in Wisconsin and stopped at the Illinois border, because just a bit north of the line, UW-Parkside's campus had plenty of snow piles. Their campus seemed pretty modern (from the parking lot), which earned it a +1 since old buildings creep me out (see aforementioned castle comment). Unfortunately, I had no time to actually meet with anyone there (or Marquette, which I drove past only from the highway and was pretty sad about), and instead continued further into the tundra.

'Sconsin! And snow!

Two campuses, a flat tire scare (Chevy Cobalts have horrible shocks, just fyi), and my entire Kanye playlist later, I made it from Chi-town to my sister's house in Manitowoc (near Green Bay) to have dinner with her family. I had a great time hanging out with my 8 year old  twin niece & nephew. They're both smart beyond their years, but my niece is such a mini version of me it's crazy. Must be the genes.

The next day, my big sis and I made the short trip to Green Bay- Go Pack Go! I met with my academic advising contact at UW-Green Bay who is excellent at what he does, super creative, and willing to take risks to try new things. All things to which I aspire in this field. We both talked about new things we're trying to implement in our offices, though of course, with a full time position, higher title, and more pull, they were on slightly different scales. It was great to meet someone in the field with these qualities and be given a personal tour of such a purposefully and intentionally designed campus. Definitely a great division of student affairs!

One of the main student affairs cluster entrances from the tunnel system connecting (almost) every part of campus so students can get around in the snow. So well-designed!

From my super enlightening visit and glimpse into the future of academic advising at UW-Green Bay, we drove to St. Norbert College a few minutes away in DePere. It's a small private liberal arts college that I likely never would have found had I not heard the Packers hold summer workouts there. (I'm not obsessed, I'm devoted.) Anyway, my contact there was away at hockey championships, so we basically just drove through, but it's right on the bay and really pretty!

Too early for Aaron :( Someday...

...and of course, it's just wrong to make a trip to Green Bay and not go to Lambeau. So we did. We got lunch (beer mac and cheese, of course) and I nearly bought out the pro shop. After careful deliberation, I limited my purchases to what would fit in the extra suitcase I brought for this exact purpose :) 

There's a space where they've held weddings at the top of that staircase... things I've actually considered.

So much more happened in Wisconsin, I feel like it warrants a second post. 

To be continued...

mission: midwest-- illinois style

The epic adventure started off in traditional Cheryl-planned-trip form with a mob of friends who haven't seen each other in a while meeting up for amazing food, and a lot of it. Part Wolfpack reunion, part high school reunion, 5-9 of us met up for dinner, drinks, brunch, snacks, and any other food-eating occasion I could cram into the weekend. Everything we ate was absolutely amazing, thanks to stellar recommendations from a fellow foodie Gator from Chi-town.

Just a sample of the ridiculously amazing food :)

When we weren't out experiencing the culinary amazingness that was Chicago, we hung out in the warmth of our host's apartment getting everyone caught up on Mad Men. The whole group agreed that the food made the weekend, and the mini-reunions and Mad Men marathon were fabulous. Makes me happy when my coordinating gets rave reviews :)

Something else that got rave reviews: the view from the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the John Hancock building. This picture doesn't do it justice.

Part of Mission: Midwest was my campus visit for class, and since the Loop version of DePaul was anti-outsiders taking pictures or entering the building without multiple levels of security clearance, we tried where I knew the athletic facilities were, because I had people there. Kind of. She wasn't physically present since there were women's bball conference championships the same week and she traveled with the team, but still. So, while I was still in Chicago, I dragged the boys out in the snow/sleet with me to DePaul's Lincoln Park campus. Putting my charming ways (and networking) to good use, I got us in the athletics building to peek at their gym during practice and peruse the halls on my word that I wouldn't post any pictures on the internet. Since I never go back on my word, you'll have to use your imagination for the interior, but it was pretty sweet. Mission #1: accomplished.

Entrance to the DePaul Student Center at the Lincoln Park campus, sleet & all.

After the weekend, the group split to return to the real world and I began the massive road trip part of Mission: Midwest. The first stop was University of Illinois.

I actually had multiple people to meet up with here and got to trek across almost the entire campus (in the windy coldness. +1 for puffy jacket!) The campus was beautiful, and Champaign was really cute, though in the middle of a LOT of farm. I got a tour of the union and lunch with an alum from my program who is absolutely amazing! I wandered across campus after lunch to the athletics side and met with my contact there to get a look at Big Ten sports, which was also pretty awesome.

One of my favorite architectural things on campus: the library that was mostly underground. Love it!

Before we left Champaign, my friend and I grabbed a fantastic Mexican dinner with a new friend that will hopefully be a first year in my program this fall! Tons of nice people, Great visit all around. Perfect way to start off my Midwest tour :)

the inception of mission: midwest

Back in late November/early December, I decided to put my spring break to good use, driving across the Midwest (well, Illinois and Wisconsin) making professional connections with student affairs people I’d been in touch with and visiting friends & family (& Lambeau) along the way. A class project for a campus visit and some internship potential worked their ways into the schedule before I left, too. By the time my schedule was set, Google Maps estimated I’d be spending 17.5 hrs in a car over the week of my trip, and that’s not counting the wandering I’ll be doing once I reach my destinations. People thought I was crazy for trading warm Florida weather and beaches for tundra, but I had my mind set and was Chi-town bound. Hence, the inception of Mission: Midwest.

Where I’m going, I do need roads

I’m (usually) queen of documenting life events, but for this trip, the food far upstaged everything else we did (what else is new for a Cheryl-planned trip?) and thus dominated my Facebook album & David’s group check-ins. With all the campus visits I’m doing and amazing food I’m eating, I started to think documentation via blog instead of just pictures made more sense. Henceforth, Mission: Midwest shall be blogged Doogie Howser-style (minus the old school blue screen and innocent-looking NPH). Chi-town and U of I posts are pending, but I’ll try to keep subsequent posts on a daily schedule before my memory starts slipping (hazards of old age…).  

2-5 year missions list

Every once in a while, something throws me into a mini-existential funk and makes me contemplate what I’m doing in life. Bigger funks have led to my quarter-life crisis Mustang (Competition Orange convertible... it was fantastic), moving to NYC (twice), and quitting my job (brief period of semi-retirement). Smaller ones prompt a Soo-&-Cheryl-once-every-3-months call. The gorgeous, perfect for driving with the top down weather, 2 friends having babies within the past week, and a text from Soo got me pondering the deeper things in life. We talked about life stuff we’re working on to set up for 2-5 years from now while I was on Pinterest, and my Ideation kicked in.

In NC over winter break, I found a note with the grad programs I narrowed my list down to- Hunter College in NYC, FSU, UW-Milwaukee, and UW-Madison when I discovered their Ph.D. in Ed Psych. It was interesting to see my plans then compared to what ended up happening. Ironic that the only 2 Master’s programs I applied for hadn’t even made the list (and UF was super last minute. Literally.). The best part was, this list was all as a backup if I didn’t get the HR position at Epic, a company just outside Madison that would later fly me up there for an interview. Crazy how things change.

So, just for the hell of it, to look back in 2-5 years and compare real life to my current list, here it is:

·         By the time I reach this 2-5 year window, I will be a Master of Education and hopefully employed as such. After my first visit to the Midwest (literally the whole Midwest- Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, & Illinois in one trip, Wisconsin about 4 months after) in 2009, I fell in love. Chicago, Madison, various suburbs, it was all fantastic and clean with nice people and delicious, albeit fattening, food. With the recent contacts I’ve been making, I’m starting to think DIII or non-BCS schools aren’t nearly as not as exciting as I feared they’d be. They’re almost becoming more ideal, to be honest. That being said, as of today, the plan is- working in student-athlete development in some capacity at a kick ass university either in the Wisconsin/Illinois vicinity where I have people already, select parts of Florida, or somewhere awesome in NC (UNC-W under consideration).

·         Going with the baby theme, married and having kids would be fantastic by the 5 year end of the range. Some pre-baby married time would be kinda awesome, too, though, so however it works with mystery amazing husband is fine. Just need to find the dude… 

·         Once a yard & more sensible schedule is obtained, hopefully within the window, the puppy I’ve threatened to get since college is happening. It’s stayed consistently Jack Russell-ish, though the name has changed from Madden originally, to most recently, Jermichael D’Brickashaw. I mean, how can you not want something this cute?

Source: tailgate-bluess.tumblr.com via Heather on Pinterest

·         I’m far from a material person, much more of a do stuff girl than a buy me stuff girl, but one thing I’d really like is an Audi A5 Sportback or Cabriolet. I dated a guy that worked for & owned an Audi, and his was hands down the best car I’ve ever ridden in. And it looked damn sexy. I’ll take one in black or charcoal gray, please. 

·         I’ve tried to make my current apt Cheryl-esque, but I miss having a place that’s actually mine and that I can decorate how I want. Eventually in life, I would love the opportunity to work with an architect to help design my own home (previous career ambition) and it would have a kick ass kitchen. That’s likely more of a  10-15 year/hit the lottery plan, though. ps- my kitchen would look something like this:

contemporary kitchen design by chicago interior designer ADS Design

·         Since I’ve had a list of things to do before I die (about 5 years), eat fantastic food in Italy and speak French in France have been on it. About 2 years ago, going to Finland in the summer got added. I really don’t care what order those happen in, but at least one getting accomplished in the 2-5 year span would be preferable.
   

      There are a ton of simpler things on my lists, but these are the bigger picture things that would be most interesting to compare. Hopefully at least the majority match up!

#oneword2012

Inspired by many of the fellow student affairs people I follow on Twitter, I decided to give in and do the OneWord365 thing. After some spontaneous deliberation on the car ride to Orlando yesterday, I settled on engage as my word for 2012.

en·gage verb \in-ˈgāj, en-\ 

1 : to pledge oneself

2 : to begin and carry on an enterprise or activity  
3 : to take part or participate

4 : to give attention to something

5 : to deal with especially at length 

I'm very much a self-proclaimed "do stuff" girl. I hate inaction. I would much rather experience things than sit around and talk about them. I also like to relax, however, and often find myself sleeping in when I have the opportunity or using any free time to just chill out when life is hectic otherwise. It's necessary to take a break sometimes, but I've been realizing recently how that break time can be more productive, like hitting the gym, taking a yoga or dance class, working on a project... anything more engaging.


Every day at work, I encourage students that come through my office to be engaged on campus, but I realized I'm not doing such a hot job of that myself. Time to start living the example. I've added two big commitments to my spring schedule that, while demanding of my time, have the potential to be super fulfilling both for myself and the students with whom I'll be interacting.


I've also realized that when I'm being pulled in several different directions, something that is becoming the norm the more I get into student affairs, I sometimes start to take a more surface level approach to things that I would have otherwise explored more in depth. These things could be personal projects, articles and topics I'm interested in, social things, pretty much anything. I start trying to do so many things that I don't fully engage to get the full experience out of any of them. 


All 5 of my StrengthsQuest strengths are in the idea and prep phases of projects, not the get things done phases. (Ideation, Futuristic, Strategic, Activator, Maximizer) I can easily come up with some stellar plans. This year, I want to get the most possible out of them.


Hence, the decision to purposefully and intentionally engage more. 

Bring it, 2012.

think outside the microcosm…

Over winter break, I got to visit my mom & close friends in NC, eat & hang out at my favorite places there, go to a few Canes games, and relax by the gulf coast back in Florida. General sleeping in and having minimal responsibility was also pretty awesome, because it gave me time to watch the first 6 seasons of HIMYM :) As I mentally prepped to return to Gville to face my 2^nd semester of grad school, I had some realizations.

Certain aspects of grad school have been trickier than others, all of which stem from returning to college life after being out in the real world for 5 years. Earlier this semester, Soo provided great insight, as always, when she reminded me that, in her words, “The microcosm that exists within a school environment is ENTIRELY different from real life situations.” This return to NC made that realization super clear to me.

As I met up with different friends, I realized that real life (v grad school) gave me different social groups- work friends from previous jobs, neighbor friends, friends through friends, people from many different aspects of my 4 years in NC. In Gainesville, the majority of my social life somehow connects back to my program, or at least UF. Completely different from real life. Like Soo said, microcosm.

The cohort model is one of my favorite aspects of my program. It’s nice that almost anyone I talk to in a social or professional setting at UF understands our program and at least has some idea of what our experience in it is like. I’m a complete open book, so it’s not that I’ve hidden aspects of my life from anyone in NC, but most of my friends there know me in different contexts and don’t quite have the whole picture (aside from a few).

I’ve realized the pros in the separation, though, too. It’s nice to have people from a completely different area of life who you can step back with when you need a break from the sameness. When mostly around people who are sharing a common experience, it’s hard to remove that from your interactions. It was reassuring in a way to experience that difference when I hung out with UF friends in NC during the break. In fact, I don’t remember referencing UF, grad school, or anything about that part of life during that visit much at all (outside of sports, of course). That and thinking of which NC friends I met up with made me realize that, once out of the context in which you met, friendships that will last will change as life does.

I know that outside of Gainesville, life is different. I’ve done this transition before. But while living in the microcosm, I’ll try to look at things differently. I’ll look at these relationships as how they can be after we’re all outside of UF and approach them in that context so they have more potential than just considering them as parts of grad school.