Crazy casinos, a somber Elvis Presley walking down the strip at 11 a.m., busy lights and tequila shots offered at every corner. This is exactly what comes to mind whenever Las Vegas is mentioned. Children, slime, laundry and cooking endless chicken nuggets is not what came to my mind whenever I envisioned Vegas. Yet this was how I got to experience the beauty behind the famous Las Vegas. On a sunny June afternoon in Florida, my mom and I were talking on the phone. She mentioned that my aunt, who recently moved from Puerto Rico to Las Vegas, was in need of a babysitter for part of the summer while she was away on a business trip. If you know me at all, you know I always jump on the first opportunity to travel. But even better is when I get to travel and see my family. So I talked to my aunt right away and told her I would be her official babysitter! I was excited and nervous. My aunt was living with family that I did not know very well, her aunt, daughter and two kids. A few days after I finished up my internship for the summer, I packed my bags and left for Vegas. It was late when my aunt came to pick me up from the airport. I imagined everyone was sleeping, however when I opened the door, two (taller than I remembered) girls came and greeted me with warm hugs. I was ready for this new adventure--I mean, how difficult could babysitting have been, I had done it plenty of times. The first week I was there, my aunt was still home. She showed me around Vegas, I got to experience the famous Vegas Strip, took a picture with the staple sign and tried In-n-Out Burger along with Dutch Bros. (The food was hands down the best part.) At times, I noticed the challenges of parenting, the kids didn't want to listen or didn't like what was being cooked for dinner. I started to get nervous at the thought of my aunt leaving. I did not want to be the bad guy who had to lay down the law. Dolores, my aunt's aunt, and Yvonne, her daughter, were such fearless leaders in this house. The kids in the house knew with just a look that they were in trouble. It was the perfect mix of respect and love. I admired it, but I was so used to being the cool and fun babysitter--this was a whole new ball-court. A few days into my aunt leaving, I empathized more than ever with the victims in the Sour Patch Kids ads. No became the favorite word of the house. "It's time for dinner" "No", "Go take a shower" "No" "Do your summer homework" "NOOO!" I started to internally panic. I also got to experience for a moment what being a soccer mom looks like. I went to the store with my cousin to buy her soccer gear and take her to her first practice. When we finally made it to the practice, I had a little lawn chair set up beside all the other moms. It really was a sight. I became a whiz at cooking some frozen dino nuggets and french fries for the kids. However, Dolores cooked some authentic Puerto Rican dishes that inspired me to add more flavor to my own personal cooking back home. My key take-away being adding sofrito (a mix of seasoning) to beans and meat I now make. By the end of this trip I realized how important it was to be a parent. There is so much responsibility and sacrifice that goes into it that I had never realized before. Especially after experiencing what the first week of elementary and middle school looked like for these kids. Getting up early, making sure they have their uniforms and things in place. I'm glad I made it back home before the dreaded nights of math & science homework appeared. I did get to experience a taste of the Vegas night life with Yvonne. She took me out to a piano bar at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino. It felt like the ultimate-neighborhood bar! It featured two talented pianists playing 80's tunes the whole time. Then after we shared some sweet talks over Vega's New York Style pizza. I loved every bit of it! I got to experience so many new things and come out of my comfort zone from this trip in ways I would have never imagined. I formed new family bonds, gained a new appreciation for my heritage and realized I love being twenty-one and not having kids. What can I say...what happens in Vegas. To write authentically, to share joy, -L With butterflies in my stomach, I remember getting ready for my interview at Schifino Lee, an advertising agency in Downtown Tampa. This opportunity was what I had been hoping and praying for all of last semester. I walked in and met with the copywriters and Creative Directors in the office. I was so excited to get to meet creative advertising professionals. We went through the interview and looked over my portfolio and I remember at the end of it thinking if they did not offer me an internship then at least I got great portfolio advice and the chance to meet and network with them. However, I was so excited a few days later to see I was offered a spot as a creative writing intern for the summer. My very first day I remember getting to go on a discovery part of the advertising process. This means going to the client and learning about them through interviews and seeing the site in person. This was so helpful because this client went through a whole re-branding process that I got to be a part of and saw from start to finish. I was also tasked to come up with headlines for the Tampa Museum of Art. I was very excited, but also a bit intimidated by the pressure to impress. I remember reading old headlines copywriters at the agency had written and I thought they were so good, I didn’t know how I would be able to produce something so witty. I started to write out the first few things that popped in my head on a notebook. And before I knew it, I had the first round of headlines ready to be reviewed. This process took a lot longer than I expected. I realized I had to challenge myself and not just be satisfied with the first thing I produced. Now see the value in the creative process, because I was able to produce work I did not know lied within me. I also noticed that writing in advertising will not always be for an exciting and lively client. It will sometimes be for a battery or contract agreement company. Sometimes the message you need to send is direct—but often you get the chance to add creativity into something that people wouldn’t expect. Which in my opinion is what makes advertising great! As I look back on my experience so far I am so grateful for everything I learned and the challenges I faced. Now I am down to my final day at Schifino Lee. It’s such a bittersweet feeling. I am truly so thankful for getting the opportunity to see what an advertising agency gets to do, first hand. I had written headlines and copy before for assignments and on my own, but never for actual clients. It’s such a rewarding feeling knowing that my words are out there in the real world, being read by real people—go figure! Summer flew by, but I am excited for what is next. I’m so grateful Schifino Lee gave me this experience, which confirmed my desire to work for an advertising agency. After my internship this summer, I definitely have a new found love for peanut butter pretzels, animal crackers and pistachios! Morning coffee and snack breaks were some of my favorite little motivations in the day. However, most of all I will miss the people. I really felt like I got to know the creative team and see how they work and motivate one another. Whether it was nerf gun fights from one side of the room to the next or laughing over a random image on an email chain, I loved the culture and sense of unity Schifino Lee had. Not to mention, the office overlooking Bayshore Blvd. was also a great motivator. I am now motivated more than ever to pursue a career in advertising! I'm leave my internship, but also excited for what lies ahead. To write authentically - To share joy, L It was Christmas in Florida—which means it’s still hot. December of 2016, I was shopping at the mall with my mom. Serious shopping can be exhausting, so my mom wanted some Starbucks coffee. I really thought coffee was gross and thought it was a bitter, dark and unpleasant adult drink. But this day, Starbucks had their holiday special, buy one drink—get one free. So I had to get something, it was free (and who doesn’t like free?) So I tried something I thought sounded pleasing, the Caramel Brule Latte. As I started drinking it, I thought to myself, “not too bad” and finished the whole thing. Little did I know, this is where my coffee addiction would take root. It was finals week when I went back to my university. I remember being overwhelmed with all of my due dates for assignments approaching. I thought, wow I should get a Caramel Brule because I know I like that and it will probably motivate me to finish all this work. So I went ahead and ordered one – I did this for the rest of the week. When I decided “okay, I think I’m going to take a break from coffee” is when I realized how badly I needed it. I started to get a headache without it, something I remember my mom saying if she didn’t have her cup of joe by a certain time. Although to some people, this may seem like a bad thing, I was kind of excited. “Now I always have to have coffee,” I thought to myself. So ever since this day I have had coffee everyday – and love it! A whole new world opened up to me. I started to notice a lot of people drank coffee and you can get creative with it. A love for coffee shops blossomed within me and I found myself wanting to go to them all time. This is now one of my favorite hobbies. Even better is when your friends love coffee too. My ideal hangout is just spending hours at a coffee shop with small-talk, writing + reading and of course caffeine. So if you haven’t caved in yet and tried coffee, I recommend it—there are so many ways you can have it. Lattes, Americano, cappuccinos, French Press…but beware the Starbucks holiday sales. Those will get you. Consider yourself warned. To Write Authentically – To Share Joy, L
Summer is in full force, especially here in the Florida heat. I have a passion for making playlists on Spotify for everything, whatever I’m going through in life – seasons, events, moods – you name it. If I could add this to my special skills or make this something I get paid for, I would do it in a heartbeat. I’m always on the hunt for new music, but the free time that comes with the summer is really giving me a chance to learn new artists and express my summer vibes through music. I love the way Spotify lets you personalize your playlists on the desktop and give them a catchy name, fun picture and short bio. It makes the whole experience so unique, in my opinion.
Discover Weekly, Release Radar, and New Music Friday are some awesome outlets that Spotify offers based on the music you like. This mixed with Shazam whenever I hear a good song are how I build my playlists. If I’m being honest, I don’t even listen to the car radio anymore. It’s also great because as a student, Spotify offers half-off on premium. Anyways, what even is Apple Music? So if you haven’t hopped on the Spotify train, I highly recommend it. If you’re looking for some good music to listen to this summer, check out some of my summer playlists below. It features some songs by artists like Hippo Campus, A R I Z O N A, LANY and more. Let me know what you guys think. To Write Authentically – To Share Joy, L
Check out my Spotify profile!
https://open.spotify.com/user/1272136299?si=3Wq9sPkIRdWi3Pfa8j6YPA
“If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life,” they say.
After almost two years of college complete, there is no way I’ll be able to graduate on time now, I thought. I looked into business, that’s a safe route. But when I really researched it, I realized I would fall too far back if I majored in that. Then, I came across Mass Communications. I had heard about it before, and thought it was an interesting major, but what would I do with that? As I looked into it, I realized there is so much you can do with this degree. From broadcast to public relations to advertising, this major really caught my attention. Something about advertising stuck out to me. So I began to calculate what would happen if I chose this degree. I found out that I would be able to graduate on time. Best. News. Ever! So I took some intro classes to see how I would like it and I quickly realized this was exactly where I was supposed to be. Reading and writing is something that has always come naturally to me. So finding a career that would allow me to do this creatively was something I was excited about. After one year, it feels like this was my major all along. I went all in and tried my best to get as involved as I could. I entered an advertising competition (and won…say what!?), toured advertising agencies, and have had two real-world internships. I look back at all that I’ve accomplished and notice how I can really underestimate myself. In the moment, it can feel like things are moving slow and I start to wonder if I’m really doing everything I can. However, when I step back and look at the bigger picture I really see how easy it is to forget how far I’ve come in just a year. So word of encouragement to all my college friends out there, don’t be too hard on yourself. It is important to always challenge yourself, but don’t be afraid of failing, change and trying new things. Looking back, I never thought I’d be where I am now. Entering my senior year now, I’m really looking forward to what this last year of college has to offer me before I enter the real world. To Write Authentically – To Share Joy, L |