Proper Introduction

Seeing that Lauren and Kate have blown me away with an introduction about themselves, I figured I should at least attempt to properly introduce myself as well. First off, I recently graduated high school and am in the process of doing an internship for an experiential marketing company located in West Hollywood, CA. Unlike most people I always plan ahead and can't stand not being active. I love laughing and find I'm most happiest when I'm with my family. There's a lot more to who I am, but for now, I'll leave it at that.
I want to start by saying that I've developed a love for this blog. I think it's incredibly intriguing to see three different points of view from literally around the world (maybe one day Alexa will post and make that four). I'm honored to be sharing this blog with two other sophisticated, genuine and beautiful human beings. I love them to death and know that they will always be a part of who I am. They inspire me every day so I don't know what I would do without them.

With that, I can start by catching you up on my week. Last Saturday Alexa and I got to work on site at the Swatch Scuba Libre event. Swatch is a client of my Aunt's company who have hired us to promote their products. Their most recent line of watches is water proof so we brought in a giant water swing that consumers can ride. Our goal on site was to direct shoppers at a Newport mall to the Swatch store inside. Alexa and I got the lovely job of pushing people on the water swing.

It was actually a blast and kind of funny when I had to push/slow down an individual who was larger than me. I learned a lot just by watching the production of an event and have come up with a key theme of lessons I've learned over this week. Business and most importantly life, evolve around maintaining relationships. This means creating a good relationship with the client and with those who affect your everyday lives. It's about promoting what you want others to see and being able to trust the most important people in your life. There are different aspects to maintaining relationships, but it's overall beneficial to stay in contact and continue the flow of information.
The rest of the week I spent learning about how the accounting department handles transactions in the company. I've been entering bills into Quickbooks which is a database that holds all the company accounting information. For example, when an employee spends personal money on a company project, they turn in the receipts to then be reimbursed. I helped enter those numbers into the computer so those certain individuals can be paid back. I'm sure I've already lost you ha. Its sounds boring, but I have fun doing it....
On another hand, someone else this week gave me a very valuable piece of information. Jackie in PR talked to Alexa  and me about what she does. She explained that your job should be something you live and breathe. If you aren't dedicated in this way, you don't love it. This confused and frustrated me all at the same time. I so badly want to find that thing that I love to do. I like what I'm doing at Ncompass, but do I want to work with numbers for the rest of my life? GAH. I don't know, sometimes life is hard. I have a long time to decide these things, but I wish I knew now. I'll stop boring you all with my rant on jobs and start with something more exciting.
I also sat in on a few brainstorm meetings where we all threw out ideas for an event that a certain client wants to put on. Those were fun because everyone I work with are amazing at what they do. My new co-workers have surprising backgrounds as I have recently discovered. The IT guy worked with Tom Cruise and was on set during the filming of the new Star Trek and the new girl Lexi use to be Paris Hilton's assistant. This isn't everything I've discovered about my co-workers this week, but needless to say, they are the cream of the crop. This makes being one of the interns all the more intimidating.
Speaking of interns, we were officially put in charge of putting together an employee bonfire. This means we create a budget, hire catering, hire talent, come up with decor and execute the event. Yeah, I'm nervous. We performed our first site inspection to make sure our location works for the event and that was kinda exciting. I'm really enjoying planning all of it, I just hope it works out as well as planned.

This weekend Alexa and I plan to go to the beach and explore Santa Monica. Last night we took the Audi convertible and drove to the Third Street Promenade in downtown Santa Monica. Despite getting lost in an alleyway where a homeless person resides and having more than one person honk at us, we had fun. We met a HOT Californian guy working at Tilly's who we talked to for a little bit and that made my night. I want to ride my bike to Manhattan Beach and watch my cousin's waterpolo game. The weather is perfect because it's actually hot at the beach! Anyways, I'll try not to be so ADHD my next post, but you're all caught up now.

-Annika

What the store window taught me

So my best friends and I, we have this way of sticking together when the universe tells us we need to be apart. We fight back to the universe and tell it that no matter where we are in the world or what we are doing, we will always be together in some way or another-this blog happens to be one way. And can I just say that I absolutely love it? Ya, I love it. I'm Lauren, a recent high school graduate and a partial owner of this blog. I'm a strong believer that any problem can be fixed with a Diet Coke, a good cookie, and a chat with someone you love. I'm obsessed with summer nights, the word fearless, and large,cuddly blankets. One of my greatest blessings in my life are the other writers on this blog. They are the loveliest of best friends and I seriously reccommend picking up some friends like them.  So with that little introduction being said, I'm new to the blogging world so bear with me... haha here goes nothing.

Recently I just got back from traveling in England and France with my family. It was quite lovely. I'm sure you want to know everything I learned about the kings, architecture, and revolutions... Like stop it, I know you're dyinggg to know all those gritty details. If that's the case we can go to lunch and chat it up, but I'll just say that the most important things I learned had nothing to do with history. I learned that British men have gooood style-at the least the ones trying not dress up like Kanye. I learned that ratatouille is delicious and Laduree macaroons are a gift from up above. I learned how to photobomb like a pro at museums and learned that Asian tourists are actually quite fiesty. I learned to say about a total of six words in french-- which I would butcher on the daily.  I learned the best gelato is constructed into a flower and the best shopping is done on the side streets not the main roads. I learned that family is one of the best things in this world and despite how weird, embarassing, or crazy your family may be.. They will be the ones that will keep you together when you feel like your world is falling apart. 

With being a recent graduate, there are many mixed emotions. There's excitment for the unknown future, a slight bitterness of something left behind, and a lack of stability in the present. It's surreal, awkward, and hard. Surreal because it still doesn't feel real. How can I possibly be old enough to be done with 12 years of grade school? It's awkward because now I'm in a state of limbo. I'm past the age of being in high school but can't declare that I'm in college? It's awkward. It's hard because no matter how surreal it may feel or how awkward it may be, it's still happening. Regardless of not knowing what the heck I'm doing with my life, I still have to press on and just hope that somehow I will find my way. It's hard realizing that not all my best friends won't be right by side within a few short months, something that I have most definitly taken for granted. It's hard accepting change with open arms because change is what makes goodbyes, growing up, and well, change, real.

So these were my emotions and thoughts going into the family vacation and I just so desperately wanted them to disappear. Ya, they didn't go away. If anything, the trip made them more prominent and obvious. But God has a special way of making my troubles and worries go away. Instead of my making them disappear like I want, He makes them bold. Bold enough to leave me no way to escape. So bold that I have to face it, but there's beauty in that challenge. Because once you face what you fear the most you get past the immediate shock factor. You get past the sting and direct pain and then you realize... that behind the wall of fear there's so much opportunity and goodness that fear wouldn't let you see. So on a little, quant side street in Paris I was in a perfume shop when I encountered a simply perfect moment. The type of moment that you know God just planned specifically for you. While in the shop I looked out from the inside to see a quote on the store's front window. Curiosity led me outside to read the quote-

Like how lovely is that? Did it solve all my problems?.. maybe not. But after reading this I just realized that you can plan, predict,  or even avoid the future but it really won't help. The best thing you can do to prepare for the future is to love the present. Love each day for what it's worth. Love being with your family in a foreign country being lost in translation. Love this carefree time of your life. Love being with friends when you can, and love that regardless of separations, they will always be your best friends. Love yourself and love something greater than yourself. And as hard as it may be, try to love change. There's no use in hating change. I think sometimes we forget that it was by change that some of our greatest opportunities and memories were created. Now don't get me wrong, I'm by no means ms. positive all the time and I still fear the many "see you soons" and challenges that are ahead. But I have decided to not let the fears get the best of me and live each day to the fullest. So what, I may be in a limbo stage, but even in the most surreal, awkward, hardest times of your life- there's always flowers to smell. And that was what the store window taught me.

Miss you ladies, hope you're smelling the flowers wherever you may be

All my love,

Lauren

let it begin

So I'm kind of loving how me and my three best friends are sharing this blog. It makes me feel close to you guys even when we're worlds away. (btdubs...I feel like blogs(and other stuff lately) are making me a little more cliche and sappy...so bear with me). 

Well I'm kate, a fourth owner of this blog...I'm new to this like everyone else but I'm kinda liking it so far! Like Annika said, I've recently found a love for looking at blogs. Especially our cute friends that have them-I guess they've kind of set the standard for us younger girls now:)

So let it begin...

I guess I could say that "beginnings" are things that are a pretty big part of my life right now. Wait...yep. Basically the "beginnings of the endings" are what my life revolves around! 

Beginning of so called, "real life" and an ending of the "easy breezy". Beginning of making our own choices and an ending of letting our parents decide our lives. Beginning of college and ending of high school. Beginning of friends going separate ways and an ending of spending every living day together in the halls of Olympus High School. Beginning of going to several farewells every sunday and an ending of hanging out with the boys I've grown up with. Beginning of an "all girl summer" to an ending of calling up the crazy guys that are now all amazing missionaries. Beginning of watching my best friend serve The Lord for "the best two years" and an ending to seeing his face and hearing his voice everyday. Beginning of writing numerous missionary letters and an ending of making numerous calls and texts. Beginning of a lot of "ill see you soon"s and an ending of a lot of "goodbyes". Beginning of the new and an ending of the old. But throughout all of these, I've realized that endings can be just as hard and as easy as the beginnings. 

But I've decided that through all of these "beginnings" and "endings", I get the chance to focus on me and the things that are unchangeable. I get to focus on what I can do to make these changes great and memorable. It's a chance for me to grow as an individual and to experience life and all of the changes that it will always bring. I get to learn and grow through these changes and let them take their toll in changing me for the better. These changes help me have the opportunity to focus on who and what really matters in my life. Because changes always offer the firsts and lasts, changes become for us, but the way they affect us is up to us. It's simple! Haha ya joke...

So this is basically going to be a summer of the beginnings and endings of our silly, new, naive, excited, fun, hopeful lives that we get to spend together for the first-last time:) 

 

let it begin!! 

love, 

moss

The Beginning

I've never really been into the idea of creating a blog myself, but since I'm experiencing a new part of my life, I find it rather necessary. I love reading other blogs and over the past year I've developed a particular love for reading fashion blogs. This won't be anything like that, however, more of a way to keep track of things that are happening during my internship in L.A. I'm already a week behind, but I'll do my best to cover everything that has happened.
Monday morning we (Alexa, Ryan and myself) headed to the office to attend a day of Ncompass University. Since there are a lot more interns than there were last year, Ncompass set up a day for all of the newcomers to get presentations from the different departments. The first presentation was about account managers and the basics of what Ncompass does as a company. I actually ended up learning a lot that day and had a better overall understanding of what type of a company my Aunt Kae has created. Every single department was extremely intriguing so it was hard to decide which presentation I liked the best. I almost fell asleep during one of the presentations, not because I was bored, but because I was tired... sitting through presentations is harder than you think.
That night I tried out an interval training class at a new workout place down the street from my Aunt's house. All I can do is laugh when I think about my experience there. I fortunately ended up getting a great workout in, but the trainer was somewhat ridiculous. He was a massive british man who seemed very self conscious. I could tell it was his first time at conducting this class because he lacked confidence in himself, therefore repeating many of the things he said. Haha his accent made his seem less masculine than he looked so it was a rather interesting experience.
Tuesday consisted of me organizing the paid bills cabinet in the accounting hall and entering a few expense reports into quickbooks. It sounds sophisticated at first, but it's easier than it seems.  The deal was that we needed now computers to use while at the company and if at the end of our internship we want to buy them at a discounted price, we can.

On Wednesday I helped Maggie some more with expense reports. I did some other things, but I forgot what exactly. The night was the work soiree where they welcomed the new employees and played a video for a co-worker who has cancer. I realized that Ncompass really is a family. They genuinely care for one another and it's a wonderful thing to be a part of. I can't wait to get to know everyone better and take my place as part of the family.
Thursday was fun as I got to know Maggie a lot better. That night we had tacos for dinner and stayed in.
Friday was such a blast in the office and at lunch. I got to put everyone's paychecks into envelopes and distribute them to their rightful owners. I liked doing that because it was simple and now everyone loves me because I bare good things :) haha lunch was hilarious. We did a lunch with Jackie (head of staffing department) and all the interns. We went to a local and old burger joint that is soon to be torn down. We had to visit it one last time because it's a staple of the area. First off, they were very busy and there are only four workers in the tiny shack joint. It took us 1 hour to get our food and was with the help of Jackie going up to the asian lady and offering her assistance. Yes, she did go inside the kitchen type thing and ask if she could help. The asian women basically told her to bug off. After that, Kat (other women in staffing) found a little black hair, probably from asian lady, in her tuna sandwich. Hahaha she couldn't eat after that and we all just laughed and how unfortunate the entire situation was. It was a good day and I loved spending time with everyone.

I will update more later, but I'm kinda burnt out from writing. I'll have to work on my writing endurance. haha for now, much love -Annika