hello, real world.

It's officially over - my irresponsible, don't care about nothin', I'm staying out till 4 a.m. despite my 9 a.m. class -  life is over. Today was my first day as a full-time employee. I get a salary, benefits - the works.

I can't say I'm completely depressed to say goodbye (although, I bid farewell with an unnecessary bloody mary at a late lunch yesterday), but I'm not completely convinced just yet that I am cut out for this whole 9 - 5 thing. Of course, it's only been one day. But, I have interned at this company long enough to know that working in advertising is not quite as glamorous as movies and television shows make it out to be.

It's hard to do a 180 like this. I mean, I like to be a kid. I'm the type of person that cried on her 20th birthday because it meant I was no longer a teenager. My 22nd birthday and every one thereafter is no means for a celebration because it only means I'm that much closer to 30. I try as often as possible to have fun in everything I do and embrace whatever comes my way, but I have a problem with aging. Can't quite say why, but I do.

I can say, though, that I am pretty excited. I'm excited to start my career and, not to toot my own horn here, but I think I'm definitely getting off on the right foot. I'm working at an ad agency just two weeks after graduation and while it's not my ideal place of work, it's a great starting point. And it's a small company so I'll get a lot of responsibility. 

Either way, it's something new - and I've been sort of stuck in a rut lately. So this is good, right? 

Kate White!

Yesterday, I woke up at an ungodly hour to make the trainkate to NYC for a day-long conference. At 4:30 am, I cursed the whole idea of it, but while I was there, I had an awesome time.

NYWICI, New York Women in Communications is, as I’ve just learned, an extremely inspiring organization. After listening to so many intelligent, accomplished women, I am so motivated to pile up some achievements of my own. One of the biggest highlights of my day was listening to Kate White, the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, speak. While I hung on every word that she had to say, I wrote down a few key pieces of advice she had to give to all of us. Here are the four things she thinks every woman needs to do in order to be successful (at least as I have them written down):

1. “Get on the bus to Cairo.” She told this whole story about her fashion editor, and how she had a revelation while traveling on a bus through Egypt. She took the trip last minute and without a real destination or goal in mind but in one moment, she figured out her life’s ambition. This saying is, obviously, Kate’s unique way of saying to get out there, don’t be afraid, and take chances to find opportunity wherever you can.

2. “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” Another creative way (actually, all of her pieces of advice were creative) of saying that you need to speak up. This was the second time at the conference that we heard this piece of advice because women tend not to do so. Kate expressed again and again how important it is to stand up, stand out, and get yourself heard.

3. “Learn to drain the swamp and slay the alligators.” This was something I had never heard before, but she explained it well. Slaying the alligators is getting through all the little things and checking them off your list. Draining the swap is the all about the big picture, the important stuff. She went on to say that we all need to make an appointment with ourselves to do these things. Go to Starbucks and have a latte - this is when you figure things out.

4. “Go big or go home.” Now this, of course, is something we’ve all heard. At football games, on television. But, Kate really emphasized this point. What’s the point of doing something if you’re not going above and beyond? Why try, if you’re not going to try to do your absolute best? This is something that really hit home because honestly, I am sometimes guilty of half-assing things. But really, what does that accomplish? Nothing.

Kate ended her speech with, “Good girls go to heaven, but bad girls go everywhere.” She’s all about the gutsy girl. And, this is something I was particularly excited to take home with me. I’m always the good girl, the quiet one who wants her turn. But I can’t continue being that if I really want to get somewhere. I need to stand up, speak out, make time for myself, and put every effort I can into every thing I do.

Like I said, inspiring.