I created this blog primarily for my family and me. We’re the ones who care the most about my thoughts. Maybe the only ones. This is also for the entertainment and education of friends who tire of long and inconvenient phone tag matches, and those friends who might want to know what’s going on with me in more detail than Facebook or Twitter supplies but don’t really want to interact with me—I can empathize.
Another reason is that, as a young person majoring in journalism in the 20th century, it seems like a must. I have to utilize my assumed advantage in the workforce of being "with it" technologically and have my thoughts displayed on every free media platform possible, no matter how few might consume it.
I am a Wilmingtonian at heart attending UNC and majoring in journalism. I am interning at CNN in the Wire department in Atlanta.
Coming from NC where people sometimes identify their hometowns by county, I really thought I was somewhat urban-acclimated coming from Wilmington, a place everyone in the state knows. Plus I'd been to Raleigh regularly and visited New York a few times.
When I drove into a city with double-digit story buildings on a seven-lane highway, when I rode the MARTA to work and it occurred to me that the only other times I had purposefully ridden a transit was in an airport, I realized suburban ain't urban. People walk a lot faster here. That's not just my notoriously relaxed and slow lifestyle talking.
Traces of school hang on my wall in the creased dorm posters I hastily packed last minute, and the quilt that I fell in love with dorm-shopping. I found a bit of home when I packed pool necessities in a tote bag without realizing it was filled with sand at the bottom and jammed my phone keys with Wrightsville grit temporarily. Overall though, not much is the same.
I'm adjusting to living in an area by myself where I don't know a soul and watching 30 or so tourists peer down at me every 20 minutes in the CNN newsroom at work. I'm trying to play it cool. I pretend like these are predictable successes that I earned, that my asking the trilingual editor who's updating the WORLD about the Thai revolts or Korean conflicts at the computer beside me how to open a program is perfectly natural and normal. My social life, work life, living situation, even my wardrobe is different. I had to buy a purse from Target after my first day at work because I didn't own one that was purchased in the past three years.
I've never been afraid of change and am for the most part loving this new environment. I can't wait to let ATL to continue to treat me well and challenge me in many areas for the next few months. I'll keep you updated on my "purposeful wanderings," as I abstractly titled this blog, in the intimidating yet hospitable new life as I go.
Lauren, It is heart-warming to read your thoughts, written in a style that makes me realize that this is really one of your many talents. I have tears in my eyes, maybe because I'm getting sentimental about you being halfway through college and maybe because I am thinking about you being there all alone...anyway thanks for writing about your experiences. It really helps us here wondering how you are doing and it makes me even more proud of you than I thought possible. You never cease to amaze me, you have so many gifts. I'll see you soon, but in the meantime enjoy these new experiences. Love you, Lana
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