My Love

My most favorite thing in the world right now!

Larkrise to Candleford

I discovered this gem of a show in the spring and I can't get enough of it. It is a beautiful show to watch and a lovely story to experience.

I even had the chance to drive through the town of Larkrise in Great Britain! If I ever need to de-stress of relax, I turn to Larkrise! And the best part, I don't have to wait for the episodes to play on PBS BBC programing, some wonderful person in Britain has taken it upon herself to put every episode on YouTube :)

New Job

8 days into my new job . . . 8 days outside of my comfort zone.

Growing up, I always liked school. I'll admit, there were some days I just wanted to socialize or I just couldn't focus in on homework, but overall I LOVED learning! College really brought out my love of learning and learning a variety of things. My college experience taught me to embrace the new, challenge the norm, and question my surroundings. After graduation, I had a feeling that a "grown up job" wouldn't be the same as college, that I wouldn't have the same type of learning environment. My theory has only been half right, my new job has thrown me so many unknown obstacles. The skills I learned in college have definitely come in handy but I feel like I am playing the catch up game. Everything is so new! The terms, the organization, the computer programs, my brain is working just as hard as it did in school.

I so far love my new job. My coworkers are great, I enjoy the work they have given me, and I love making money! I am also so excited about the experience I am gaining. I am already excited to apply for my next job (in the future) and brag about the skills I gained at The Langdon Group!

I am so proud of my job and what it provides for the communities in Utah. The Langdon Group is a Public Involvement agency that facilitates communication flow between communities and community projects. UDOT is our main client and they often hire us to provide communiction flow between cities and neighborhoods that are affected by road construction. But that isn't quite the reason why I am proud of my job. "Public Involvement" is a new subgroup of the communication field. 10 years ago, PI didn't exist, but The Langdon Group is helping pioneer and shape a whole new type of communication!

With all of that said, I do miss school. I hate being in a cubicle all day . . . it squashes all creativity. It's been difficult getting used to waking up early five days a week, my body definitely doesn't like the 5:30 a.m. alarm. And I don't like the lack of free time. Homework took up my free time in college, but atleast I had the weekend. Now, with a job, my weekends are spent catching up on cleaning and sleeping.

So there's the update. I am loving my new job but I am already making mental notes when/if I need to find a new one. #1 on my list, I need a job that doesn't require me sitting in a cubicle ALL of the time.

PGA Good-Bye

A bittersweet good-bye to the best job ever! August 21-29 was the Utah Open week. For the past 5 years I have helped out at the Utah Open as part of my duties with the Utah Section PGA. I started the week eager to see "Utah Open" friends and spend hours outside enjoying beatiful weather and a beautiful golf course. Although the Utah Open week requires me to wake up at 4 a.m., I absolutely love the 7 days of golf! There were times when all I wanted to do was sleep and other times when I just wanted a new job but as Saturday and Sunday creeped closer I found myself panicking because the good-byes were getting closer.

Sunday came and the nostalgia hit me hard. I have had so many good memories with the PGA and the Utah Open. I have met so many wonderful people and gained so much experience over the past 5 years . . . I can't believe that this was my last. My summers will never be filled with so many days spent on a golf course. I will no longer wake up at 4 a.m. and be eager to see my JGC golfers. I can no longer count on seeing the local pros at junior tournaments and talking about golf. At times I wasn't happy with the job but now that I am gone, I have realized how lucky I was to have such a great summer experience.

Tori, me, and Jock, the Oakridge dog!

Pictures, pictures, pictures!

The whole PGA gang!

Judy, Tori, and me.

On the roof. I'm on dedicated photographer.

Vince from the Big Break.

Me and Tony Finau. Matching shirts!

Chris Briseno, one of the hardest working volunteers to walk this earth.

Good news, sad news . . .

I got a job!!!! A real, "grown -up" job with benefits and everything.

Although I see myself as a laid back person who doesn't get stressed easily, I will admit that my financial situation and lack of a full time job has been stressing me out since January. With the bad economy I knew it was going to be tough to find a job to help me pay off student loans, but I had no idea how hard job searching would truly be. Every job that I have ever "landed" was through networking: coaching gymnastics, Inkleys, Mountain View Golf Course, and the PGA; so I was a little worried when I realized I didn't have a strong network after college.

A few months passed and I still had no call backs from any job I sent an application or resume to. As a result, I decided to work for the PGA again and help run junior golf tournaments. I was a little relectant to go back since I had promised myself that last year was going to be the end but I am so glad I decided to run tournaments again because I built a whole new network.

One of the parents of a junior golfer decided to help me out and refer my name to a few companies. Within two weeks I had calls from the Langdon Group and Intrepid Agency. I interviewed with both companies, but it was clear the Intrepid wasn't going to work out. The Langon Group interview went really well and it seemed like I would fit in but I was (still am) a little worried about learning all of the new skills that will be required of me. After a few weeks of waiting for a phone call letting me know if I got the job, my phone finally rang and it was my new boss offering me a full time position! It was like the weight of 7 months of worry was lifted in a few minutes. I am so excited to start working in two weeks and have an income!

But now for the sad news . . .

My time with Junior Golf Connection (JGC) and the Utah Section PGA is coming to an end and I couldn't be more sad to say goodbye to such a great summer job.

I started running junior golf tournaments in the summer of 2006 (Can you believe that was almost five years ago!). In 2006, JGC was called the Pepsi Junior Tour and I ran tournaments with Todd Meyer.

The next summer, the PGA took over the tournaments and renamed the program Junior Golf Connection. I was lucky enough to have the PGA adopt me as their new employee. At that time, I ran the tournaments with Todd and Casey (another PGA employee). Casey was such a greta person to work with and that summer I really got to know the junior golfers and became invested in their success and lives.

For the next three summers, I continued to run the JGC tournaments. I had to set up the events, make scoreboards, take pictures, and ultimately try and grow the game of golf. I've worked with so many great people over the years, Todd Meyer, Casey Lehman, Connor, Kelsey, Tori, and Kelsey H. I have been so lucky to have this great experience. What gets to me the most is how much I have seen these kids grow up! I have seen five sets of senior players golf as a junior for their last year, graduate high school and move on to college. I have seen little 10 year old boys struggle during thier first golf tournament and now they are learning how to drive in anticipation to get their driver's license. I know I am not old, but watching these kids grow up sure makes me feel "old." Here are pictures from the past five years with Junior Golf Connection.

Kelsey and me and one of our last tournaments together. She is getting married soon!

Preston and Drake, two of my favorite players.

Preston and Drake, 2009. Look how little they were!

Such great people to work with! Tori, Kelsey, Kelsey.

I got to meet Kyle Korver at the 2008 Utah Open!

The PGA ladies. Me, Anna, Annie, Mrs. Bringhurst, Kelsey, and Shawna.

Starting kids off of the #1 tee box. 2007.

Little Ryan! He is learning how to drive now.

Two of my favorite players. Graduated 3 years ago.

Gladstan Golf Course.

I witnessed Girl's Golf becoming a sanctioned high school sport.

Teeing kids off at Lakeside Golf Course. The best part is I am the same height as these 12 & Under golfers.

Preston. 2010. Just made the high school team. I've known him since he was 9.

Ryan, 2007. Shorter than me!

Ryan, 2010. Taller than me!

The junior golf tournaments are all finished but I have one more week of work helping at the 2010 Utah Open. I am going to miss JGC so much!

Family Photo Weekend

A photo day is a happy day! This year I have been putting a lot of effort into promoting and expanding my photography business. Spring 2010 was super busy for me but this summer has been a bit slow until this weekend. I had the opportunity to do two family photo shoots, one in Park City and the other at the Great Salt Lake. The photo shoot at the Great Salt Lake was a blast although a storm threatened to rain on our parade. Despite the drizzle of rain and the unpredictable wind, the photos turned out great.

Here is a quick look at the photo shoots from this weekend. If you want to see more visit http://www.jfowlerphotography.blogspot.com/ and become a follower!

AMPed!

Take a second to reflect on the past year . . . what was the best decision you have made in the past 12 months? The best decision I have made this year was joining AMP, the Alumni Mentoring Program.

AMP is a Westminster College program that matches current students with alumni mentors that are working in an industry of interest to the student. Since last September, I met with my mentor (Amy) once a month and we talked about work and life. Along with meeting an alum, I also met with a group of other AMP students once a month. Although I am not allowed to say what went on during our Saturday meetings (it's called the Vegas Rule, what happens in AMP stays in AMP) the disscussions we had changed my way of thinking and in many aspects, changed my life. I loved my experience so much I wish everyone I know could have the opportunity to have a similar experience!




Last night we had an AMP reunion and although I know it won't be the last, it sure felt like the last hurraw before all of us go our separate ways and continue on our life journey. This meeting was different than the meetings before, there was little structure to our conversations, instead we just talked about our lives since April and how things have changed in such a short time. Out of our group of 10, 3 are currently getting ready for graduate school and soon they will leave Westminster. We even had to Skype one friend who is currently in New York. 2 members of our group are beginning their lives away from school and with a family. And the rest of us are finding jobs and figuring out where we fit within the career world. All of that in less than 3 months! It's like time is on fast forward, our lives are diverging.

I can't repeat what went on in AMP but I would like to give you a taste of the program by sharing the thought of the day:

Money can be spent and money can be regained but once time has gone it is forever lost.

In the present society, we tend to go about our busy life with no regard to the moments and memories that slip by and once the moments have passed we can never have them back. Maybe if we all take a moment everyday to let time stand still and reflect on the moment and the lives that are currently intertwined with ours, we will become less of a victim to time.

Seize the Day!

You're only young once.

Finally!

It's amazing how music can enhance emotion. Something so neutral that struggles to provide an emotional reaction can change its effect by being accompanied with music.

Due to the extra free time this week, I finally had enough time to put together a DVD slideshow of my trip to the British Isles. I still haven't shared my photos with some friends and family because it is difficult to share them while crowded around a computer. My response to fix that problem, make a DVD.

I had about 1,000 photos to put in the DVD but cut it down to 800. I also added some video clips and clips of the Icelandic volcano that kept us in Ireland for an extra 3 days. The last thing I added to my movie was the music. I spent 2 days pouring over cds trying to find the perfect songs. I listened to song after song of Scottish, Irish, and English music in order to find the perfect match for my photos. After two days of hard work, I had a finished DVD of my photos.

When I watched my movie for the first time, I never expected to have an emotional reaction, but to my surprise I finally experienced what I thought I would have felt on the trip--I was in awe, pure mind numbing, stop you in your tracks awe.

Since I was young, I have dreamt of traveling to Scotland and the British Isles. It was the only place that called my name and I had to go there. I have a large amount of Scottish heritage and I wanted so bad to touch the ground of my ancestors, see what they saw, experience a little bit of family history. I felt such a strong desire and attachment to the British Isles that I had no doubt I would be in awe during the whole trip and without words but to my disappiontment I never had that feeling. I often tried to force my mind to wander and find that emotional fulfillment I yearned for but I never succeeded. I came home from the trip feeling drained and disappointed, how come this seemingly "magical" place didn't move me? Why didn't this historic place leave a deep impression?

I attributed my lack of emotional response to the busy schedule of the trip. We were often traveling so much that I never found time to sit and reflect on my experience, I could never find the time to let the magnitude of the trip sink in. When I got back home I attributed my lack of emotional response to the amount of reflection that had to occur in order to enable an emotional response. I just didn't have the time for two weeks of sites to settle and have impact. But I am finally experiencing reflection, awe, and that emotional respose I always expected to happen and it is all because of the DVD and the power of music.

I've watched my slideshow a few times now and each time I build upon the last emotion. I am in complete awe. I was there! I can hardly believe I was really there! The bagpipe music evokes pride, the Beatles music brings out disbelief, and the Irish Folk music enhances the feeling of nostalgia.

Earlier this summer, I went to the Backstreet Boys concert. I joked that the Backstreet Boys were better at bringing out an emotional response than the British Isles, but who knew that all I needed to do was add some music to my photos.