What's Your Age Gauge?

One of the really cool parts about yesterday's race was the chance to meet new people. Yes, I followed the lead of my gregarious fellow runner Jeff Parker and met new people at a race! This woman's name was Becky, and she started running shortly after her 50th birthday in July. She talked about how she had talked herself out of it for so many years, with fears of getting hurt or not being good at it, and finally decided to just go for it. 

She referred to it as something pretty cool- running, for her, is an "age gauge". That is to say, it's something she'll do for as long as the joy of it outweighs the fear. Think about young kids. They do things without fear, and you can tell they've matured when they think to not do these things. To me, an age gauge is the point at which thought overpowers action, and you back away from something you'd want to do based on overthinking it. 

Another "age gauge" for Becky is rollercoasters. She, her kids and I are all Disney enthusiasts, and we talked a lot about how she keeps riding rollercoasters, despite the fact that she might be seen as too old for that (Author Note: at fifty? Not even close!). But she will deem herself old when she thinks about riding rollercoasters, and the idea of what could happen (falling, sickness, etc.) stops her from getting on and strapping in.

But then the interesting part came: she asked me what my age gauges are.

I had to think pretty hard about it. I talk myself out of things all the time; as an anxious person, we just do! But what, of those things, is done because of age? For me, it tied back into my work in some way. One of the things that I found myself excited about in this new position was the comparatively earlier hours. I asked during my interview about the length of events. When I was told most of them ended at 10pm, I found myself...oddly delighted. I loved my work with late night events for so many years, and my reaction to the possibility of being in bed by 10:30 surprised even me! So I suppose my gauge is being able to work late, but not too late. 

Another one is, of course, Disney movies. The morning before, after oversleeping volunteer work, my instinct was to sit on the couch and do my monthly viewing (no joke) of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. And I don't think anything of that, of the fact that my go-to movies are designed for 8 year olds. I suppose that when that becomes weird, I'll be old. Translation: I'll never get old :)

I had a great time talking with Becky, and she let me know about several other races in the area, so I hope that I'll get to see her again! But in the meantime, think about it: what are your age gauges?

Recap: Orchard House 10k

Our starting line!

Two major passions of mine are running (which many of you know about), and nerditude (less explicitly mentioned, but I'm sure detectable!). So when I saw the opportunity to run a race at Orchard House, the storied locale of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women...there was NO way it wasn't happening. Much like with any piece of clothing I try on that fits, I was committed from the moment I realized it worked. 

Check out those starting guns!

This morning, I got to the site early and watched as the race staff set up the course and registration table. As someone who's had the opportunity to be a part of race administration, I have an odd attraction to this part. This group did a great job, and I was so happy to take part in the race because of them and all of their hard work.

There it is...Alcott's Orchard House.

Once the race started, it was the scenery that kept my head in the game as my body fought what I was doing. Between moving and starting a new job, my running routine has been slow in coming together. I felt this 6.2 FAR more than I normally do, and my performance suffered from it at times. What brought me back? The sights and sounds of Concord, MA. In true nerd form, I ran this race to Thomas Newman's score to the 1994 Little Women, starring Winona Ryder and a young (far better) Kirsten Dunst. It was the perfect soundtrack for this run- winding in and out of town squares and past historical sites, it was an amazing way to bring the movie to life. As I passed a pond, I wondered if that was where Amy fell through the ice while skating with Laurie and Jo. Seeing neighboring older houses, I wondered which one belonged to the sometimes illusive Mr. Laurence. And I couldn't help but imagine what the town looks like at Christmastime, as so many scenes in the book described.

My soundtrack for the day (natch)

It was a shock to the system to run so much further than any of my runs in MA to date, but it was a shock in the best possible way. As I rounded the last corner, awesomely enough at Thoreau and Walden Streets, I felt renewed to keep making running a part of my life, and to pick races that are really meaningful to me like this one was. 

And speaking of meaningful, there are a LOT of thank your owed for this race! As many of you know, I've been raising money this summer for Women's Health's Run 10 Feed 10 initiative, and this was the race I selected to run for that. To all who gave money, spread the word, and generally supported those efforts- thank you. To those who endured my endless calls for money but did not give...thank you too, for I got no complaints :) To Allison, who lent me her car for the trip to Concord- THANK YOU! I literally could not have done it without you, and your iced coffee is on its way :)

This race made a difference in a great many ways, and I'm excited to see what comes next as a result of it!

You've made me a very happy girl! :)

Common Words in an Unlikely Place

Ah, the bus. It's an interesting mode of transportation. Sometimes uneventful, sometimes out of control, but always entertaining. Even with a car, I've been a frequent bus rider over the past several years- first, in grad school, when I refused to pay hundreds of dollars to park across the street from my apartment, and then in Tallahassee over the summer when the promise of regular work days made the bus a dependable way to get home. And now, in Boston with no car, it has become my lifeblood. With all of these years riding the bus, I was surprised to see something extremely unique on my ride to work this morning.

When I got on the bus this morning, I had a driver I've never met before- easy, considering I've been doing this for a week. She was pleasant as I boarded, and seemed to be in a great mood. But as the first stop was requested, she pulled over, opened the door, and shouted "Thank you!"

She continued to do this over the course of my roughly twenty minute ride. Each time she stopped, she would say "Thank you!" to whoever got off the bus, making sure they heard her. I was astonished. It's so simple, and yet it was completely new to me. 

I made sure to immortalize the moment as it happened.

Other passengers noticed, and one approached her, saying "You are the first bus driver I've ever seen do that, it's very nice!" Her matter of fact response: "I've been saying that since I start it, and I'll continue to say it until I end." It's a part of who she is, and how she works. Moreover, I'm willing to bet, based on my short time with her, that she does it even on the days that it's hard to or she doesn't exactly feel like it.

I share this story because it uplifted me on a Monday. I hope it makes you smile too, and that you use it as inspiration to do something small but impactful for someone today :)

This Week on SA First Years: The First Week at Work

This week over at SA First Years, I talk about what you can do at the office when you can't do anything yet...ah, the first untrained weeks on the job. Hope you enjoy!

http://www.studentaffairsfirstyears.com/2012/09/how-to-be-useful-when-you-feel-useless.html

#1yrdown: The Long Awaited Conclusion

The result of this project has been a long-awaited one, and I apologize for those who expected it sooner!

In truth, expectations play a big role in the results of the project. In talking to more than 20 professionals, I realized that one of the biggest factors leading to success in a new role is the level of comfort one feels going into a job, comfort with one's new lifestyle and the expectations from those around him or her.

To start, I'll include a few statements that were given as responses to questions I posed.

What did your graduate program do to prepare you for your step into graduate life?

Interview preparation, higher ed law, meeting and event planning, group dynamics (important for working with others)

We had internships, assistantships, and great advisors/mentors in the field that were the biggest help in preparing me for professional life. 

Not much.  While I had one professor who helped immensely with advice whenever needed, our program left it up to our Graduate Student Association to educate soon to be professionals on the dos and don't s of post-masters work. (I know of several programs that use this approach- has it been effective? Would it be more responsible for faculty and professional mentors to take on this particular responsibility? Why or why not?)

What is the biggest lesson you've learned from your first year on the job?

I've learned that no one will truly know what you think or feel unless you speak up.

I think the biggest lesson I've learned is that it takes time to affect change, and sometimes you have to be patient. 

Being "perfect" in grad school does NOT mean you will be perfect on the job. There are real life politics one will encounter and will have to learn to navigate. 

To find a community outside of work to connect with. While I enjoy the people that I work with, I need to find an outlet outside of work.

What do you wish you had learned before leaving graduate school?

Not so much. I think someone I've seen other new professionals struggle with is the idea that when you move to a new institution/department/position, the first item on your to-do list can't be "change everything about this job" 

Life as a new pro is a tough balancing act sometimes.

I wish I had done a bit more research on the city I was moving to, and on the staff I was becoming a part of. If I had had a bit more time, I think I would have been able to create a more accurate picture of what I was becoming a part of.  

I wish additional faculty members discussed the concept of ambiguity.  One faculty member discussed it constantly...

As I went through these responses, and reflected on my own pair of first year experiences (my first prior to grad school, and my first after), I realized that these responses, and ones like them, are rooted in expectation. When we go to graduate school, we expect a lot when we leave. We expect to love our first position. We expect to be heard and to be able to effect change right away. We expect the opportunity to have fulfilling personal and professional lives right off the bat. But when these expectations are met differently from how we originally imagined, there can be frustration and discord.

I did a presentation with Kelley McCarthy at the NASPA-FL drive in about advice from new professionals and mid-level managers to graduating master's students. The main takeaway from that presentation was management of expectations. Like one respondent said earlier, speak up! If you expect something, or something is different from how you thought it would be, say something. You might not be able to change anything, but at least the expectation is addressed. Similarly, be thoughtful as you interview at an institution. You may not (and likely will not) get a fully accurate picture of your office, department, or division of student affairs during your time on the phone or on campus. But if you have non-negotiable expectations (e.g. a personal life outside of work, a environment amenable to change), you have to let them know what you need. Otherwise, neither side will get what they want from the relationship.

And if you're already in a position, heading into your second year (or third, or any other year!), use the beginning of the year as a natural opportunity to reassess and voice your expectations. With a supervisor, coworker, partner, whoever needs to know! Maybe it won't serve as a solution for any angst that may have built up during year one, but it has the potential to be a start. Sometimes that's all you need!

This Week on SA First Years: Weathering the Back to School Storm

This week's post on the back to school season likens this special time of year to Hurricane season. Enjoy!

http://www.studentaffairsfirstyears.com/2012/08/weathering-back-to-school-storm.html

First Day/Last Day

All my boxes are packed, I'm ready to go...

Earlier this week marked my last day of work at Florida State, before a few days of "funemployment", and then the big move to Boston. It was a difficult affair, not just because I was leaving, but because I am uncomfortable being the center of attention, and leaving a position puts you front and center for a little while.

However, there was an added level of difficulty for me, in that the last day of school was also Florida State's first day of classes. Ending a school year when so many people are starting one...well, it's disorienting. Preparing for the coming year is expected in our line of work- we work in something of a revolving door pattern. But in starting the year with these students, I'm even more invested in the work they're doing. My concern now is having my foot in the progress and success of two sets of students- my current/former ones (at Florida State), and the new ones (at Emmanuel).

I think the situation is complicated somewhat because I have not been "succeeded" - never replaced - yet. Without knowing the situation that my former students will be left in, I'm having an even harder time letting go. And frankly, to an extent, I don't want to. I don't wish to keep advising my students, of course- at some point that's going to be someone else's job. But I do want to still make sure that I can be part of their lives in whatever way they'll have me. I'm hoping that I'll be able to keep up with them, and make sure the students I have will also feel that I'm invested in them.

How have you handled the transition from one job to the next? Did you keep in touch with colleagues/supervisees?