Make it Happen Monday: Personal Touch

It's June already! This time two weeks ago, I was in New York City attending a conference. It was hot as Hades and I was really looking forward to going home. Little did I know, that my Megabus ride would probably be one of my worst. The details are not worth sharing. It certainly was not as bad as last time but it's one I would like to forget. Note to self: Bring plenty of water.

That particularly trip set the stage for quite an exhausting week, ending in me falling ill. All of my grinding came to a halt about a week and a half ago. My throat, more like my nodules, were uncharactersially sore and swollen. I attritbute my sudden bout of illness to stress and fatigue. It was bound to happen. It's been two weeks and I feel a lot better, especially since several of my projects and engagements were successful. More on that later. I am happy to be blogging again. Now, let's get back to business.

I've wrapped up a least one internship and a part-time job. I have a few more projects to conclude so I can focus all my energies on my big move to the BIG apple. Countdown check: 5 days.

Aside from making my life more manageable by sleeping more, I am spending today and tomorrow in snailmail mode. For many years now, I've made it a habit to handwrite thank you notes and letters of appreciation whenever I leave an internship, job, program or a similar opportunity. I am knee-deep in stationary at the moment but love every minute of expressing my gratitude.

I'm making it happen this Monday by putting pen to paper, literally. Emails are certainly faster and more convenient but sometimes the road less traveled is more meaningful.

- Ijeoma


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13 Feet, Zero Inches

After a series of unfortunate events, I made it to Milwaukee. Let's recap the last twenty-four hours, so you can fully appreciate or at least understand my experience.

I spent most of Saturday morning relaxing at my friend's apartment while she studied at her school's library. Since my bus was scheduled to leave at three in the afternoon, I did not feel the need to be a busybody. I made the assumption that the bus would be half-full, just like the other trips I had taken thus far. I was packed and ready to go just before two and headed out the door to meet my friend. By the time I reached her, I was hankering for a bite to eat. Though the bus ride was a two-hour journey, I decided to grab a sandwich from the nearby Subway. Remember this tidbit.

My friend and I get to the Chicago pick-up location, near Union Station and see a rather long line. I questioned two individuals as to whether or not this line is heading to Milwaukee. Both times I received a simple, "No". I wasn't too worried because I was confident I was at the right location, so we waited. Three o'clock rolls around and the Megabus finally arrives. By that time, my friend left to continue her studying. That long line of standbys quickly inched toward the bus. It seemed as if everyone and their mother had a piece of luggage or two. I had to wait in that line to ensure my roll-away was placed in the designated area for the "Milwaukee" destination. Luckily, I had chatted with a Milwaukee guy beforehand and he offered to save me a seat. I was relieved because it appeared as though the bus might be full.

I got on the bus, found that Milwaukee guy and took my seat. He chose the front-most seat on the upper-level of the deck bus. Remember this tidbit as well.

Sometimes, Most of the time, I am an inquisitive person who likes to learn about people. I think people are fascinating. Traveling offers me the opportunity to meet random people, engage in conversation, ask questions and in the very least pass time. Well, this Milwaukee guy was more than curious. After some small talk, we introduced ourselves (Hey Nic!). Our "small talk" morphed into exchanges about faith, spirituality, my attempt to take over the world, the use of sarcasm, Milwaukee, active listening versus questioning. Nic was awesome because he likes to learn about people. It was a little surreal for me because I am usually the spitfire who has a plethora of questions but he was very engaged.

Now, Nic is from Milwaukee and was feeling a bit antsy to head home to meet with a friend. He recognized something that neither of us would have realized if we were sitting on the lower level. Nic realized that the bus driver was going the wrong way. We left Chicago twenty minutes late, and now we were heading back to Chicago. No bueno.

Our Megabus vs. The Clearing

Up close and personal and "indefinitely" delayed

The bus driver admitted his mistake and re-routed the trip to get the bus back on the right exit. I felt bad for the bus driver because it was a little embarrassing. Unfortunately, it was one of two times that same mistake occurred. The second attempt at leaving the Chicago area was an epic fail and I have the pictures to prove it. By this point, most of the passengers had no faith in the driver. Our bus was stopped several feet in front a overpass that was clearly marked "13' 0". The Megabus needs a clearing of thirteen feet and two inches. Seriously, two inches. I said a prayer or three because I just wanted to get to Milwaukee safely.




After the bus driver called the local police, they were able to direct the thirteen-car-pile-up and then the bus driver reversed the bus and backed out of a rather narrow street. It was 4:30.

Thankfully, Nic and I had a set of really interesting conversations that kept us preoccupied for the remainder of the trip. We eventually arrived in Milwaukee, just two hours after the scheduled time. I will give the bus driver some credit in that he kept his cool. Sure, patience is a virtue but if you don't know where you are going, ASK!

All in all, it was an interesting series of events. I got to Milwaukee intact with my two pieces of luggage. And I made a new friend.

In the Winds

I made it to Chicago! It was sunny bright when I landed near Union Station, forty minutes ahead of schedule. Megabus, you are too good to me. Well, almost too good. I did not have access to Internet but it was fine. The ride was smooth and scenic. So much land out in the middle of the country. Traffic was non-existent which is mind-boggling. I've had intermittent cases of traffic-withdrawal, if such a condition. There was a rest stop at some place called Dixie 66. I ordered breakfast to-go and it was hot and yummy. Best eggs I have had in a while.

Today also means I am one week away from being in my own bed. I am certainly looking forward to next Tuesday but I am really happy to be in Chicago. I still need to give a robust recap of the past few days but everything in due time.

Fortunately, I have a place to stay for free and a friend/guide to navigate the city. Thanks Shamama!  She's already introduced me to deep dish pizza. Check off my list.

I basically saw the last ten minutes of the presidential debate. Looks I am spending my morning on YouTube to get up to speed. Later, I will visit the Booth School of Business. Not sure if I will apply but I am curious about the program. I might as well as learn more about the school and get a first-hand look for myself.

So many schools, so little time.

Saved by the Bucks

I finally made it to St. Louis after saying my goodbyes to my sister. I hope Kansas City treats her well. My last few hours in KC were a little annoying. The apartment building where my sis now calls home, suddenly had no Internet access. Unfortunately for me, I was wide awake at 5:30 this morning. Thank goodness for my Blackberry! I did not even bother sending the emails I wanted to because as much as I like to browse and check my email with BB, I prefer my laptop. What I needed from my email was the call-in credentials for a conference call with Sofya and Leah of RachelChris. I responded to their Craigslist ad as their looking for an intern. Though the start-up company is based in NYC, most of the work is virtual, which is a plus. I love that the founder is a young woman! I am so glad they took the time to read a few of my blog posts and liked my writing. The interview went well and I hope I hear good news from them next week. No matter the result, I would really like to take a day trip to New York to visit them and interview them for my blog. I will keep you posted.

Pheew. That was just the morning. I will fast forward a few hours, especially since I spent a little over four hours on Megabus to get to St. Louis. The driver was great and our bus was twenty-five minutes early! Yes, please and thank you Megabus. As soon as I grabbed my two pieces of luggage I headed toward Union Station. It took awhile to find a cab but eventually a valet from a nearby hotel hailed one for me. Twenty-five dollars later and I made it to the Sheraton Hotel, my home for the next two nights. I am attending a preview weekend for one of my business schools. It wasn't until after I was handed my room keys, did I notice the hotel's sleek and modern lobby. Impressive.

Enough marveling already. I went straight to my room to drop off my belongings. I grabbed my laptop and Vera Bradley coin purse (so much easier to carry than my jumbo wallet) and made my way outside. Word on the street was that there was Panera three blocks away. I barely ate on the bus and I was looking forward to their mac n' cheese.

I never got my mac n' cheese. Since when does a Panera Bread close before five. Really?

Starbucks saved me. I popped into a Chiptole across the street to snack on chips and guac. Healthy-ish, cheap and quick. Honestly, I needed Inernet access badly. To my dismay, the Megabus I rode did not have Internet connectivity. That's right, for over four hours the only way I accessed the Internet was via BB.

Basically, I now have just enough time to finish this blog post, compile a marketing proposal, email invitations to fashion bloggers for an upcoming event and update my LinkedIn. Oh and I still need to definitely pick an outfit and hairstyle for tonight's reception. The attire is "nice" casual. Whatever. I am overdressing and I'm curling my hair.

I will end this post on a less stressful note. A few weeks ago, I met with Lisa Good night at AAUW We discussed a possible opportunity for me to be a guest blogger. I am happy to say that my blog, along with a few editorial changes, is now published online. Take a look.

Happy Friday! 

Women Power

Hands down. Attending the Pennsylvania Conference for Women will probably be the best decision I made all week. And it's only Monday! Now that I am finally at my laptop, which I brought along with me of course, I can express what I've always understood to be true. Surrounding myself with aspirational, positive women is like a drug. Considering that I had to wake up at 5:30 this morning and still almost missed my bus, I was just hoping to help out and get free access to the conference. Well, thanks to my little sister, I did not miss my the Megabus and I have already interacted with women who have given me advice, contacts and the confidence to push forward.

Case in point, Uneeka Jay (@powermommy). Allow me to set the scene. It's after 12:30 p.m. and I'm finishing up my boxed lunch. Caesar salad wrap, string cheese, chocolate chunk cookie and an apple. She casually sits down, no big deal. Fast forward fifteen minutes and I have someone who is encouraging me to attend the Blogalicous conference next year, informing that I need to buy my domain name and listing a bunch of contacts in the DC area. I kept grinning and saw the wheels spinning ever so quickly in my head.  Now that I know there is a supportive network of bloggers, specifically women of color within reach, there's no way I am not going to take a leap forward.

I also finally got a chance to meet with Amy Blankenbiller, who is the volunteer coordinator for this conference as well as two others, Texas and Massachusetts. She has such a great energy and tends to share a novel per every question you ask. I like learning by listening, so I was all ears! She has quite the story and actually lived in the DC area for a number of years. Indeed, it is a small world.

1.5 tons of Hershey chocolates
that conference volunteers packed

Coincidentally enough, Penelope Trunk had a new blog post that resonated with me today. Two particular comments were relevant to my current transition - picking a lifestyle versus working toward a job title and not overcommitting. I've never been one for titles and whatnot. Personally, I like being in a position of influence. With or without a title, human beings are influenced by their peers. In my last job, I made it a point to be kind in order to influence my working relationships in a healthy, positive way. Being nice goes a long way. Essentially, understanding my wants and needs in my professional life will parlay into a lifestyle that is in sync with how I work and value my time. Simple, right? Right...

I have a date with FedEx Kinko's in a minute. If all goes well, I will be the owner of a set of  temporary business cards for tomorrow's conference. Later, I'm heading outside the city to have a home-cooked meal courtesy of my friend who is housing me. Thanks Marissa!

Speaking of dinner, last night at the Oceanaire was great. I smiled and laughed incessantly to the point that my facial muscles were paining me. I had a good time and the salmon was delish. Thanks Don and Len!

Sometimes I forget how gracious my network of friends, colleagues, etc are to me. Thank you cards are most certainly in the works. 

POST-Intro

I never started my blog with an introduction. No lead, no bio, not a thing. I did this on purpose because I wanted to see if I could successfully write more than six posts without bailing out. And now, I present to you an intro or something of the sort.

My name is Ijeoma (e-jho-maa) and I started blogging last week because I promised myself this summer that I would. I attended the 2012 BlogHer conference in New York City. Correction - I attended the PathFinder Day, which is more or less a precursor to the multi-day conference. I took Megabus, super duper early from Washington, D.C. six weeks ago to the day to attend and the five hour bus trip was worth it. Thankfully, the weather was decent. August heat in NYC is not cute but the ultra fab Hilton New York was chilled to my liking.

The PathFinder Day was what I needed to at least understand why people blog. There were women everywhere. All shapes, sizes, demographics, etc. I think I spent most of the day slightly bemused. I was stepping out of my comfort zone but I was trying to imagine having a blog as a means of living, social change or simply for fun. Though I was little late (and had to leave early), I checked-in at the registration, got my badge and headed straight for the morning workshop that interested me the most: My Blog as Business.

I knew well in advance that I did not have a blog, nor was I in the process of beginning one but envisioning my future blog as a business was appealing. I like reading about business, particularly small/mid-sized businesses, and entrepreneurship. More importantly, I get inspired and empowered when I read articles or see videos about powerful women. Problem is, I don't see it as often as I would like or that should exist online. I identify with a lot of communities - millienials, former viola and cello players, Americorps, Nigerians, first-generation Americans, folks who wear glasses. But I love being a woman who wants to lead people or manage a business.

So, I thought the workshop, My Blog as Business, would be perfect. And it would have been if I actually had a blog. Minor fail. I learned a lot of legalese and how to avoid being sued. Oh, and how to protect my content, though I am still trying to apply all that knowledge. After a very scrumptious lunch, I switched gears and decided I needed to refocus and be kind to myself. For round two, I chose, My Blog as Change Agent, to hone in on why I actually was at this conference in the first place.

I was skeptical. Really skeptical but ultimately kept an open mind and stayed positive. Besides, the speakers Deb and Diane were really nice and encouraging. The space they created was safe and hopeful, two very important qualities for a tyro. Long story short, I met a small group of women at my table who were giving me ideas and support. On the bus ride home, I sent them all emails. Now, I look forward to emailing them again to let them know I started a blog! I will include their blogs in another post.

The proof is in the badge. 

I didn't take any pictures at the conference, sad face. Thankfully, I still have my name badge as evidence that I attended BlogHer'12. I am glad I did. How's that for an intro?