I was fortunate growing up to be surrounded by strong female friendships, one of the strongest being that of my mom and her best friend, Rhonda. Now this is a lifelong friendship, and I don’t mean “lifelong” as in met in middle school and became inseparable. Theirs is more of a “our mothers were pregnant at the same time", and “being born a few months apart makes for a convenient play date". From birth to now in their fifties (and looking wonderful for their age) the two have made it their sole mission to not only keep their friendship strong even across states...but to make sure that their daughters, Rhonda’s daughter Anna and I, are close as well. Over the 21 years I have been alive there have been countless day trips, girl’s vacations, and road trips that have provided me with cherished memories and a model for what a female friendship should be. That being said, Rhonda is like a second mom and Anna the closest thing I have to a sister, so needless to say we are as close as family. A fun fact about Rhonda is that one of her favorite things to say is, “Carpe Diem”, which simply translates to, “Seize the Day”. This is a term for me that will forever be associated with Rhonda, whether it was waking a grumpy Anna and I up for an early start to a beach day, or even finding the positive side to being on a 26-hour drive to Arizona, “Carpe Diem”, is forever ingrained in my brain.
I would love to say that I am a fan of early mornings, brewing my tea and rising with the sun, in an ideal world I absolutely am but unfortunately this is reality, and I am more tempted to stay up watching a movie until 3am than I am to wake up at 5am. However, there are times that I am left with no choice, the first day of our New York trip being one of them. Waking up at 5am for me is a very daunting task, yet being asked to do it to go onto the Today Show made the request slightly easier to swallow. So, Monday morning when my alarm blared at the bright time of 5am I knew it was time to “Carpe Diem” and seize the day. Walking through Rockefeller Center, sans Starbucks in hand, allowed my body some time to wake up. By the time we were settled in for the show, all 16 of us in the class nestled together, smiles slipped a little easier onto my face, although the dark circles under my eyes were quite prevalent.
Speaking to Kevin, one of our UGA alumni who works on the show, and his co-worker Ophelia reminded me that while 5am is incredibly early, the people you surround yourself with can be like a shot of espresso. As the show carried on and we were able to interact with Hoda and Jenna (human rays of sunshine lighting up the 7am scene), Al, Kevin and countless other cast, crew, and fellow visitors excited to watch the show my tired smile could not find its way off my face. Amidst my “Carpe Diem” mentality I realized something, no matter where you work, how early you wake up, or even how badly you need caffeine…life is easier when you surround yourself with people who make it so. Something I have learned since being in college is that people make the place, and that can truly be applied to any aspect of life. Advertising is a people industry, and I am lucky to be surrounded countlessly by individuals who inspire me, motivate me, and make it easier to wake up at 5am. So, as I left the scene of the show around 9:30 am, heading towards a New York bagel with new friends, the day felt long and bright ahead of me, with plenty of time to “Carpe Diem”.
Comments