Rule No.1: Throw Your Plans out the Window and Move to Key West!

What happens when a year of soul-crushing depression suddenly turns into a one-way ticket to Key West?


Picture this: your life is everything you want it to be and more. You're a junior studying Film/Media at Florida State University. You get drunk at frat parties, make oddly controversial short films with your friends, and run the main university social pages for $14.50/hour (which doesn't matter, seeing as your parents foot most of your bills). Your apartment is massive, with a balcony overlooking the hottest bars in town. Absolutely nothing can slow you down. 

Except a 65 year old college advisor named Jim Old. 

I actually quite liked Jim. Our sessions would often go well over the allotted 1 hour of time as we discussed my future, hopes, and dreams. On this particular occasion, though, I wanted to punch him in the neck. It went something like this:

Jim Old: "You're out of classes to take. You should graduate early."

Me: "Okay absolutely not. I'll go to grad school? I'll add another major?"

Jim Old: "Both would be an incredible waste of time and money."

Me: "Fuck."

So with little preparation and no real plan, I graduated from the university that felt like home an entire year early. With stars in my eyes and Jim Old in my ear whispering sweet nothings about getting a jump-start in the film world, I went into summer with nothing but positivity. I got incredibly lucky and was able to work on an MTV job in New York City right out of the gate. After a few semi-truck induced panic attacks - more on that later - but an overall successful summer, my hesitations about graduating early slowly started to disintegrate. Unfortunately, so did the film industry as a whole. 

It all went up in flames. No one was hiring, everyone was firing. As days turned into weeks turned into months, I sat my ass on my parents couch and applied for jobs. I sent out roughly 20 applications a day, in addition to emailing every single person I've ever met, and then every single person they've ever met, and letting them know I was on the job hunt. 

With each useless application, phone call, and resume facelift, I got that much less particular in the types of jobs I was applying for. When I found myself applying to be a part-time front desk receptionist for a dentist office in Greenville, South Carolina, I knew it was time. 

10 months sitting on that damn couch. There were brief intermissions where things started to look up, and I got hired to work on sets like HGTV, Puma, and DeWalt tools, but after each of those jobs ended - more of the nothingness. 

I felt numb. Nothing I did meant anything, and there was nothing to show for my months of hard work. Until there was. And let me tell you, when it rains, it pours. 

My phone started ringing off the hook. I took every odd-job position I could, and started juggling 4 roles at once. A completely overwhelming task, but a welcome change from the horrors of unemployment. 

One day, I got a call from a job I applied for over 9 MONTHS PRIOR. This wasn't just any job, this was the real deal. A content coordinator position for a multi-million dollar organization. After two interviews, they hired me on the spot, and I was told to pack up and be in Key West in a couple weeks. 

So here I am, sitting in Key West with the role of my dreams. Go forth, write blogs and make videos, young grasshopper. Did I ever see myself ending up here? Absolutely not. When I think about living in New York and becoming a world-renowned filmmaker does my stomach twist with yearning? Absolutely yes. 

But I'm here, and this is my now, and I couldn't be more pleased with myself. Today marks exactly one year since I walked across the stage at Florida State University, and what a year it's been. Do you know what we'd be without trials and hardships? BORING. 

Which leads us smoothly into our next topic, Rule No.2: Be so interesting they think you're fictional, a guide on how to start living life like a book character - written by a woman obviously. Talk soon!

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