The Video Girl

Two and a half years ago I started working for the JSU Football team. None of the players knew who I was to begin with.

I distinctly remember one of the players yelling, "Hey video girl! Take my pic." I replied, "learn my name and I'll take your picture," and I walked away.

I was offended he didn't take the time to learn my name and called me video girl. Flash forward two years and now everyone calls me that and I love it. 

As I went through my freshman and sophomore year at JSU I didn't really feel like it was where I was suppose to be or as though I was searching for something more. I didn't really have a lot of friends or had joined a sorority, so I just felt disconnected from college. I would seriously go to class, work, and go home. 

I had gotten a leadership scholarship and it lasted for two years. So after two years I started emailing coaches and staff trying to see if there were any openings for managers with any of the sports. I contacted sports media and randomly the video coordinator for the football team.

Got two replies. Volleyball & Football.

Volleyball which I loved in high school and wanted to coach one day. And football which I knew nothing about and had only gone to games to socialize. So the easy choice was: Volleyball.

Or so I thought.

I met with the volleyball coach and the video coordinator with the football team. I had plenty of experience with volleyball (even coached at my high school freshman year of college), but I knew not one thing about video or football.

For some reason I felt drawn to football. *Spoiler Alert* I chose football. Jk. You all know that. 

Anyways, spring 2015 I started coming to practice and I was up in the press box filming coaches film which in my opinion is a lot more boring than what I do. Over the summer we lost our post production guy and my wonderful boss Brian, asked if I knew how to make videos.

"No. But I can learn."

And I watched YouTube tutorials and made my first video the first day of fall camp of the 2015 season. From there I became the video girl. I continued to make highlights and a name for myself. I found my place. 

I am thankful for JSU Football.

It gave me exactly what I needed. I felt like I belonged somewhere again and really helped shape who I am today. The relationships I made through football will be with me for a lifetime. Video guys, players, coaches, student coaches, trainers, everyone. I have made so many BEST friends that I am so thankful for. 

My life would be drastically different if I had gone to play college volleyball or chose to be the JSU volleyball manager or even had not sent that email to the football video coordinator. Or had he not hired me cause I'm a girl. (No girls had worked there before *insert hair flip*)

You never know where life will take you. Just keep going. It's okay to not have a plan or to not know exactly where you are headed. I thought I was going to end up as a Highschool Biology Teacher coaching volleyball and somehow I ended up being a Geographer making a living off videography and photography. I have learned to just live and let life happen. Never get so caught up planning what's next you miss life happening right in front of you. 

I never understood football or cared about it at all. But now football has a whole new meaning to me. It gave me a place to fit in when I was feeling lost and helped me pursue things I never had before. Find an opportunity that helps you grow as a person and take it. 

I am who I am today because of JSU Football.

- The Video Girl

I Crave Travel

One thing that I have started to realize is that there is more out there in the world besides the small town I grew up in. I have nothing against my hometown. I love it and I wouldn't be who I am today if I did not go to the highschool or college that I did. However, when you grow up in a certain place you grow accustom to the things around you. 

People. 

Culture. 

Places. 

Some people grow up somewhere and never want to leave. That is okay. Some people leave the first chance they get. That is okay. Whether you choose to live in the place you grew up for forever or to constantly move, I recommend travel. 

Travel will open your eyes. Teach you things you can't learn by sitting on your couch. 

I have started to realize that I crave freedom. 

I crave going places and learning about other cultures. 

I crave more than my hometown.

I crave travel. 

When you start to get out and experience and learn about other cultures it opens up your eyes. Once your eyes open up to other cultures it helps to reinforce the culture within yourself and what your beliefs are.

I have learned more about myself while traveling than I ever have being in my hometown. 

When I travel, I never go against what I believe or conform to the cultures I am learning about. I simply take in everything happening around me and learn. Seeing new places brings light to my culture and reinforces the things I hold value in. Experiencing new places is shaping me as a person. Creating a deeper sense of self. 

I don't know where I'll end up living. But wherever I end up, I will always travel. 

First Step to being a Loner

First step to being a loner: Eat at a restaurant by yourself. 

Want to take it to the next level? I dare you to go to the movies by yourself. 

Want everyone to think you are even more of a freak? Go on vacation by yourself.

What?! Go somewhere by yourself? That's insane. Who does that? 

Hi. My name is Tiffany and I am on vacation by myself. Back in October or around that time I started struggling emotionally and mentally.. technically physically too, but that is just cause I was working out at the time. No worries I don't have time to work out anymore. So physically I am just chilling right now, but mentally I'm drowning. I am taking 16 hours in school, a little more than a part time job, research with my professor, band at my church, co-filmer/editor with Riverbend Productions, work with the JSU Football team videoing, and I also have my own photography business. I also graduate in April and I am having to decide if I want to pursue photography or another degree or move to the wilderness and live in a cave. Seriously all things considered, a cave sounds nice. I am literally going from 7:00 in the morning til about midnight just about every night. So, mentally I am just drained all the time. 

About 3 weeks ago I decided I wanted to take a vacation. I have family in Pensacola, but it isn't much of a vacation because I always have places to be or people to see. My friend has a condo in Surfside, SC. Why not go there? So, needless to say I am sitting in South Carolina on vacation as I am writing this. It has been wonderful. I came alone. Crazy right?

Before coming many people asked why I was going and I said I just needed a mental break. A mini vacay. And everyone understood that. Tiff's busy. She needs a break, of course. Then they would proceed to ask who I was going with. And every time someone asked me this I dreaded telling them I was going alone. Everyone just seemed to look at me like I was crazy.. And I just hated having to explain myself. Why is being alone so scary to everyone? Being alone isn't the same thing as loneliness. I have been alone a lot in life as far as relationships go and I turned out perfectly okay. Like not to long ago I was looking at old pictures and was like OMG, seriously, I have been the third wheel so much. I have had so much practice at being alone, I am good at it. I don't see that as a bad thing necessarily. I feel strong in who I am. I like to have my alone time but others may need to be surrounded by someone at all times. We are all different & that's okay. However, I am not making any extroverts feel bad for being who they are, I just encourage you also to be alone and get to know yourself. 

In being alone this weekend, I haven't had to answer to anyone. I have done everything I wanted to whether that be sit on my bed and eat Cheese Its and watch Netflix (which I did a lot) or sit out on the beach all day and read a book. I got to be me and chill with myself. It drives me insane knowing that some people never enjoy the presence of themselves. I am a big advocate for being by yourself and learning who you are. And just don't let anyone make you feel weird because you want to be alone or try something by yourself. I drove 7 hours alone. Stayed in a condo alone. Ate multiple meals alone. Went shopping alone. And I loved every minute of it. It has truly been an amazing weekend. 

Just don't let someone make you feel weird because of something you like or something you're into. Just be you. If you want to go to go camp under the stars do it. Go on vacation by yourself do it. Don't let anyone keep you from doing the things you want to do. Create relationships with people who encourage you to be who you are. 

Be Alone

This year I challenge you to be okay with being alone. Take time yourself. Figure out who you are. Who you want to be and where you are headed. Clear your mind. Clear your life. Examine yourself and see if you are being true to you. 

Get rid of the things causing you unhappiness. Rid yourself of the relationships holding you back. The relationships which are leading you down a path that you don't want to be a part of. Stop putting so much time and heart into relationships that don't have your best interest in mind. Whether those relationships be romantic or platonic. 

Don't text people who don't respond. Stop dwelling on relationships that haven't worked out. Say no to people who treat you badly. Don't pick up the phone just because you are feeling alone. It's okay to be alone. 

Alone. Everyone is so scared to be alone. But, why? Being alone let's you get to know yourself. Learn to love yourself more. We long so badly to feel wanted. Want yourself. In the midst of longing for someone else we forget about ourselves. We tend to not put time into our body, mind and soul. We should truly love ourselves and not base our every emotion on what someone else does. 

You have heard all your life to love your self, but at what point do you actually start doing that? After you have already lost your way because of the friends you're surrounding yourself with or the guy/girl you're pursuing? Just stop. Stop worrying about having a boyfriend or girlfriend. What happens if you are called to singleness and never marry? You will have spent you're whole life searching and feeling sorry for yourself because you don't have someone to cuddle with at night... or even worse... giving your heart to people who don't deserve it. 

I challenge you to be alone and be the best self you can be. Go get a pedicure by yourself or grab a coffee and enjoy the presence of you. You will learn so much about yourself and when you finally, truly love yourself you will able to spread that love to the world. 

xoxo,

Tiffany

Journey to College

In high school, there is always that girl. She may play sports, have high grades, have lots of friends, Prom queen, Homecoming Queen, and is honestly known by lots of people. Well I was that girl in high school. I had everything going for me. I played basketball, golf, volleyball, and even cheered. I was fourth in my class and have scholarship to JSU. I was the Yearbook Editor. I had so many friends I didn't know what to do. After graduation... everything changed! I am currently attending Jacksonville State University as most of you already know. The only bad thing is.. it's nothing like high school. I go to class and leave class. I don't really have the friends like I did in high school. They all left me. They went hours away for college while I stayed here. No body knows me here. Maybe that's a good thing though. An opportunity to start fresh, make new friends. Maybe this is the story of a lot of freshmen. If so? Stay positive and look to the future in an optimistic outlook.

Until next time...