AmeriCorps transition week in Denver is exhausting and incredibly bad for my dedication to this contest. After a 8-9hr set of back to back presentations on how went the projects of everyone in my unit, my mind was gone and my body was pissed.
With no laptop and no teammates to borrow computer access from, I have had to rely solely on my smartphone, which has its limitations. I have an excellent video to share with you.
Days left in the contest are shrinking. Fingers crossed and dreaming hard.
Wish my plan was one composed of greater self-determination.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
I've missed two days, what's going on?!
I've moved out of jail!
So nice to no longer be housed in an active work-release program detention center.
My AmeriCorps crew is back on campus (base camp equivalent) in Denver, CO. So nice to be back in the dorms. We are transitioning from our last projects to our next projects. I'm waiting to meet my roommate.
The transitioning has taken up a great deal of my time and attention. Expect more compensatory posts from me today to make up for the posts that I missed. I will be posting a video, a blogpost about a trip to the zoo, and another "researching the competition" post. If I have time, you can soon expect a post and reflection on how the upon-return $50,000 will help my educational goals or a post about some of biggest baddest bucket list dreams.
So nice to no longer be housed in an active work-release program detention center.
My AmeriCorps crew is back on campus (base camp equivalent) in Denver, CO. So nice to be back in the dorms. We are transitioning from our last projects to our next projects. I'm waiting to meet my roommate.
The transitioning has taken up a great deal of my time and attention. Expect more compensatory posts from me today to make up for the posts that I missed. I will be posting a video, a blogpost about a trip to the zoo, and another "researching the competition" post. If I have time, you can soon expect a post and reflection on how the upon-return $50,000 will help my educational goals or a post about some of biggest baddest bucket list dreams.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Garden of the Gods
Follow up on MyDestination video submission for Colorado Springs, CO. A recent return trip to Garden of the Gods yielded many great photos. Be sure to visit this location if you're ever in the Colorado Springs, CO area. It's a free park with plenty of opportunity for rock climbing, strolling, running, picture taking, strenuous and family friendly hiking, and more.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
I didn't forget about you.
I am currently working on a video. It takes absurd amounts of energy and patience with staring at a computer screen. Who doesn't love listening to the same background song over and over and over again?
I am also working on getting my s*** together. Moving from Colorado Springs in two days. Life moves fast.
Not sharing much brilliance with you tonight, but know that I am out in the world, dreaming of my Biggest Baddest Bucket List.
Monday, March 18, 2013
A Letter to Ben Southall
Dear Ben,
I know you're not a priest, but it's okay, because I'm not really a Catholic. I have a confession. I invite you to my present moment. It is 11:27pm. I am in a jail. My body is tired. I need to post this before the clock strikes 12:01am. I have posted every day. I spent the workday chipping ponderosa pine tree piles of brush in order to mitigate wildfire risk. Wildfire season in the U.S. west is a big threat to many homes and hundreds of thousands of acres of forest lands. My confession is that I fear I have not made enough noise.
How did you win 'Best Job In The World'? I fear I have not had enough time to demonstrate my passion for winning this contest. To be considered a part of the top ten and flown to the UK - it would be the start of a travel dream I never imagined to be affordable and within my means. I didn't grow up in a home where traveling was a part of the norm... but dreaming was. I dream of winning this and with 13 days left, I fear I have not done enough.
My time has been spent honoring the commitment to community service that I made. Who will ever see this post? Without the right level of networking and attention, what good are my words? My hopes? How do I make demonstration of it?!
I should really like to go out for tea with you. We can stand beside eachother and pose for a photo with our thumbs up.
In all your life, what did you ever want most for yourself? What drove you to depths of unimaginable thirst and hope and passion? What do your days consist of now? Was your contest the inspiration for this contest by MyDestination and its partners? What is the best job in the world?
I have spent too much time looking at entries tonight. Veronique Morrisette has a great commentary feed on her YouTube video. It gave me the names of all the people w/ biggest numbers of votes... people to keep an eye on. I kept thinking how massive their numbers were... and yet how small compared to the presidential elections and American Idol...
With what seems like so few days left, I am starting to feel desperation grow inside me. I tug at the attention spans of those responsible for allowing me a shot at this beautiful opportunity. Please pick me. Please and thank you,
and thank you for hearing my confession.
I suspect you are a good man.
Good Night & Good Luck,
Samantha
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Tired
So tired.
2 full days of volunteering with the library, the zoo, and the nima (mental health alliance).
Tired. But ready to dream.
How can I make this contest my reality????????????!!!!
2 full days of volunteering with the library, the zoo, and the nima (mental health alliance).
Tired. But ready to dream.
How can I make this contest my reality????????????!!!!
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Couchsurfing
Couchsurfing has enabled me to travel all over the country and stay with locals, who have an invaluable and vast amount to contribute to the trip. In my experience, I've always been well fed and treated with great respect and hospitality.
I stayed in Asheville, NC with a retired couple of professors named David and Deanne. They had the sweetest dog, Alarka! They housed me in their guest bedroom for a whole month after I got our of college! It is a time in my life that I will always be grateful for -
I stayed in NYC with a great couple of roommates, Cori and... Greg, I think. Their apartment was so cool! The shower head lit up. I felt right at home and the vibe there was so cool, as were the people.
I stayed in Sacramento with a guy named Billy. He not only picked me up from the airport, but he took me to my first dim sum and San Francisco.
I stayed in Dillion, CO with a great guy and all his friends that worked at the nearby ski resort. I felt like part of the family and was fed incredibly well. Additionally, I was connected with 1/2 price rentals and free beer. Win! Such good people.
Here in Colorado Springs, I became acquainted with the wonderful Nicole. Not only did she help me escape from my team's assigned housing, but she fed me well and kept me laughing. Couchsurfing is more than a place to crash; you get tour guides, friendships, food experiences, and life stories.
Traveling with locals is the way to go.
I stayed in Asheville, NC with a retired couple of professors named David and Deanne. They had the sweetest dog, Alarka! They housed me in their guest bedroom for a whole month after I got our of college! It is a time in my life that I will always be grateful for -
I stayed in NYC with a great couple of roommates, Cori and... Greg, I think. Their apartment was so cool! The shower head lit up. I felt right at home and the vibe there was so cool, as were the people.
I stayed in Sacramento with a guy named Billy. He not only picked me up from the airport, but he took me to my first dim sum and San Francisco.
I stayed in Dillion, CO with a great guy and all his friends that worked at the nearby ski resort. I felt like part of the family and was fed incredibly well. Additionally, I was connected with 1/2 price rentals and free beer. Win! Such good people.
Here in Colorado Springs, I became acquainted with the wonderful Nicole. Not only did she help me escape from my team's assigned housing, but she fed me well and kept me laughing. Couchsurfing is more than a place to crash; you get tour guides, friendships, food experiences, and life stories.
Traveling with locals is the way to go.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Next Up
My next Americorps assignment is in! While I wait to hear about the BBB, Arkansas (USA) calls. I'll be working in Daisy and White Oak state parks.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Our Talents
We are all of us talented. But not all of us spend time with it. Had a beautiful workday today. Chelsea, my teammate, drew in this journal on our way to a fire call.
"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." - Jim Rohn
Trying to stay focused. I want this contest so bad. Suggestions?
"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." - Jim Rohn
Trying to stay focused. I want this contest so bad. Suggestions?
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
A Word From Our Sponsors
"Hey there BBB’ers!
A very happy Wednesday (or Thursday) to you, wherever you may be in the world!
A few little things….
Firstly, we just want to say a HUGE THANK YOU for entering the Biggest, Baddest Bucket List competition. It’s been a joy for us all at My D Headquarters to watch so many beautifully shot videos, exploring a variety of destinations with some top-notch local tips thrown in. We’ve also received enough quality blog posts to form a wanderlust-inducing travel book that even National Geographic would be proud of (if only we had a book deal…).
Well done to each and every one of you!
We’re reaching the final sprint now and there’s 2 weeks to go until the entry deadline closes on March 31st - plenty of time to get those votes in! Don’t forget, the Top 10 Finalists being brought to the UK will be made up of 5 ‘most socially noisy’ and 5 My Destination staff picks, so a few extra votes couldn’t hurt…but they are not everything!
Secondly, we have a question to ask you.
Did you shoot your entry video with a GoPro or were any of your 3 travel photos taken with a GoPro camera? GoPro want to check out any entrants that have used their technology to show off their destination, and you never know…they may even give your entry a little tweet. (If you shot or used a GoPro for your entry, this in no way puts your entry at an advantage.)
If you could let us know by dropping me a quick email back, I’d really appreciate it!
Also, just for a bit of fun, have a giggle with us this morning:
Have you checked out our Royal Family Harlem Shake yet? It’s at almost 300K views and counting! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wchUjVEbuPA
PLUS, it looks like you might have some rather Royal rivals for #MyBBB! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKJo7EX7fl0
Have a great day!
Anna and the My Destination Team"
A very happy Wednesday (or Thursday) to you, wherever you may be in the world!
A few little things….
Firstly, we just want to say a HUGE THANK YOU for entering the Biggest, Baddest Bucket List competition. It’s been a joy for us all at My D Headquarters to watch so many beautifully shot videos, exploring a variety of destinations with some top-notch local tips thrown in. We’ve also received enough quality blog posts to form a wanderlust-inducing travel book that even National Geographic would be proud of (if only we had a book deal…).
Well done to each and every one of you!
We’re reaching the final sprint now and there’s 2 weeks to go until the entry deadline closes on March 31st - plenty of time to get those votes in! Don’t forget, the Top 10 Finalists being brought to the UK will be made up of 5 ‘most socially noisy’ and 5 My Destination staff picks, so a few extra votes couldn’t hurt…but they are not everything!
Secondly, we have a question to ask you.
Did you shoot your entry video with a GoPro or were any of your 3 travel photos taken with a GoPro camera? GoPro want to check out any entrants that have used their technology to show off their destination, and you never know…they may even give your entry a little tweet. (If you shot or used a GoPro for your entry, this in no way puts your entry at an advantage.)
If you could let us know by dropping me a quick email back, I’d really appreciate it!
Also, just for a bit of fun, have a giggle with us this morning:
Have you checked out our Royal Family Harlem Shake yet? It’s at almost 300K views and counting! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wchUjVEbuPA
PLUS, it looks like you might have some rather Royal rivals for #MyBBB! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKJo7EX7fl0
Have a great day!
Anna and the My Destination Team"
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
19 Days, 19 Years, 19 Reasons
(*Unforeseen miracle withheld from my calculations...) I am not going to have top 5 most votes. I suspect that much based on my 57 votes and the number of entrants. I've seen folks with votes in the thousands...which makes me think my energies might be best spent groveling to the MyDestination folks. My dignity be damned! This is the opportunity of a lifetime.
Ideas?
Ok. So my video submission had a couple weak spots where the voice over was clipped. It could have been more captivating with video and photography of Colorado Springs, maybe even included music and been a little more relaxed for the viewer to watch - instead of trying to rush through a tour of incredible Colorado Springs in 2:59 minutes. But not too shabby for an iPhone, an inexperienced YouTuber, and a determined-ready-to-learn-young-woman with an organized, artsy perspective.
The blog post would have been better spaced, but was an edited rendition of an earlier post and the edited edition didn't have my final formatting touch.
Yes sir, no sir, no excuse sir.
I could have hunted down better photos from my summer in the backcountry than the disposable camera ones that I chose to accompany my blog post.
And yet, I am proud of my entry. Could it use improvement? Of course, most things can. Nevertheless, I hope it speaks of my desire to win a shot at this BBB opportunity.
Ah, what the hell. Please vote for me! Even if those numbers are discouraging. Just view my profile on the mydestination BBB contest website and share my profile. Add in the number of hits on this blog... And really, I'm not doing so bad.
19 days left until entries close. That's the same number as years I've been alive. To honor that, here's 19 reasons to pick me:
1) I love traveling (... but until this opportunity, have always faced the obstacle of financing my adventurous spirit)
2) I travel with an open mind
3) I love writing and have years of experience... Fun fact: I was published for the first time when I was in the fourth grade and won a statewide literary magazine contest for my age group.
4) I would represent MyDestination and it's partners in a professional, personable way
5) Enraptured by and experienced with photography
6) I have great potential and desire for achieving video making genius
7) The world fascinates me
8) My English-speaking is impeccable, my Spanish decent but rusty, and my willingness to push comfort zones great
9) If parented by my daydreams and MyDestination genius, my biggest baddest bucket list has the potential to be the greatest travel prodigy child-list-thing ever created (#SemiConfusingMetaphors)
10) $50,000 to help fund my institutionalized tertiary education, yes please! For this girl would spend her prize money well.
11) I've been carefully considering my choice of destinations, so if you pick this girl you won't be starting from scratch when it comes time to sit down to the drawing board. Your advice on eating up some food for thought has been taken. Translation? I've checked out the MyDestination website and travel blog, in addition to staying tuned for Facebook and twitter shares.
12) I will work hard as video and blog postess, honoring all commitments
13) I'm a good person
14) I am always open to feedback and invite constructive criticism
15) My family and friends are supportive
16) I have the time & enthusiasm
17) Gratitude ready, stored in great abundance
18) Love talking to and engaging with strangers (though always careful to maintain safety conscience)
19) I, Samantha Mairson, would recognize winning this contest for the opportunity of a lifetime that it is, and make the most of it.
Ideas?
Ok. So my video submission had a couple weak spots where the voice over was clipped. It could have been more captivating with video and photography of Colorado Springs, maybe even included music and been a little more relaxed for the viewer to watch - instead of trying to rush through a tour of incredible Colorado Springs in 2:59 minutes. But not too shabby for an iPhone, an inexperienced YouTuber, and a determined-ready-to-learn-young-woman with an organized, artsy perspective.
The blog post would have been better spaced, but was an edited rendition of an earlier post and the edited edition didn't have my final formatting touch.
Yes sir, no sir, no excuse sir.
I could have hunted down better photos from my summer in the backcountry than the disposable camera ones that I chose to accompany my blog post.
And yet, I am proud of my entry. Could it use improvement? Of course, most things can. Nevertheless, I hope it speaks of my desire to win a shot at this BBB opportunity.
Ah, what the hell. Please vote for me! Even if those numbers are discouraging. Just view my profile on the mydestination BBB contest website and share my profile. Add in the number of hits on this blog... And really, I'm not doing so bad.
19 days left until entries close. That's the same number as years I've been alive. To honor that, here's 19 reasons to pick me:
1) I love traveling (... but until this opportunity, have always faced the obstacle of financing my adventurous spirit)
2) I travel with an open mind
3) I love writing and have years of experience... Fun fact: I was published for the first time when I was in the fourth grade and won a statewide literary magazine contest for my age group.
4) I would represent MyDestination and it's partners in a professional, personable way
5) Enraptured by and experienced with photography
6) I have great potential and desire for achieving video making genius
7) The world fascinates me
8) My English-speaking is impeccable, my Spanish decent but rusty, and my willingness to push comfort zones great
9) If parented by my daydreams and MyDestination genius, my biggest baddest bucket list has the potential to be the greatest travel prodigy child-list-thing ever created (#SemiConfusingMetaphors)
10) $50,000 to help fund my institutionalized tertiary education, yes please! For this girl would spend her prize money well.
11) I've been carefully considering my choice of destinations, so if you pick this girl you won't be starting from scratch when it comes time to sit down to the drawing board. Your advice on eating up some food for thought has been taken. Translation? I've checked out the MyDestination website and travel blog, in addition to staying tuned for Facebook and twitter shares.
12) I will work hard as video and blog postess, honoring all commitments
13) I'm a good person
14) I am always open to feedback and invite constructive criticism
15) My family and friends are supportive
16) I have the time & enthusiasm
17) Gratitude ready, stored in great abundance
18) Love talking to and engaging with strangers (though always careful to maintain safety conscience)
19) I, Samantha Mairson, would recognize winning this contest for the opportunity of a lifetime that it is, and make the most of it.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Image of an Exhausted Dreamer
Whose wallet was stolen,
Whose dream was not.
An interesting night to dream of grand prizes.
Whose dream was not.
An interesting night to dream of grand prizes.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Ski Weekend Adventure
A break in the efficient blogging - because I am on a ski weekend getaway in Dillon, CO (where the slopes are incredible, unlike any skiing I've done before). I will write and reflect on my bucket list dreams in detail ASAP, which will be Monday when I return to Colorado Springs. Maybe I will also throw in a post about Dillon, CO and these magical western slopes.
Living it up! Video to be posted soon.
Living it up! Video to be posted soon.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
My Fellow Contestants: Study 1
I've taken the time to scope out the competition. After viewing two pages worth of profiles, I'm pooped. It's like internet dating for travelers. (Being single is a bit less exhausting...)
But I've gotten to meet some cool people!
I've gotten to check out some cool videos and blogposts.
I've gotten introductions to some cool destinations!
As of the entries uploaded today (26 days left to enter / vote for me), I studied the entries of 20 different people from all over the globe. Some video entries kept me interested for a full 3+ minutes, but disappointed me with bad grammar blogposts or lackluster photos. I found myself continually re-considering what parts of my entry could use attention-grabbing and attention-retaining improvement. I took notes on what qualities and styles made for an interesting video and I paid attention to the number of votes each entrant had thusfar accrued. For this small sample of entrants, I think the highest numbers I saw were in the low 400s.
Sample of how my brain judged & later recalled those judgments:
Here were some of my favorites, in categories that I decided before embarking on my study:
Favorite Videos
http://www.mydestination.com/users/raphablueberry/bbb#tab
Favorite Blogpost / Photos / Profiles
http://www.mydestination.com/users/kingcharles/bbb#tab (made me laugh)
W/ Noteworthy # of Votes
-
Favorite Overall Top Competitor
-
Will be checking back in on my fellow contestants soon...
until then, time to sleep! This picking a winner is tiring business. Perhaps next time I'll employ a numerical ranking scale. Yes, yes I like that idea. Stay tuned!
PS. If you find yourself wandering around on the contest site, please help me check out the competition and comment back here with links to profiles that you think I should pay attention to. I had a family member send a link to me of a video that "made her cry". It's an incredible opportunity to learn from my peers, so please don't be shy. Thanks in advance!
But I've gotten to meet some cool people!
I've gotten to check out some cool videos and blogposts.
I've gotten introductions to some cool destinations!
As of the entries uploaded today (26 days left to enter / vote for me), I studied the entries of 20 different people from all over the globe. Some video entries kept me interested for a full 3+ minutes, but disappointed me with bad grammar blogposts or lackluster photos. I found myself continually re-considering what parts of my entry could use attention-grabbing and attention-retaining improvement. I took notes on what qualities and styles made for an interesting video and I paid attention to the number of votes each entrant had thusfar accrued. For this small sample of entrants, I think the highest numbers I saw were in the low 400s.
Sample of how my brain judged & later recalled those judgments:
Here were some of my favorites, in categories that I decided before embarking on my study:
Favorite Videos
http://www.mydestination.com/users/raphablueberry/bbb#tab
Favorite Blogpost / Photos / Profiles
http://www.mydestination.com/users/kingcharles/bbb#tab (made me laugh)
W/ Noteworthy # of Votes
-
Favorite Overall Top Competitor
-
Will be checking back in on my fellow contestants soon...
until then, time to sleep! This picking a winner is tiring business. Perhaps next time I'll employ a numerical ranking scale. Yes, yes I like that idea. Stay tuned!
PS. If you find yourself wandering around on the contest site, please help me check out the competition and comment back here with links to profiles that you think I should pay attention to. I had a family member send a link to me of a video that "made her cry". It's an incredible opportunity to learn from my peers, so please don't be shy. Thanks in advance!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Foundation For My Biggest Baddest Bucket List
The material for this post must be largely credited to the Flavorwire post that inspired the foundation of my Biggest Baddest Bucket list (BBB). This is Flavorwire's list of the world's 25 most beautiful libraries. This takes us around the globe, getting us to spots where we can dig in and get immersed in local/cultural experiences galore. Big thanks to the Flavorwire folks for compiling a list of the best of the best. To me, libraries are the greatest institutions in the world. They are storage lockers for knowledge and history, they have the potential to architecturally inspire and wow, they bring communities together, and more often than not, make knowledge accessible to anyone and everyone - regardless of who they are.
I want to be a librarian. I want to ignite my passion for librarianship, quench my thirst for writing & traveling, and expand my horizons by seeing & experiencing some of the world's best libraries.
From the locations of these libraries, I will be working to develop my BBB and all's it's beautiful intricacies. I will try to incorporate components of my high school bucket list as well.
Stay tuned and stay curious! Check out the list below. Then please take a moment & vote for me by sharing my profile.
Vennesla Library and Culture House, designed by Helen & Hard, Vennesla, Norway [via]
Central Public Library, Vancouver, Canada [via]
Kanazawa Umimirai Library, Kanazawa City, Japan [via]
The Royal Danish Library (the Black Diamond), designed by Schmidt, Hammer & Lassen, Copenhagen, Denmark [via]
The Peckham Library, designed by William Alsop and Jan Störmer, South London [via]
Stuttgart City Library, Stuttgart, Germany [via]
Central Library, designed by Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prince-Ramus of OMA/LMN, Seattle [via]
Sendai Mediatheque, designed by Toyo Ito, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan [via]
Angelica Library, Rome, Italy [via]
National Library, Belarus [via]
Library of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt [via]
Rijksmuseum Research Library, Amsterdam [via]
National Library, Site Richelieu, Paris, France [via]
New York Public Library, New York City [via]
Villanueva Public Library, Villanueva, Colombia [via]
The Media Library and Cultural Centre, designed by Barbotin + Gresham Architects, Lisses, France [via]
Connemara Public Library Chennai, Chennai, India [via]
The Los Angeles Central Library in Los Angeles, California [via]
José Vasconcelos Library in México City, Mexico [via]
Stockholm Public Library [via]
Old Market Library, Min Buri, Bangkok [via]
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