Weekly Geek Outs - 02/05/16

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Flash and Supergirl Crossover

I am super excited for the recently announced crossover episode of The Flash and Supergirl to finally happen! Ever since Supergirl premiered, fans have been hoping for this to happen, and the creators of the shows have been playing coy for a while about it, but we got the official announcement on Wednesday that the episode of Supergirl featuring Grant Gustin's Flash will air sometime in March. It's so soon! I'm assuming they'll utilize the multi-verse premise to easily segue into the crossover without having to do much narrative legwork. These are two solidly entertaining heroes that will be a lot of fun when they team up. I need to watch more Supergirl to prepare!

• Maine Craft Beer & Growlers

Something I've really enjoyed about living in Maine has been all of the fine local, craft beer there is to enjoy. I've been getting into bringing home my own growlers of beer since it is a bit more sustainable and cost effective to do so, and especially for the beer that I can't buy in a store. Some of my favorites around here are Orono Brewing Company, Black Bear Microbrew, and Baxter Brewing Company. There are so many more good ones, but I encourage anyone to check out if they have any cool local breweries in their area. Support local business and enjoy some uniquely tasty beer at the same time!

• Fitness Trackers

My partner and I have been researching different fitness trackers, like FitBit and Pacer. We have settled on getting an actual physical tracker of some sort, with most of our friends recommending FitBit (in addition to the plethora of mostly positive reviews on Amazon). It's been tough though to figure out exactly which brand to choose and which version of which brand's fitness band to get, especially since I have never had one before and they are just enough money I feel like that I want to make sure I get something I like. I'm hoping to settle on one soon with my partner, so that we can share the same technology and work together toward our wellness goals!

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 07/31/15

Greetings!

Here's what was going on in my world this week:

• Ex Machina

I rented this movie from Redbox the other day and it was certainly worth it. I had heard a lot of good buzz from its initial release but just never got around to watching. Once I saw it available to rent, I put it on my list. It is a haunting, intriguing, original, disturbing, and entertaining sci-fi thriller that confronts the realities of artificial intelligence and human hubris. I really enjoyed the movie and it is definitely worth checking out for any sci-fi fans out there. It is easily the Snowpiercer of this year for me.

• Twitter

There has been some interesting news lately about Twitter, it's revenues, possible changes, and overall the future of the site in the social media landscape. They have already made changes that make it feel more like Facebook, and it only seems to be wanting to go more in that direction if all goes according to the recent rumors. I love Twitter, and I don't think it needs to alter the core of the site too much. It has been my more preferred social media site for the past couple of years, and I hope it continues to be that way.

• Live Maine

I happened upon this cool lifestyle company recently and ordered a few goodies from it. They have shirts, stickers, hats, and pint glasses with cool Maine logos on them. As someone who was born here, it always will have a soft spot in my heart, and getting stuff from local companies like this to represent my home state makes me happy. Buy local, people!

Thanks for stopping by!

What I Was Geeking Out About This Week - 05/29/15

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Vacation

I took some time off last week since my first year as a professional was complete and it was my 26th birthday, so the timing felt right to get away and relax. I went down to Delaware and New Jersey to see my brother, some friends, and meet more of my partner's family that lives around there. It was a lot of fun, I ate a bunch of great food from the area that I miss (bagels, pizza, diners, etc.) and was able to unplug (mostly). I didn't blog much while I was away and just kept tabs on my email. It was nice to have quality time with my partner before she left for her internship in Boston and to just be out of the office. I'm taking another trip next month to Chicago to see a friend and then I'm sure July will have something fun in it as well, keeping my trend of a trip a month this year.

• Work

I'm back to the office this week and it's already jarring having the students gone, especially after the whirlwind of closing and my trip. It's too quiet but thankfully the summer (as it always is in student affairs) is a time to plan and prepare for the upcoming academic year. I have a lot of little projects in my queue (including some personal ones) so I'm stoked to get working on them and make next year even more successful. I feel pretty good about how last year went (more on that in a separate post) but there are always ways to improve our systems and procedures (here at my institution especially). Stay tuned for more reflections on how my first year as a professional went.

• Summer

So I've already talked a lot about summer goings on, but I am pleased to have gotten to this point. The weather has warmed up, the sun is out, I have time to spare for things I care about and some of the positive feelings that were missing during this long, hard winter have dissipated, leaving behind optimism and eagerness for the potential of this summer season. I want to get better about working out, see more of the nature here in Maine as well as some of the institutions here in my home state. I'll let you know how it actually goes, since I'm sure I won't get to everything but that I'll have some salient thoughts from what I do get to.

Thanks for stopping by!

Figuring Out What is Truly Important

* This posted was originally featured on The Student Affairs Collective.

My decision to move to Maine last year to continue being close to my partner was a simple one, but it has had major implications for our lives together. 

I've talked about my job search story before, so I won't go to much into that part of my journey. The choice to move up to my home state and be close to my partner was an intentional one on my part. I picked up and moved (after having also moved a short distance for graduate school just two years before) leaving behind a lot of things I enjoyed about being in the Mid-Atlantic region. Delaware was where I grew up and could envision my self settling down in the future. Nevertheless, I couldn't see myself being happy being far away from my partner (someone I see myself spending the rest of my life with). I wanted to be able to help her feel supported in a stressful time in her life as she began graduate school. It was also a nice chance to live in my home state for the first time (I've visited often but never lived here) and be closer to my extended family than I've ever been before.

My decision making during my own anxiety ridden job search felt easier when I gave serious thought to what I truly wanted and what was important to me. My relationship trumped all other things since even if everything else was going wrong, I'd have my partner to support me and spend time with. While there are times we both wish we were back in New Jersey, we're glad to be here in Maine together exploring a new area and meeting new people. We've been able to spend a lot quality time together and become closer than ever before. Our relationship would have been strained if we ended up hours apart and I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to support her and continued to strengthen our bond.

As we all move forward in our lives and careers, I encourage you all to give mindful consideration to what you really want. Family, region, significant others, functional area, or any other reasons are all valid as long as they're your own reasons, not someone else's or what you think you're "supposed" to be doing. Do what you want and do whatever is best for you. I did, and I would never have chosen differently.

Movie Review Monday: Burt's Buzz

Welcome to another awesome edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's movie is the 2013 documentary Burt's Buzz.

The film examines the life of Burt Shavitz, the interesting and unique man behind the popular Burt's Bees brand and his estranged relationship with the company that shares his name.

I felt compelled to check out this movie since it has a Maine connection (where Burt resides now) and I've used a handful of different Burt's Bees products over the years. I was curious how the person synonymous with this brand could have such a dysfunctional connection with it in reality.

The essence of the film is just a snapshot of Burt's life currently, and how he got to be there. His relationships with the Burt's Bees company, which is a global corporation, became strained after Burt felt at odds with this rapid expansion, which was pushed by his partner at the time. He left the company but still positively represents the brand at public engagements. This creates an awkward balance since he doesn't like what the company has become but he still supports it since it is still his namesake.

I liked this movie and Burt's message of simplicity. He lives a humble life but could have easily had much more. He was a wayward soul his whole life who did whatever he wanted to do however he wanted to do it. He lives on his own terms and keeps a minimalist, natural life which I can appreciate in an age where many people have too much, love too little, and are always looking for what they don't have and (think) they want/need.

Check out Burt's Buzz, streaming right now on Netflix!

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 09/12/14

Here's to another week in geek!

This week's stuff is all local places and events I've been enjoying lately. I share these in an effort to encourage you all to get out and shop local! I'm sure there is more cool stuff going on than you know in your cities and towns and awesome stores to support with people who live in your community!

• Bangor Greendrinks

If you read my previous post about some life updates, you saw a picture from a fun event here in town called Bangor Greendrinks. As the name implies, it is a monthly community gathering for folks to have a drink and share their love of sustainability in all its forms. The events are held at different local establishments and have different local breweries supply the beer as well as a different local shop donate food for the event. It's an awesome community effort that I plan on going to every month. I've already met some cool people out at the gatherings and I look forward to meeting many more!

• Bull Moose

I usually buy all my movies and games from Amazon these days but I recently was introduced to a super cool local store called Bull Moose. It's a local chain that sells new and pre-owned movies, books, games, and music (including vinyl). The games are everything from NES to Xbox One and they have comic books, all sorts of movies, and lots of other cool stuff. I have really appreciated their customer service and their prices are very competitive. Even if I'm paying a little bit more, I've enjoyed the personal touch and the opportunity to shop local for all my geeky media needs.

• The Juice Cellar

These cool cats were at the most recent Greendrinks event and had some delicious samples of their all-natural, locally sourced juices and smoothies. I got to chat with the owner and founder at the event too, which was awesome, and I am really looking forward to their opening of their second location in downtown Bangor. I also thought it is super cool that they're doing an IndieGogo campaign to help launch this new endeavor, which is great marketing and helps have great community buy-in from the start. Yay for local healthy food stuffs!

Thanks for stopping by!

Some Brief Life Updates!

Hey there, everybody!

It's been a little over two months since I got up here to Maine for my new full-time position so I thought since I have a bit of down time after training and opening, I'd share some thoughts and feelings from the experience so far.

My first month here was pretty hard for me personally. I wrote previously about some of the professional struggles I had, and they only compounded some of the feelings of loneliness and adjustment struggles to being in a new, very different area from where I was before. It was a bit of a culture shock not really knowing what to expect going from central New Jersey to central Maine. I've never lived in Maine so the rural aspect to the area was a bit jarring at first. I should have known what I was in for from my visits throughout my life but alas, it nevertheless was a bit of a rocky landing. Thankfully, after the first few weeks of finding my way around and figuring out my own rhythm in this strange land, I began to feel better. The people were welcoming, the cool local places were a lot of fun and I got to see a whole other side to my home state I've never seen before.

So, as month two began, I was in much of a flow than I was before. I had some routine and a supportive community of friends and colleagues beginning to develop. Then training and opening happened. It was rough for me as it always is. It was especially tough since I am new to this institution and put a lot of pressure on myself to know all the answers and be able to do everything for my students but I couldn't. There are many other frustrations I've had over the entire two months but that my be a post for another time.

I look forward to the beginning of a new academic year that is full of learning experiences for me. I'm in a state I've never lived in before, at a small private university (unlike the two, large, public universities I came from before), working with new people in an albeit familiar way but in a totally different context. It is rough at times but I know I'll be a better professional at the end of it all.

I never want to just play it safe any more, I've had plenty of that. I look forward to more adventures this year and beyond as I look to grow and learn as a person and a professional. I'm ready to get out into the world and make a difference for my students this year.

I'll keep blogging periodically as cool things happen and I have something to say, so stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by!

What I Was Geeking Out About: July 2014

Hello, good people!

Here is what I was geeking about during the magnificent month of July!

• Week of 07/04
• Week of 07/11
• Week of 07/18
• Week of 07/25

Keep up with all of my geek outs every Friday! There will always be something new to discover, fun to follow, and you'll know what's going on with my life all in one spot.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 07/25/14

Hello fellow geeks and nerds!

Happy San Diego Comic-Con! Here is what I'm geeking out about lately:

• Guardians of the Galaxy

I have shared my love of this movie before but I am getting more and more excited for it. I've heard a lot of good, positive buzz ahead of the release and all the footage from the movie looks great. It's an ambitious move for Marvel but I think it's going to pay off, and open up the entire intergalactic aspect of the Marvel Universe. Now all we have to do is get that Doctor Strange movie rolling, with its magical elements and we'll have most of the rich Marvel Comics tapestry covered in the Cinematic Universe. Click above for an awesome recent trailer for GotG. Be on the lookout for my thoughts on the movie in the near future!

• Bangor, Maine

I've been living in Maine, and more specifically Bangor, for almost a month now and it has been fun to explore a new place. I liken the area to when I lived in Delaware for most of my life, so it feels familiar and new at the same time. I look forward to continuing to explore, network, and settle in here. I feel like I can get used to this place since I'd like to stay for at least two years. Stay tuned for more tales of my adventures in Maine!

• 2014 San Diego Comic-Con!

This weekend is the geek mecca of San Diego Comic-Con. There has been some neat nuggets from the convention already but the meat of the awesome news is yet to come. I always enjoy what comes out of this amazing event, and having checked out New York Comic-Con last year before I moved, I feel like I know first-hand the magic of these conventions. I look forward to going to more Comic-Cons in the future!

Thanks for stopping by and keep on geeking on!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 07/11/14

Hey there!

Thanks for coming by! Here is what I'm geeking out about this busy week:

• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

If you follow my blog, you know I'm excited for this movie. I've posted about it multiple times (here and here, at least). It has (as of the posting of this) a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and the 3D is apparently amazing as well. I'm going to go see it tomorrow some time and I'll be sure to share my thoughts with you all. You should see it too so you can share in the awesomeness that will be this movie!

• Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

A friend of mine up here in Maine (hooray for making friends!) invited me out to go see the original Body Snatchers movie out on a big screen at a park in town. I haven't seen this movie in a long time and it's a great sci-fi classic that has been remade multiple times. I think this will be a fun way to watch the movie, out with other sci-fi fans, outside on a beautiful night. I'm really looking forward to it!

• Trivia

Something else I've gotten into since I got up to Maine with some of my coworkers is going to a local trivia night again. I went a ton when I was back in Delaware a few years ago and really enjoyed it. I am determined to win a night while I'm here just as I eventually did in Delaware, even if it takes me a year!

***So, a quick aside here. I'm working my full-time job now and I am going to keep hustling to keep a regular flow of content to you all. I always enjoy getting likes, comments, and feedback so any support you can give to keep me inspired as I'm figuring out a new life routine is very much appreciated. Every single one of you who comes to this site is special to me so I would love to hear from you.

All the best and thanks for stopping by,

- Dustin