2015 Year in Review

My life in 2015 went in some very cool directions, some planned, others were happy surprises. 2015 was the second full calendar year of this blog (started in April 2013) that had my first guest contributors, my first eBook, and just continued to grow the audience of the blog as a whole. I had over 10K views in 2015, which is fantastic as a milestone itself, but also a sizable growth from the year prior. I also hit 1K followers on Twitter, which was a nice milestone to celebrate for myself as I work to continue to grow the audience for this blog and the podcast (which had an awesome year too!). I look forward to continuing to improve the blog (like the recent layout redesign) and bring some new folks in to help with some of the stuff I can't do as well as they could, like graphics and writing about different things.

2015 had some cool things happen for me personally too. I did some adulting like starting a retirement account (!). I also traveled to a bunch of cool places I had never been before for both work and pleasure. I went to Tampa for ACPA 2015, which I presented at with my fantastic colleague, Krista Klein, which was really cool. I also visited my friend in Chicago over the summer as well as seeing Boston when my partner was interning in the area. I lastly had the trip of a lifetime for me going to San Diego Comic Con for the full experience, which was a dream come true. I took a bunch of photos and I will cherish the memories I made on these trips. I look forward to continuing the momentum I've had for the past few years of traveling to new places for various reasons. It's always a lot of fun!

2016 is looking to be a big year for me. My partner will finish up school, we'll both be getting new jobs and moving to a new area together after that (at the latest), and my brother is going to be getting married, just to name a few things. Hopefully there are more milestones to come for the blog, the podcast, and for me personally. I feel good about 2015 and what I accomplished and am looking forward to 2016!

Thanks to everyone who visited the site and helped sustain this effort. It means a lot and I appreciated all of your continued support!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 09/04/15

Greetings!

I haven't written a new post in a little while, but I'm happy to be back to the regular flow now after starting the new academic year!

So with that, here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Bob's Burgers

Almost by accident, I've pretty much caught up on this show through Netflix and Hulu. It's a silly show that is different than a lot of other comedies and is nice to just have on in the background while I do other stuff. I'm sure I won't keep up with the show week to week, but it will definitely be something I check out and watch a bunch of episodes at a time. I recommend checking it out for sure!

• Planning

I had some time over the summer to think about where I might want to take this blog (and honestly my life) in the next several months. I've done a lot for my own life in these past few weeks, through getting involved in some marketing work as well as looking into online courses to continue to grow and learn. I also have some great ideas for Higher Ed Geek and I'll need you to help make it happen. Stay tuned for more details!

• New Jersey & New York!

I've been wanting to get back down to the NJ/NY area again since I left the last time I was there back in May. I'll be spending a few days with my lovely partner in the area next month when we both have fall break. I just booked our flight down there so I look forward to seeing some old friends and checking out the old haunts too! Let me know if you want to connect if you're in the area.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I Was Geeking Out About: July 2015

Hey there! Here's what was going on in my world last month:

Every Friday, I share what's on my mind from the past week. There was so much to geek out about last month, and to help you sift through it all, here's my monthly wrap up of all the stuff that was going on in July (this was another odd month with a lot of travel and stuff going on, please forgive me!):

• Week of 07/03/15
• Week of 07/24/15
• Week of 07/31/15

Thanks for stopping by!

What I Was Geeking Out About: June 2015

Hey there! Here's what was going on in my world last month:

Every Friday, I share what's on my mind from the past week. There was so much to awesome stuff to geek out about last month, and to help you sift through it all, here's my monthly wrap up of all the stuff that was going on in June:

• Week of 06/05/15
• Week of 06/19/15
• Week of 06/26/15

Thanks for stopping by!

Some Final Thoughts on San Diego Comic Con

San Diego Comic Con is the pinnacle of geek culture. Pretty much everything you can think of in the entertainment world is somehow represented there. From Power Rangers to Galactus to Buffy to Peanuts and Charlie Brown, and everything in between. It's a great melting pot of fandom, with people coming from all over the world to take part, but there are some elements that were distressing to me as a newcomer, much like with national student affairs conventions.

The Verge did a great piece that gave voice to some of my concerns, and The New York Times highlighted well the convention experience as a whole. The long lines, the shallow industry showcases disguised as fan service, the overwhelming crowds, and the exclusive, fairly expensive nature (especially with airfare, meals, and hotels) of it all just seemed very privileged to me. The convention lost some of its immediate luster to me after spending a few days there. Maybe I just didn't do it right, but I didn't feel like the point of it all was to spend half of your hard fought ticket to SDCC waiting in lines for a short session that essentially was just a studio patting itself on the back for how great their thing is (and then the trailer you saw being released the next day online). There was a lack of depth that annoyed me to most of the proceedings. There was so much going on it's not surprising. There just wasn't a time or place for it.

Maybe the whole event has become a bloated version of what it was originally intended to be and it will eventually deflate back to a more focused event. Or maybe that is what the other conventions are for. Nowadays though, a lot of comic conventions seem to be trying to model themselves after SDCC, becoming huge entertainment industry showcases versus a focus on panels, artists, and personal interactions. Also, it's a whole other post in itself about the problems SDCC has with consent and cosplay.

Don't get me wrong, I had a great time. It just feels like it could have been even better. Maybe if I get the chance to go again it will be different. Maybe I'm expecting too much or maybe it's all just not for me. The crowds were frustrating for me at times, I couldn't buy a lot of stuff even if I wanted to (I didn't that much), and I got confused many times about just how the convention worked. Maybe I should have done more homework and preparing.

Well, either way, until next year, here's to the memories and the weird, wild, and one of a kind San Diego Comic Con.

Highlights From #SDCC15

From July 9-12 I was at 2015 San Diego Comic Con (SDCC), which was my first time ever attending this mecca of sorts for geeks and nerds (and my first time ever in California). It was a whirlwind trip that had a lot of great highlights for me.

First off, the weather in San Diego was beautiful for the weekend I was there. The sun was out, it wasn't too hot, and overall it was just a great setting to be able to explore and experience the area. I did a lot of walking over the few days I was there, which wore me out a bit and gave me a solid sunburn towards the end of the trip.

On the first day of the trip (Thursday), I walked to the convention center to check in and just walked around the show floor and other off-site events to see everything and get a lay of the land. I eventually made my way to the San Diego Central Library for the panel I was helping to cover. This was definitely a huge highlight and it was what enabled me to come out in the first place so I'm really happy I was able to sit in and take a bunch of photos of the session.

After that panel, I crashed back at my room since I had to wake up early that day for my long flight from Boston. On Friday, I did more exploring, got tickets for a session, popped in for a panel, and then played the new Star Wars Battlefront game on the PlayStation 4. The Nerd HQ was demoing the game and it was incredible! I would contemplate getting a system to play this game it was that good. Then I went to the Nerdist Conival to see of their speakers (mainly Felicia Day). Both the Conival and Nerd HQ were free to anyone to come in, no SDCC badge was required. They both a lot of fun activities and it was nice that they were there as accessible options for fans to enjoy.

My favorite session that I got to go to was the Nerdist Podcast Network Podcast Jam (an unwieldy title to be sure) that featured Jonah Ray, Matt Mira, Pete Holmes, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily Gordon, and Sandra Daugherty. There was also a kid who does a podcast apparently on the network (The Mutant Season) that I had no idea who he was but it was sort of neat to hear from a young person and the impact doing a podcast has had on him. I had never seen all these people in person, much less all at the same time. It was hilarious! They provided some neat insights as well from their collective years podcasting. As a fan of the medium and an avid podcaster myself, it was definitely a major highlight of the whole con for me.

Saturday was spent checking out a local beach and dipping my feet in the Pacific Ocean (a life goal for me). I came back to SDCC later in the day to check out Adam Savage from MythBusters do a Q&A session as well as a session from the folks at Nerd for a Living about doing just that; how to get into nerdy creative fields like costume design, movie makeup and effects, comic writing/illustrating, etc. I have appreciated the work they do for a little while now so it was cool to be able to check this panel out.

After all that, I packed up and got to bed so I could head out the next morning for my flight back to the East Coast. It was an awesome trip and experience that I did not expect to have so soon in my life. I'll try to capture more of my in depth thoughts in a future post, but I just wanted to share some of the cool highlights from the trip with you all. If you haven't gone before, I hope you get the opportunity to do so at some point. It's an amazing experience to behold, and will definitely be memorable for you for your own awesomely geeky reasons.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 06/19/15

Howdy!

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

• Orange is the New Black, Season 3

I just finished this new season a few days ago (I promise not to spoil anything), and I was pleased with how it progressed. It wasn't great, but it was good and much better than a lot of other TV out there right now, I feel like. The slow burn character work is reminiscent of something like Mad Men or Breaking Bad, which I know isn't for everyone. I enjoy it (most of the time) but I found myself frustrated at times with the consistently dark viewpoint it had where nothing ever works out well. I also yearned for more coherent and deep back stories for the inmates. What they had was always great and I wanted more! I look forward to see where season 4 takes the story (and how long they can keep the show going).

• Chicago

My long awaited trip out to visit my friend out in Illinois is happening this weekend. I'm really excited to take another adventure out to someplace I've never been, especially because I'm seeing my friend who I haven't seen in about a year. We'll have a lot to catch up on and I know it will be an awesome weekend. I don't really know what to expect of Chicago as a city but it is always neat to see new areas of our country as well as new college campuses specifically (which I know we'll get around to a couple over the course of the weekend).

• 2015 San Diego Comic Con!

I recently confirmed everything for what is an amazing, unexpected opportunity to help support some awesome student affairs colleagues who are putting on a panel at San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) this year. They've been doing this session for 5 years now (they've also presented at ACPA) and it's a great connection between the worlds of student affairs and geekdom (sound familiar?). I'm happy to help cover their session, check out San Diego, and soak in all of the convention that I can. I'll also be getting some things off my "Before I'm 30" list, which include dipping my feet in the Pacific Ocean, and going to SDCC. Be sure to stay tuned here for coverage of the panel as well as my adventures out to San Diego next month! I'M SO EXCITED!!!

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!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 04/24/15

Hey there! Good to see you!

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

• #SAChat

I moderated this past week's daytime chat about designing your environment to support productivity and student success. I hadn't moderated a daytime chat in some time, and it is always a lot of fun seeing all the professionals engage on a topic and facilitating the conversation. I moderate the chats every once in a while but it is usually an odd evening chat, which isn't as lively (yet). While there was an interesting (and fair) discussion surrounding a post about the value of the chats and their lack of "discussion", I still think it is one of the best ways for student affairs folks to interact and learn from each other.

• Adulting Update

So I went to try to register my new car the other day and it was a frustrating bureaucratic nightmare. I ended up not being able to that day and needing to get more paperwork. It was not this hard to do the same thing in my home state of Delaware (obviously different beasts) but my main point is that this is one of the few things (so far) that I haven't enjoyed about my early adventures in adulthood. I wish things like this could be easier (and not as expensive) but alas, such is existing as a adult and doing the things you need to do.

• Travel

I booked my next travel trip recently; I'm going to fly out to Illinois to visit a good friend of mine from graduate school that I haven't seen since about the same time last year. I'll be going in late June for the weekend to see him, his campus, and Chicago (which I've never been to before). I'm excited that each month this year has had a different trip and stay, even if it is just for a weekend. I've been able to explore new areas, see old friends, and spend quality time with my partner. It's great and big change from my earlier years where I did no travel whatsoever. I'm grateful for the opportunity now to travel and I hope it continues to be the trend.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 04/10/15

Greetings and salutations!

Here's what is going on in my world lately:

• Transparent

I binge watched the first season of this show with my partner over this past weekend after hearing a lot about it not too long ago. It's the first breakaway Amazon Originals hit that has paved the way for some of their other shows to shine. The premise surrounds a family of adult siblings as their father begins to transition to being a woman late in his life. We learn about the three siblings and their relationships with their father, both as children and as adults. Everyone is a little self-centered, confused about who they are, broken, and ultimately looking for something they can't seem to find. I appreciated how raw and real the show felt. I look forward to seeing more of the show, which I hope is soon to come.

• Wisdom Teeth

So my partner recently had two of her wisdom teeth removed. I didn't really know what to expect with this, and I tried to do some research about it but I think it is just something that is a little different for everyone. I've been helping her recover from the surgery for the past few days and she has started to get back to normal. She's been having her fair share of pudding, Jell-O, ice cream, and mashed potatoes. I might have to get mine out sometime soon so this is helpful for me to prepare with. Also, it is experiences like this that make me appreciate being able to be here for her to help out with this recovery.

• Boston

My partner's birthday is next week so we've decided to go drive down to Boston for a long weekend getaway. I haven't been and I believe I've talked about going to Boston before but I'm really looking forward to it now as it has drawn closer and closer. We've started to make some reservations for restaurants, have our Air BnB booked and prepared, and are looking up other local attractions to check out (we'll be doing the Sam Adams brewery for sure, of course!). I appreciate having the opportunity to travel and see new places with my partner. It's nice to have the break and to get out of the bubble of the ordinary day-to-day. I'm sure I'll be processing the trip on here in two weeks after I get back (next week I'll be there so I'll share details the week afterwards).

Thanks for stopping by!