Lisa Carter

These four P’s best describe how my life has been these past few weeks. These months after graduation have been like a never-ending roller coaster, and this has been especially true since my last blog post.

I’ve been toying back and forth with the idea of staying in New York, going back home or exploring a new place (Because, trust me: After you get the taste of living in one place, even if it is New York, you want to see EVERYTHING), but it honestly all depends on where I get that first full-time job.

I’ve been exploring my options, applying to jobs all across the country and even devoting more time to my freelance gig with Business News Daily by leaving NearSay. I have no idea where I’m going to be in less than a month, which is terrifying, but so exciting, and that’s where patience comes in.

I’m not very good at being patient when it comes to jobs, only because I love working, and I’m ready to delve into making a difference in this industry. But I’m quickly learning that it takes a long time for employers to get back to you — if at all — and that the right opportunity does come along given time. This may all sound cliché, but it’s true, which leads to persistence.

Persistence, on the other hand, is something with which I’m all too familiar. I don’t give up. Yes, I can be negative, and I get down on myself when I didn’t accomplish something in the way I hoped to, but I’m a persistent person. It’s part of my work ethic and my character, and I don’t think it’ll ever leave me.

Lately, I’ve been more persistent than usual (if that’s even possible) to the point that I’ve probably bugged people — friends, family and potential employers alike — to get my point across. I’m passionate (hey, another P!), and someone who will throw myself into my work. I’ll continue to be persistent in my job search until someone hires me, and even then, I’ll continue striving to be the best I can be in every aspect.

Realizing some of these characteristics, mixed into a short weekend trip to Philly (yes, Philly!) provided me with some perspective. I took a train with Deb, one of my fellow former San Antonio Express-News interns, to visit our friend Alia, who’s interning for the Philadelphia Inquirer and also interned at the E-N with us last summer. We spent two days seeing all of the historic places, such as the National Constitution Center, Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, in addition to visiting the Philadelphia Museum of Art, watching fireworks at Penn’s Landing and eating at the famous Geno’s, where I had my first cheesesteak.

Me at the Liberty Bell

Deb, Alia and I at Love Park

The three of us at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

While the trip was full of fun, and it was great to have some quiet time away from the always-noisy New York City, the visit — to me — was more. I fell in love with Philadelphia, and recognized that it had a feeling similar to that of Houston: a big city, but not to the point that it’s overwhelming. Philly, however, does have something Houston doesn’t, and probably never will, which is true history and gorgeous historical buildings. This is probably why I was so attracted to Philly in the first place.

So what does this have to do with perspective? Everything. This mini trip made me realize that I might have a romanticized idea of what I hope life is like. It helped me figure out that New York doesn’t have everything. It doesn’t have my feeling of home, nor my family or some of my favorite things. And it’s not the only city in which I can “make it.” I can do what I love and start making waves in the journalism world virtually anywhere. Whether that’s in New York, Philly, Houston or some other city in this country is yet to be determined, but with patience and persistence on my side, I know it’s only a matter of time before I figure out exactly where that is.

And at this moment, I’m going to continue enjoying living in a still-unfamiliar place and learning more about myself every day.

Times Square in the rain

At the High Line

I’ve been living in this concrete jungle for exactly a month, and I must say: It’s been a whirlwind, at the very least.

In the past month, I’ve learned a lot about myself and my goals. I’ve learned that I’m in the right place when it comes to my career. It is amazing to me how many people I encounter who have the same drive and passion as what they do as myself, and learning from them is something I’m trying not to take for granted. I’ve also learned that coming to this city by myself — exploring alone and fighting through personal struggles alone — is the best thing in the world for me. I’m miles away — physically and mentally — from all the people I love most in this world, and being away from them, outside of my comfort zone, is extremely difficult, but also very, very eye-opening. This city may be the largest in the country, but in my world, it is the most lonely when you try embarking on this journey alone and in very unfamiliar territory.

I’ve learned that when it comes to my career, aside from hard work and perseverance, patience is key.  I can’t — and shouldn’t — expect to get exactly what I want in such a short amount of time. This idea is something I struggle with every day, but it’s also something I probably wouldn’t have realized without being here.

I’ve also been able to pick out — much more easily than before — my likes and dislikes with this industry, my pros and cons of living in Texas vs. NYC and the good and bad characteristics of myself. This is a result of lots of self-reflection, late-night talks with my fellows and interactions with my few friends here, as well as new people I’ve met along the way.

I could talk about these realizations forever, but my point is that spending a month in the biggest — and mostly unfamiliar — place has been much more good than bad, despite that it may feel like the opposite most of the time. And nothing is more satisfying to me than trying to live my dream and overcoming every obstacle along the way, because I know now I can do anything just by doing what I’ve always done, which is work hard and believe the people I love when they tell me I can do absolutely anything.

It’s the truth: I can do absolutely anything, and I will. I am, and I’m accomplishing my goals while mixing in some fun as well.

The Decemberists at Prospect Park in Brooklyn

After camping out overnight for tickets to see "How to Succeed without Really Trying" on broadway

My best friend, Michelle, and I in Times Square

Allie and I at the NYC Pride Parade 2011

Lately, I’ve had a handful of my friends tell me that I’m living the dream.

You know what? They’re right.

I’m fortunate enough to have secured an internship doing what I love in the city I’ve wanted to be in since I was little. And not only that — I’m fortunate enough to have the means to do so through my family, my previous internships, my bachelor’s degree, which I earned exactly a month ago (wow!), and the Poynter Fellowship for College Journalists.

But what I’m also fortunate enough to have are new friends I’m making who share the same passion for life and what they do as me.

This weekend, I hung out with some new friends I’ve made in the city. Little makes me happier than intelligent conversation, and my weekend was full of just that. I’ve had the opportunity to talk to people in the same boat as me. These people are extremely passionate, hard-working, talented men and women who love life and what they do. It’s sort of like PCF, in that you finally encounter someone who shares the same passion for life, and these people are so hard to come by.

People do come to New York City to live their dreams. They come from all over the world to explore a new place and work with those who have the same drive and beliefs as themselves. I don’t think I really gave much thought to how there would be people just like me in this city, as I was just focused on coming here alone and establishing myself in the professional journalism world. But these people do exist, and it’s comforting to know I’m not alone.

After being here for just a couple of weeks, I’ve learned that it is so important to follow your dreams. As cliché as that sounds, it’s so true. If you have the opportunity to do something you’ve always wanted to do, go for it. Don’t have doubts, and don’t let anything stop you. I can tell you that once you meet people who share the same drive as you do, you’ll begin to realize that not all is lost in this world, and your hard work will pay off. It just takes some time. My fellows know exactly what I mean, and I know a lot of my friends do as well.

So chase after your dreams. Work hard. Surround yourself with people who have a passion for life and their work, and I guarantee you’ll be a happy person. I know I am.

I made it! I survived my first week in New York City, and what a week it’s been.

I have to say: Coming to New York solo is both an exciting and scary adventure. Almost everyone I know or have met here came to this city with friends or family. For me, I took this chance without thinking about being alone, and I know this is the beginning of a great learning experience.

A week into living here, I can already detect the things I like — and some I don’t like — about the city. I’m thoroughly enjoying my internship with NearSay, as it’s something entirely new to me, and I’m learning more of the business and marketing aspect of the company, which is different from my previous internships. I also like the neighborhood in which I live (the Lower East Side), as it’s close to some great shopping, Little Italy and Chinatown. Also, the view from my window is pretty sweet.

The view from my window

I’ve been exploring a lot of great places, despite getting lost multiple times. In the past week, I’ve been to a taping of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, took several trips to Times Square, went to some great bars in my neighborhood (all of this with my childhood friend, Allie), let Todd show me around the LES, ventured to Brooklyn for a music show with Brooke, stood in front of the New York Times building countless times, and so much more.

In front of the Brooklyn Bridge

Me at the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon taping

Times Square

The New York Times building at night

I must admit, however, that there are some things I’m not so crazy about at the moment. But I know this feeling can change at any given time. For example, in a city so large, you’d be surprised at how difficult it is to meet people and make friends if you’re not a local, don’t go to school here or if you’re living alone. It gets lonely, but I’m finding ways to change this feeling.

Also, I hate the subway. It is incredibly confusing to me, and I already have the worst sense of direction in the world. This combination is terrible.

But, how can I complain? I’m in the city I’ve wanted to work in since I was little. I’m not going to let something like feeling lonely or getting incredibly frustrated after being lost on the subway get in my way of continuing to pursue these lifelong dreams. I’m so fortunate to be here, and I won’t forget that. Now, all I have to do is practice patience (and we all know how bad I am at being patient).

It’s my first chance to truly breathe since before my final exams, and I figured I should use this time wisely by blogging about the craziness of these past few weeks.

I graduated from college, attended the Poynter Fellowship for College Journalists and moved to New York City — all in a three-week span.

Graduation was awesome. The ceremony was short, and I was surprisingly emotional when it was over, because I realize I’ve accomplished something huge. I had a graduation party at my parents’ house in Canyon Lake afterward where some of my closest friends were able to celebrate with me.

At my graduation

It still hasn’t hit me that I graduated, and maybe someday soon, it will. I had the absolute best college career a girl could ask for, and I can proudly say choosing to go to school at Texas State was the best decision I made.

Two days and many stressful fits later, I picked up Sarah Vasquez in Austin and set off for a 20-hour drive to St. Petersburg, Fla. We were both running on adrenaline, excited as ever to get to Poynter, and once we arrived, we both knew instantly how amazing this experience was going to be. It turns out that the fellowship was the best experience of my life (on par with studying abroad in Spain), and it’s honestly very difficult for me to articulate why it was so great. I’ve told family and friends about PCF, but it’s almost pointless, because the only people who truly know why the fellowship was so great are current and former fellows. We all became so close and learned so much from each other, our leaders, Sara and Al, Pulitzer Prize winners, like Lane DeGregory and Jim Sheeler, and the Poynter faculty. The goodbye was one of the most difficult I’ve ever experienced.

2011 Poynter College Fellows

And just when I thought I’d be OK saying goodbye to 21 of my new best friends, I drove back to San Marcos, packed up the apartment I’d lived in for two years and spent as much time as I could with my family and some of my closest college buddies. I drove back to Houston on Tuesday where my awesome little sister had my last day planned out for me, which included pizookies at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, a last dinner at Lopez, my favorite authentic Mexican food restaurant I’ve been going to since I was a baby, and having my closest friends since elementary, middle and high school send me on my way to the Big Apple. Both laughter and tearful farewells were exchanged mixed with excitement and hope for this big change.

Friends at my going away dinner

Saying goodbye to everyone was really hard, because we’re all going to different places, and I’m not sure when I’ll see these people again. But because of their encouragement and faith in my ability to succeed doing what I’ve always loved to do, I’m so excited to start my post-graduate career, and I’m so fortunate to be able to do so in New York.

Thursday marked the last day of my last internship at the Austin American-Statesman, and I am sad to leave.

I feel like I’ve only been at the Statesman a few weeks, probably because I only spent two days a week in the office. But as I reflect on this experience, I realize that I’ve grown as a writer, and I’ve done some strong work.

During my time at the Statesman, I’ve written more than 10 stories, two of them double bylines, and seven of them made the business section centerpiece. That’s not bad for a girl who came into this internship knowing little about business, let alone business writing. I learned to take the business angle on various stories, from real estate to weather, venture capitalism to gas prices, the rise and fall of businesses during the recession, and everything in between. I wrote profiles on unique local businesses with people who have some of the most interesting stories to tell. Of course, I can’t forget about South by Southwest, where I was given the opportunity to cover some of the biggest names in journalism and technology at the largest festival of its kind in the country. “Best spring break ever” doesn’t even begin to describe that experience. And, to top it all off, I finished my internship by covering a breaking news story on my last day (just like I did at the San Antonio Express-News).

I couldn’t be happier to intern with the Statesman this semester. I know this experience has already made a large impact on my post-graduation plans, and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity I was given. I feel confident that I can make a name in the journalism industry because of what I’ve learned here, and there is no doubt in my mind that I’ve become a more well-rounded journalist, thanks to the truly talented people with whom I’ve worked.

My only regret is not being able to spend more days in the office. Two days per week doesn’t seem like enough when you’re hungry to learn more about your work, but I know school and my job at The University Star are equally important.

Overall, my internship has exceeded my expectations. The Statesman is a paper that is doing some tremendous things — especially online — in the face of a very scary journalism world. I feel honored to have interned for the fifth-largest paper in the country, and I know my experience here will help propel me in my future journalism endeavors (and hopefully lead me back to Austin, my favorite city in Texas, at some point. ).

Me, in front of the Statesman during SXSW, March 2011

Is this real? Was I really selected as one of 30 college students across the country to participate in one of the world’s most prestigious journalism fellowships?

Yes, I was, and I am ecstatic.

I applied for the Poynter College Fellowship a few months ago after my friend and colleague Tina Phan went last year and came back with the most amazing stories about what she learned and who she met. She spent two weeks with 39 other bright college journalists from renowned universities across the country. Tina was also the first person from Texas State to be accepted into the program.

Knowing how talented Tina is, and looking at the universities and experience other fellows had, I honestly thought getting into this program was a long shot. But thanks to Tina’s encouragement and a recommendation from my professor, Kym Fox, I was notified yesterday of my acceptance to one of Poynter’s longest-running seminars.

Beginning three days after I graduate (and ending five days before I move to New York), I will spend 10 days near the beach in St. Petersburg, Florida, learning about multimedia, reporting, the evolution of journalism and more from some of the most successful professionals in the business.

I truly can’t express how excited I am about this opportunity. I’m thrilled, knowing I get to learn so much from professionals and peers who are as passionate about journalism as I am. I also see it as one of the best opportunities to network, especially before I take off for the biggest media-centered city in the country. I’m already in contact with former Poynter College Fellows from universities in New York, such as Columbia, through Tina, and I’m sure I’ll have more opportunities to meet similar people who may also be in my future place of residence. I think this fellowship will also aid me in graduate school applications I will be putting together less than a year from now.

Just when I think my post-graduate plans couldn’t get any better, something like this happens. It just goes to show that hard work will not only get you a job in your ideal city; It will also get you once-in-a-lifetime opportunities you never imagined were possible. I’m anxiously anticipating this fellowship, and I can hardly wait to hone new journalism skills.