Valuing (and Maximizing) Our Time Away

* This post was originally featured on The OOHLALA Blog.

As the holiday season approaches, many of us will be taking some well-deserved time off from work, classes, and so forth. Unfortunately, this may be some of the only time we take off during the year. Which is why it’s important to use this time to its full advantage. I’ve found that adopting certain personal habits can help me to make the most of my time off.

Spread time throughout the year

Some people only take time off when it is given to them through holidays or forced upon them by others. I personally have taken the stance of giving myself long weekends and “mental health days,” throughout the year.

It helps to sprinkle time off throughout the year in order to minimize the impact of daily stress on your physical and mental well being.I always enjoy my random days off during the week even if they just help me get errands done. Giving myself this periodic time off allows me to better focus on the work I need to do during my regular hours.

When you’re away, be fully present

Unplugging fully from our work lives while we’re away is important, since any part of us that still lingers back at the office is a part that can’t fully enjoy the experience of being away. This means turning off notifications, putting our phones on “do not disturb”, and not checking our email.

I know I’m not perfect with this, but I’m trying to be better, especially whenever I leave for an extended period of time. Trust your colleagues to be able to take care of things in your absence. Also, the more work you can get done ahead of time will help you be mindful of where you are in the moment. Asking for help is also important. In return, you can help others out when they need the same from you later on.

Share the time with others

Another thing I value about having time off  is sharing this time away with others. You can maximize the emotional benefit of getting out of your routine by taking a trip with a family member, partner, or good friend and deepening those connections. It can be something you share and remember for a long time to come. It will be as fulfilling, if not more so, than if you just went on your own.

I always appreciate the opportunity to see friends that have moved across the country. It’s great to be able to share time with them after not having seen them for awhile and it’s also an opportunity to see new places which helps to broaden my horizons.

Another point here is to take pictures of your trips and time away to document the experience so you can share it with others. In the past few years I have become more sentimental about major life experiences. Having some artifacts and photos from my adventures has allowed me to share those experiences with others.You don’t need to share photos on social media at the exact time you take them, (see the previous point of unplugging), but sharing memories with friends and family allows us to reap the benefits of our journeys time and time again.

There are many benefits to taking time away from our normal routines. We can keep in touch with old friends, make new connections, experience amazing new places, and most important of all, we allow ourselves to grow and relax. This can help us to do our best work for our students and role model positive behavior for them. I hope you can take some time off soon—even if it is only a long weekend—to be present somewhere outside of your routine.

Here’s to nourishing, renewing, and growing ourselves all year long!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 12/18/15

Greetings!

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

• The Blog

As you can see, the blog has gotten a bit of a face lift. I switched platforms and am working on refreshing my logo as well. I wasn't intending on doing this switch so soon, but I got pulled down a rabbit hole when looking at different options, and just decided to take the plunge. A nice part of this process was I found a bunch of random broken links on the site that I had no idea were there (frustrating that I didn't notice them). Here's to a new and improved site!

• Job Search Update

Just to give a quick update here, I've steadily been interviewing for various Residence Life jobs between Boston and Baltimore, have some leads dwindle on their own for different reasons, and some I have refused myself. I just haven't felt great about any of the offers or places so far, which has lead me to chase a bit of a wildcard option, which may or may not pan out but I'm excited about it. I'll keep you all updated as it goes. I'm also thinking I'll write at length about this experience for future reference, since it has definitely been a unique adventure.

• Star Wars: The Force Awakens

I saw this movie last night, after waiting for what feels like a very long time, and to not spoil anything, I will keep my thoughts brief. I enjoyed it, and I think pretty much anyone who sees it will have fun too. Go check it out this weekend my fellow geeks and nerds! (Also, public service announcement; don't spoil anything for anyone else, at least give folks the weekend to see it)

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Review Monday: Top Five

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is 2014's Top Five, starring Chris Rock and Rosario Dawson among a stellar ensemble cast of comedians and actors.

Top Five follows a sort of dramatized version of reality, where Rock's character Andre Allen, is a fictional mouthpiece for struggles common to Rock (and surely other comedians and actors like him), such as authenticity, integrity, creativity, and addiction. It feels very similar to the movie Funny People, or the television show Louiein certain respects. Other entertainment industry shows like Extras (or the several others out there) also hold a lot of thematic similarities to Top Five, just to get a flavor for this movie since it feels so unique to me. While it falls into a pantheon of other great shows and movies, it falls a bit short for me in the end.

The movie as a whole is pretty funny. It's not uproariously hilarious, nor is it unfunny, it has some humorous moments, and was a pleasure to watch, but it could probably be better billed as a "dramedy" (drama + comedy). Allen struggles with alcoholism, his personal motivation for where his life is going, people taking him seriously, and relationship woes. Rock imbues the character and his struggles with a reliability and his unique swagger, so it makes the proceedings engaging enough to watch.

All of the other actors in the movie shine in their brief roles. Tracy Morgan, Michael Che, Jay Pharaoh, Gabrielle Union, and Leslie Jones specifically all hold their own, and Dawson is fantastic as her character, reporter Chelsea Brown, accompanies Rock's character around for most of the film. There are also some really fun cameos later in the film that made the whole viewing experience even better.

I'd recommend folks check this movie out, especially if you're a fan of Chris Rock and/or comedy as an art form. It explores issues that I found interesting and I think others like me would as well.

You can stream Top Five right now on Hulu and Amazon Prime Instant Video.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 12/11/15

Greetings!

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

• Agents of SHIELD

The mid-season finale of SHIELD was this week (as well as Flash and Arrow) but just for the sake of simplicity, I'll focus on SHIELD since I talked about Flarrow last week. This week's episode of SHIELD was a solid one, more or less resolving the plot thread of the planet we found Simmons on, giving some answers about the "monster", and getting Daisy's (small) team together for the first time. While SHIELD isn't nearly as good as Daredevil or Jessica Jones (and I wish they played together at all), it is still a solidly enjoyable show that I feel like is continually acknowledging and embracing it's comic book roots more often. I'm glad I can have Agent Carter coming back in a few weeks to keep me engrossed until SHIELD comes back in a few months.

• Star Wars: The Force Awakens

In a week, the nationwide US release of this long awaited movie will be upon us. I have tickets for an early screening on Thursday night here in Maine, which I am very excited for. I've known for a while I'd definitely be seeing this movie, so I have been avoiding some of the trailers and clips to try to go in fresh. Even so, the trailers that I have seen have done a great job of getting me excited while not spoiling much.  Movies nowadays tend to reveal too much in hopes of getting people to to theater, but Force Awakens has done well keeping some mystery and bringing my cautious optimism around. I'll be sure to share my detailed thoughts with you all here on the blog!

• Winter Break

I'll be traveling down with my partner, Jenn, to New Jersey, Delaware, and New York for the winter holidays. I'll be taking a break from the blog during this time for the most part, jumping back into the normal routine after New Years. I'm excited to get back to the place I called home for two years, and where my partner called home for her whole life before we came up to Maine. We will see old friends, my brother and his fiance, my partner's family, and go to all the places we have missed visiting being away. Stay tuned for plenty of pictures on social media!

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Review Monday: Dear White People

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2014 film, Dear White People, written and directed by Justin Simien.

The story of the movie takes a comedic yet poignant look at an ensemble of college students dealing with privilege, race, and identity. It takes place at the fictional Ivy League institution, Winchester University, and builds toward a black face party that mimics recent real world events.

This is a great film for several reasons. It address very real and important concerns, and it does it in a palatable, fun way that doesn't take away from the relevance and takeaways. It delves into the deep identity issues that can be experienced by college students, especially students of color (mainly black students). There is so much pressure coming from different sides, saying who we should or shouldn't be and how we are supposed to act. This is even more severe for black students, since they're in environments that are typically built for their white counterparts, and they don't feel as heard, respected, or supported. The types of discussions that happen in the movie are ones that I feel like I have seen pretty much verbatim.

I think especially for folks who are college students, or work with college students, this can be a very important and necessary viewing. You can better understand your peers or the students you serve respectively. On top of that, it is at the very least an engaging film about coming of age and figuring who we want to be. I'll also give some kudos to the ensemble cast of this film. Everyone delivers in their roles and all of the characters interact in neat ways.

You can check out Dear White People streaming right now on Hulu and Amazon Prime Instant Video.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 12/04/15

Greetings!

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

• Thanksgiving Break

I enjoyed the holiday break last week by taking some time away from the blog (why there was no new post last Friday) and having a wonderful dinner with my mom and my partner. I also was able to just sleep in and take care of my life by getting all my dishes and laundry done. It's funny how such simple things can make a positive impact on our lives by helping us not feel so overwhelmed. I also always feel better with an empty sink and my favorite clothes ready to wear, but that's just me.

• Jessica Jones, A Retrospective

I finished watching all of season one of this spectacular Netflix show with my partner this past week. I was excited for it before watching and it lived up (or even exceeded) my expectations. On several different levels, I so glad this show exists. It explores themes of trauma, heroism, recovery, and so much more. It had a compelling story and great characters that I'm excited to continue to explore, like Luke Cage especially. I highly recommend it to anyone to check out. The fact that this exists in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but also just as a stellar comic book property. It continues the long positive trajectory of all the recent adaptations and I feel like it is an engaging and entertainment property for any viewer, comic book lover or not.

• Arrow/Flash Crossover

It has been a big week or so for comic book movie/TV geekery. In addition to my previous geek out, there was the first big Captain America: Civil War trailer, the newest Batman VS Superman trailer, and we had this awesome DC TV crossover event this week too! My heart has been happy with all this good stuff coming out. The trailers both look great and the two episodes of Arrow and Flash this week were a lot of fun. We got introductions to Hawkgirl, Hawkman, and Vandal Savage in this event. There was a lot of legwork for both shows to do on top of the plethora that has been done already to set up the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow. Nevertheless, this was an entertaining team up with all the comic book fun we've come to expect from these two shows, especially Flash (which is more of my favorite).

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review: Show Your Work!

This recent work from author Austin Kleon aims to address the issue of getting your work discovered in our modern, busy, noisy world.

Much like his previous book, Steal Like an Artist (which I also reviewed here), it is an unconventionally written book, with a very brief, casual voice that focuses on some simple, but actionable tips. Kleon delves into things like being authentic, utilizing social media and other platforms to share content (your own and others), as well as just sharing your story and having fun with the process of creating. I don't think any of these tips are revolutionary, but seeing them here as well as other books and articles I've read further reinforces the advice. I do my best to embody many of them already, and it has been effective, so it deepened my commitment to keep it up after reading this book.

I will say that Kleon's work is probably not for everyone. I appreciate the candid, casual feel to these books and others like it, but it I have started to think that many will see them as too simplistic and too cavalier. It assumes a lot I think to just lay out the advice these sort of books do (essentially, just do it and the success will come) since I think life is a lot more complicated than the way these sorts of books convey things. They also seem to convey a bit of privilege at times that makes the advice less accessible to most people. From my point of view, not everyone can just drop everything and go for their "passion". People need to be able to pay their bills and live their lives while not having to worry about if their art is going to make them enough money. Thankfully, Kleon does acknowledge this a bit by seeing a lot of people as working a full-time day job to fund and supplement their creative "side hustles", and if you can make money off of this effort, that's great but it isn't necessary. This is refreshing and far more realistic from my point of view. Not everyone is going to have the time or the money to devote to creating a living for writing from nothing, and it is important to acknowledge that with a book like this. I'm glad this one does.

With all that being said (just had to get that out) I think this book, and Kleon's other work, Steal Like an Artist, are great starters for someone looking to nourish a creative hobby and looking to get it noticed too. I know I write for myself, but I'd also love for my writing to help and positively impact other people. I write from the heart and it's awesome to connect with other people through it.

Check out Show Your Work! and purchase it at any of your favorite book retailers.

Thanks for stopping by!

Geeky Office Décor Series: Mauricio Gómez Montoya

This week we're featuring the awesome office of Mauricio Gómez Montoya, Retention Specialist with the Office of Multicultural Affairs at the University of Kansas.

Here's what Mauricio had to say about his space:

"I love my job. It’s challenging, rewarding and ultimately really fun. However, if I’m going to spend over 40 hours per week at work, I’m gonna make this place look and feel like home. I’m a huge Marvel & Star Wars fan, I also love sports and cultural artifacts. I’ve tried to blend these interests into the look of my office. Initially, I did this because of what I thought these items said about me. It made me feel “cool” and express my interests. I’ve noticed that the decoration of my office has inspired my students to trust me more if I put myself out there. I they feel like they really know me.

Over the last year, I’ve asked students if I should “rebrand”. I’m progressing in my career and it has made me questioning if there is room for a Tie Fighter or a Spider-Man poster in the office of a Senior Student Affairs Administrator. After many conversations with my students, I realize that there is. My students (and some colleagues) made me promise to not get rid of my “nerdy stuff” when I advance. They gave me a different perspective on the issue. It’s not what my office says about me, it’s about how students feel when they’re in it. One of my students said: "I feel intimidated when all I see are degrees and encyclopedias in my faculty’s office. But Spider-Man? I can talk about Spider-Man.”

Good practices in Student Affairs rely on relationships across campus. Relationships are based in trust. If your students (and colleagues) know you, they will trust you and if they trust you, they’ll listen to you. I’ve bonded on several occasions with students because of the conversation starters in my office. Whether it is the giant Spidey poster on the wall, the Gumball dispensing Yoda on my desk or the Jimi Hendrix portrait, students feel like they can relate and ultimately, feel more comfortable.

These conversations have lead me to think it’s time to redefine the idea of professionalism in student affairs."

What I really like about Mauricio's office is that it features Spider-Man (a personal favorite of mine), as well as the other diverse interests that he showcases in his space. I also appreciate how Mauricio shared the doubt he experienced as he thought about moving up professionally. I think we can all be our genuine selves no matter what we want to do professionally. Especially in our field, we should be encouraging professionals to be themselves so that we showcase a positive example for our students. I know it was transformative for me to accept that I can be myself and also be an effective leader and professional. It's awesomely poignant that Mauricio's students helped him realize that he should keep his geeky decorations up in his office.

Many thanks to Mauricio for sharing his space with us.

Stay tuned for more awesome offices in the coming weeks!

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Review Monday: Back in Time

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2015 documentary Back in Time highlighting the fan-base around the beloved classic Back to the Future.

Like some of the other fan documentaries I've reviewed here  for the cult followings of shows like Star Trek and Firefly, this movie is a fun look at the passionate community that has come up around this simple movie from 30 years ago. The majority of the exploration focuses on the original movie, with some lesser emphasis on the second two parts of the trilogy. I love the Back to the Future series of films, and this was an entertaining way to explore the enthusiasm others share for these silly sci-fi films.

The documentary features fans, actors, and the people who made Back to the Future to examine every aspect of the film's reception and production respectively. I did find that the direction was a bit aimless at times, especially towards the middle when the documentary seems to get lost a midst different details of the production and stories from fans. Nevertheless, the documentary is fairly comprehensive (some cast members are absent), and as we celebrate a milestone anniversary for the franchise, this is a must watch for any fans like myself.

What I love about these sorts of films is how they highlight the positive aspects of passionate geek/nerd communities. People meet their spouses through them, they do good for the world through them, and they find peace as well as kinship through them. It always warms my heart to see stuff like that and reminds why I'm so proud to be a part of this global community, even in my own small way.

Check out the documentary's website for more information and stream Back in Time instantly right now on Netflix!

Thanks for stopping by!

Finding Yourself & Geek Identity Theory

During my first semester of graduate school, I took a course on theory development within college students.  I learned about theories grounded in career development, religious development, and personal identity development.  Within personal identity development I noticed a commonality between all the theories.  I was taught to use theory as a base knowledge to understand a student better, being able to assess where each person was on the developmental level.  As a self-named geek, I was determined to find other applicable identities for students to develop.  Here is the "Wagner Geek Identity Development Model" (WGIDM) as seen through my own development.

Stage 1: Non-geek

During this stage, students do not consider themselves to be geeky.  This was reflected during my first year of college.  My interests were of movies and not much else.  I did not have an overt affection towards video games, superheroes, or anything deemed “geeky” by society.

Stage 2: Open to Geek Culture

During this stage, students are opened up to the geek culture.  In my second year of college, a fellow resident assistant took me to a comic book store and opened my mind to my favorite superhero, Green Lantern.  This moment sparked an internal revolution into geekdom, leading into stage 3.

Stage 3: NooB

This stage is when geeks begin to make meaning of their identity.  This can be seen through a new variety of one’s Netflix qeue, frequent trips to comic book stores or GameStop, and enhanced research on the geek culture.  It is during this stage that individuals seek out groups of fellow geeks to validate their feelings and share in experiences.

Stage 4: Leroy Jenkins

During stage 4, individuals dive into the culture in an attempt to figure out what type of geek that person wants to be.  For me, that resulted in watching YouTube videos about video games, downloading podcasts about Star Trek, and buying midnight premiere movie tickets.

Stage 5: Geek Chic

This stage revolves around individuals refining the type of geek they want to be.  Folks have searched every outlet in an attempt to whittle down what geek really means to them.  I finally decided that I did not know enough of World of Warcraft to try and become a level 70 goblin, however I knew I enjoyed superheroes and video games, so I stuck to where my true passions were.

Stage 6: Live Long and Prosper

This final stage can only be accomplished when a person fully admits to their geekdom.  This stage occurs when one has accepted that they are a geek and has begun to integrate their geeky tendencies into their personal life.  I was finally able to walk into the comic book store without feeling like an outsider, using superhero inspirations for door decorations for my residents.

Obviously with this theory comes one major critique: what does it mean to be a geek?  This notion is relative for each individual person.  To someone, a geek can only refer to science fiction novels, however to others being a geek can mean they are excited about woodworking.  The term geek is open to interpretation.  My own definition is that a geek is a person that understands a topic incredibly well and has become a true passion.  No matter what the definition, this theory can serve as an opportunity for folks to assist their students in the development of their identities.

Remember, with great power comes great responsibility, so use it wisely.

Hey y'all!  My name is Julie Wagner and I am a current graduate student in my second year of the College Student Personnel program at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.  Currently I am working in Campus Activities and get to work with fantastic students and their organizations.  I began my obsessions with higher education and geek culture in the fall of 2012 and have not stopped since.  My bookshelves are equal parts graphic novels and development theory books. Connect with me on Twitter!