So, on to it.

Prompt: Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011? (from Caligater)

So, did this happen to anyone else? You graduate college, and then suddenly a year or two later, discover that there’s all kinds of hobbies and clubs and crap out there? You suddenly realize you have time for all the stuff you were too busy studying  to enjoy back in school. No? Just me?

In 2009 I was all “OMG bikes and blogs and clubs and yoga and stuff!”

In 2009, I discovered a lot of communities.

and in 2010, i started to build one.

I am the president of a four-person club called Ad2 Reno (that’s DOUBLE our membership from a month ago, thankyouverymuch). It’s a club I almost let die, and it’s a club that is constantly reminding me why I’m here, living this life, working in advertising, doing what I do. I mean, advertisers are obvs the most fun. But Ad2 helps foster something in me that is essential to my well being. In Ad2, I get to teach, to lead. In Ad2, I get to make my very own local community a better place in a very real, tangible way, through public service. So yeah, I’ve found community there. I discovered a national community that is there to support me and my baby little club.

and in 2011?

We’re going all the way. We’re creating a community for young advertisers, and I’m going to deeply connect the crap out of it.

so what’s this?

#reverb10 is an annual event and online initiative to reflect on your year and manifest what’s next. The end of the year is an opportunity to reflect on what’s happened, and to send out reverberations for the year ahead. Get in on this.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, I was talking with my supervisor/mentor/superwoman, Jerri and I said to her, “It’s like I’m energized by my own life.” She told me I should blog that. I think there’s an unfinished draft in there … somewhere.

There are SO! MANY! amazing things going on in my life. House shopping! Mentoring! Ad2 Reno reorganizing! Writing! Bike rides! Live tweeting the raddest blogger event! Hanging out with my superawesome family! Not to mention all of the growing, learning and amazing work* I do at my job.

But at some point, the law of diminishing returns comes into play and the energy I put in to the awesome starts taking away from the energy that comes out. And that = tired Becca.

So um, that’s it I guess. Because, right now I can’t and/or really don’t want to put any of it down. So tell me, friends. How do you balance it all? How do you make room for everything in your live that’s important to you?

* Amazing, as in the work is awesome and fun. NOT amazing, as in I produce amazing work. I mean I do – but that’s not what I mean here. Just, shhhhh.

This organization doesn’t mean anything in particular to me, other than I worked with them on a marketing campaign Ad2 Reno did for them last year. I don’t really have a particular connection to any organization or charity. At least not one that’s personal to me. It’s hard to try to determine who deserves my help and volunteer hours [I'm unsure how to say this without it sounding somewhat snooty]. Yes, battered women deserve a place to go, veterans deserve proper care, puppies deserve a home and terminally I’ll children deserve a life they wanted. I’m blessed to never have been affected by these things enough to know that any one cause is the one for me.

So, I brought them the food last night.  I’m not sure how I expected to be recognized. I guess I thought maybe someone I’d worked with might be there. To thank me profusely. I expected $25 to look like much more food. I expected that my contribution would push the pantry to full and they’d be able to open it for Thanksgiving. I don’t know if that will or won’t happen. But the point is, my expectations and my being recognized don’t matter. I did what I could to help for this holiday weekend. I could have bought a meal for a friend, or paid for the coffee of the stranger in line behind me. But I wanted to do something that means something to me. Even if it goes completely unrecognized. That’s not the point. The reason I did it is because it was the right thing to do and the best way I could do it.

I guess for now I’ll just have to be involved with the organizations I get to know and grow to care about through my work with Ad2.

I was never too interested in having a blog of my own.  It just seemed like a public diary to me.  And I’ve NEVER been good at the whole diary/journal thing.  I’ve always enjoyed reading others’ blogs though.  ESPECIALLY the personal ones.  We all know there’s something to be said for being able to relate to people (strangers, even), whether it’s about becoming a bigger rockstar, finding some center and stability in our lives, improving our communities, struggling with weight or just gushing about what we love on the weekly.

So, who in their RIGHT MIND would want to read my ramblings?  And WHY?! (I mean, my dad reads this, but I think that’s less about me being awesome at blogging and more about the fact that I probably don’t call my family enough)

I guess it doesn’t matter.  What matters is that I’m writing.

For at least the last six years, I’ve called myself a writer.  I have it tattooed on my body for pete’s sake.  The cycling thing was a good way to get me started in the world of blogging.  And it’s been awesome because I’ve discovered a whole new community (but mostly it’s awesome because the blog MADE me want to ride my bike, which is a huge accomplishment).  In truth, this blog has been just an experiment for bigger and better blogs in the future (dun dun dunn).  I’ve learned SO much since I attended Wordcamp in March and started this blog in April.

Lately, I’ve been training myself [with the help of a few friends] on what it takes to build a really great, customized, beautiful blog with WordPress and CSS and all kinds of other crap I knew nothing of a few weeks ago.  (Can’t wait to share it with you all … soon!)

But anyway, thanks to this amazingly honest little yogi writer in Minneapolis, I’ve learned about Twenty Something Bloggers (membership pending).  I’ve heard about it here and there, but never really felt like there was a place for me in that network.  Until I learned about how their new partnership is going to save the world.  Okay, I don’t want to save the world necessarily.  Or rather, I am aware that I can’t.  But I am realizing more and more every day that there is more to my life than just me and the crap I do.  I’m a part of this awesome organization called Ad2 Reno, and every year we (a group of advertisers under 32) donate a full service integrated marketing campaign to one local non-profit organization.  After having been involved in the winning campaign last year, I decided to take on a bigger role as the public service c0-chair.  So, basically, my friend Jessie and I are the account executives of this campaign for this amazing non-profit client.  At first, I’ll admit, I mostly did it because I wanted a position on the Ad2 Board and they needed someone to step up.  But I couldn’t be happier.  Yeah, it’s frustrating sometimes.  It’s a volunteer program that comes out of a less-than-strong membership.  Sometimes people aren’t reliable or whatever.  But what I’m realizing is that we are going to make a big difference in this community.  We are giving a valuable local non-profit organization an opportunity they might never otherwise have.

So THAT is why I’m joining 20SB.

Because I live in this world.  And I want to make it better in what little ways I can.  So I’m going to.  So, I’m not yet sure what will happen here … but I hope you’ll keep reading anyway.  Because I’m gunna keep writing. (I will, dammit.)

So I ventured out on my very first solo bike ride.  To Starbucks.  And on the way back, I even rode on Plumas for a few blocks (scary, I know).  I hung out outside at Starbucks for a while, drinking my coffee, reading and soaking up the sun.  It was great.  Really must do more of that.

Then, last night, my little sis and neighbor came over for some good BBQing, which I love.  There really is nothing better than sitting outside, eating delicious food with friends in beautiful weather.  I am so ready for summer.

Oh yeah, and my public service committee meeting for Ad2 Reno was changed from tonight to tomorrow night, so Brad and I are going to ride down to Wingfield Park and play.  It’ll be my first ride on any type of major, highly-trafficked road.  So, yay!  Yay for beautiful weather and feeling good about life!  Weird to feel this good on a Monday!  Loving it.