A lot can happen in a year.
The last 12 months have been nothing short of a rollercoaster of events, both worldwide and personally. Not writing for 366 days leaves me with a lot of words I want to write, but because one of the biggest things I learned over the last year is that time is of the essence, I'll give you the SparkNotes version.
I'll start with my biggest (& proudest) accomplishment that happened in the last year: I graduated from college. On May 8th, 2021 I am excited to say that I walked across the stage in Williams-Brice Stadium and became a proud alumna of The University of South Carolina. I now hold a Bachelor's of Art in Elementary Education and am a licensed teacher.
It's no secret that my experience at South Carolina wasn't always a walk in the park. I struggled with homesickness, considered transferring my junior year (read about that HERE), and even opted to spend the fall semester of my senior year at home in Columbus, Ohio.
I am a huge homebody so dealing with constant homesickness was a challenge for me but, as a recent graduate of the university that was so far from the only place I had ever called home, I can say with 100% certainty, that going to college eight hours away from home was the best decision I have ever made (read about that HERE).
"So Riley do you have a job lined up?" The short answer: no.
The long answer: Like mentioned above, I graduated with a BA in Elementary Education and have passed all of my licensure exams to be an elementary school teacher. Teaching will always have a special place in my heart, but I'm not sure a classroom is where I want to be at this point in time.
I've been grappling with the idea of going down a different career path for over a year now. I've always been interested in PR and Marketing and during peak quarantine last year, I found myself with a job that really allowed me to learn more about those fields and the jobs that are available.
At this point in time, I don't have any jobs or internships lined up in the world of PR and Marketing, but I'm moving in the right direction. Up until now, I've always had a plan for what comes next in my life and I will admit that my type-A self is freaking out that I'm pursuing a career that isn't even remotely related to my degree. I brought on a lot of anxiety about the uncertainty of my post-grad plans the other night but like one of my best friends told me, "it's okay! You can do whatever you want, you don't have to follow your major."
Ever since 3rd grade, teaching was always my plan. I prided myself on knowing what I wanted to do from such a young age, but I now realize that because I was set on entering the field of education, I didn't even give myself the opportunity to explore other career paths. It was through blogging that I discovered that the world of PR and Marketing would allow me to do things similar to what I was doing here.
College and career changes aside, not a lot has changed. I still spend the majority of my time at the golf course. Unhealthy amounts of iced coffee are still being consumed and fresh flowers continue to be bought in abundance. I still take too many pictures of sunsets and my favorite part of my days are my evening runs during golden hour.
There is one change that is happening though, and it's a bittersweet change. Just like I'm starting a new chapter in my life, it's time to start a new chapter here on the blog. Northern Prepster has served me so well and will always be a big part of me (my friends do refer to me as "NP" after all) but it's time to close the Northern Prepster chapter.
The name Northern Prepster was a great fit when I picked the name back in 2014, but I've grown up and changed a lot in the last seven years, and isn't the best representation of myself or the content on this blog anymore. I am excited to announce that I am rebranding the blog to be self-titled, so let me be the first to welcome you to Riley Carpenter.
One last time:
xoxo,
NP :)