One Year Later

It's hard for me to believe that I started to work back here in Lubbock exactly one year ago today. A year ago today, I became immersed into the world of corn and peanuts and politics and agriculture and crisis communications.

One year. A lot can change in one year.

Now, I don't plan on getting too philosophical about life's changes and the roads that decisions lead us down, so don't worry. But, who knows, I might anyway. Sorry.

But, it is truly amazing to me to think about how fast a year can go by. Where did it go?

A year ago today, I was getting settled into my office, arranging my pictures, getting oriented with the job...and figuring out what in the heck I was doing.

As I was getting my professional life in order, I remember thinking a couple things: "Wow, I can't wait to start traveling with this job" and "Wow, there's an unlimited supply of peanut butter in this office. Sweet."

During that year, here are some things I learned:

1. You can't 100 percent overturn public opinion. It's impossible.

2. It's never a good idea to lose the keys to a Tahoe with a giant ear of corn on the side of it, especially when you're in Waco at a farm show and the Tahoe is a promotional vehicle with a lock on the key code that prevents you from having a dealership make a new one.


3. Never fly American Airlines when you actually want to get somewhere on time.

4. It's ok to talk to random strangers on an airplane. They could be the owner of Titos Vodka, who makes their product from corn grown in Texas and decide to hook you up with tons of samples for a conference (this didn't happen to me, it happened to my boss. Pretty cool, huh?)

5. You can't spend time looking backwards, or you'll trip on something while you're moving forward.

6. You can never know too many people, but it is a good idea to remember their names.

7. Good friends are priceless.

8. It's always a good idea to pack a spare pair of underwear in your carry-on.

9. ALWAYS back up your files on your computer.

10. Taking scary risks can be way worth it.

I had to make some tough decisions to get here a year ago. Some of you probably thought I'd lost my marbles (and some of you probably still think I have!) Doing a complete 180 degree turn at a time when you're supposed to be settling down doesn't really make a lot of sense to people. I don't even know if it really made sense to me either, but if I only did things that made sense I wouldn't have anything to talk about...and I love nothing more than to tell a good story.

Regardless, the decisions I made have led me down a very interesting road. It's been a fun, educational, crazy, exciting, tough, curvy, straight, fast, slow, trying, yet rewarding road. After a year like that, it's hard to be the same person I was before I started this journey. When you make a change like that you can't help but put things in perspective after you've had enough time to catch your breath and look back a little bit.

It also kind of makes me think that God has a really strange sense of humor. Just when I thought I had everything lined out, in place and mapped out a year ago, he said, "Haha, you silly girl. That's my job. That's nice and all that you have everything planned out, but that's not exactly what I had in mind."

So, here's to another year, and whatever direction the road goes from here.