BUMegan's Blog : Chicago

travel season has begun!

BUMegan — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:59:00 GMT

I'm sitting at my parents house, listening to them talk to my uncle about growing tomatoes. HA!

Life (outside of this boring conversation! hehe) is going pretty well. I'm in my fourth travel season, which kinda blows my mind. I've been up in Chicago for a little over a month and have been LOVING my life so far. My travel started last week in St. Louis, so I've been with my parents for the past week and a half. It's been nice to hang out, eat great food and NOT stay in a hotel. And now, with my job changing to a regional rep, I won't have that same level of hotel burnout I usually experience around week five. ;)

I have to admit (as I'm sure I've mentioned previously) that one of my favorite parts of my job is travel. I LOVE getting to meet students, work with guidance counselors and talk about Butler. Although I'm a little under the weather, I've really enjoyed my visits so far-my schedule is much more complicated than years previous, but it seems to be working out ok. I'm actually REALLY excited to start my travel in Chicago, as I'm hoping that my students will appreciate my new position! My hope is to become a very accessible resource for students and their families-so many schools were able to offer that to their students before, and now Butler can be included in that list. :)

The one thing to get used to-is working from home! I didn't know if I could ever get used to it. Slowly but surely, I'm adjusting. I LOVE not having a commute, and I think I've set up a pretty nice home office. The rest of my apartment is coming along slowly, but it's cool to have my own place and to decorate how I like. Hopefully everything will be in place soon, and I can finally and fully be settled.

Applications have been slowly but steadily coming through the office, and I've been getting some questions from students about the process. Please keep the questions coming! If you need anything at any point, please don't hesitate to let myself or any other counselor know. That's our job! :)

Good luck with everything and bring on the fall!

Chicago here I come!

BUMegan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:07:00 GMT

I adore Chicago. It is the pulse of America.
- - - Sarah Bernhardt

Chicago is a city of contradictions, of private visions haphazardly overlaid and linked together. If the city was unhappy with itself yesterday-and invariably it was-it will reinvent itself today.
- - - Pat Colander "A Metropolis of No Little Plans" NY Times 5 May 85

But Chicago is a great American city. Perhaps it is the last of the great American cities. --Norman Mailer, Miami and the Siege of Chicago, 1968

My first day in Chicago, September 4, 1983. I set foot in this city, and just walking down the street, it was like roots, like the motherland. I knew I belonged here.
- - - Oprah Winfrey

So, it's official! I will be moving to Chicago and be working for Butler as a regional representative!!!! This has been a few months in the making, and I couldn't be more excited. :) I put the proposal together earlier this year, never really knowing that it would be approved. I still am in a little bit of shock about it, but very, very excited. Everything will be moving quickly from here on out, as I will be moving at the end of this month to my new place. There are still a lot of details for me to work out, not to mention getting furniture or anything else! (If anyone knows of good deals on furniture, let me know, ok! ) I'm excited, though, for what the future holds for me.

I've never lived alone, and I must say I'm a little nervous. Erin and I have lived together since graduation from Butler, and we've ALWAYS lived in the same city. We've never not lived apart, and I seriously cannot imagine what life will be like living without her. I think it'll be good for both of us as we near our 26th birthday. It'll be hard too, to not work in the office and not be around coworkers all the time. I LOVE working here, love my co-workers and our office. I will be coming back twice a month though, which will help with the "office homesickness!"

I'm hoping everything in the next few weeks goes smoothly...I've got a lot of things to do before I move, so I've got a bunch of to-do lists started:)

That's all from me for now-I'll be sure to post more updates later!!!!

traveling...part 1

BUMegan — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 04:38:00 GMT

So, I've definitely lost track of time with this....SO much has happened in the time I've been here, it's CRAZY to me that it's already the end of October. Travel season goes by so quickly, but it never seems that way when you're in it, if that makes any sense.

It's late here, after a fair, and I FINALLY HAVE A COMPUTER! My computer died about a week and a half ago, and let me tell you-it has NOT been fun. Because email is the most convenient way for a lot of my students to get a hold of me, it's been hard not have a computer to come back to at night and get through all the emails I need to respond to. Thankfully, Zach over in IR was very nice and had a loaner sent to my hotel in Chicago. Things like this make me love my alma mater even more:)

The first part of the month was great, albeit busy. I've seen a lot of students, a lot of GREAT students in the visits I've had and the college fairs I've attended. My first couple of weeks were non-stop, but things have slowed down (a TINY bit....not really enough for me yet!) but don't worry-I've still had time for some shopping, relaxing, reading and spending time with some of my friends. Because this is my third travel season, I've been more cognizant of trying to get more sleep, and finding ways to de-stress after a long day-so far, it's worked, as I haven't gotten sick yet. (keep your fingers crossed!!!)

I've been reading some of the other blogs, and I know it's Homecoming this week. I'm very sad that I can't go, and jealous of the friends I have going back to Indy. It promises to be a great time, and with the football team at 5-1, the game should be pretty awesome.

I promise to write more later this week, but one thing is on my mind right now-NOVEMBER 15TH. Our application deadline is FAST approaching, and I just wanted to remind everyone of that date-please, PLEASE let me know if you need anything or have questions. Hopefully I can help!

Hope all is well to anyone reading-to Jerry and Chris especially, I miss you guys! (You're probably the most likely to read this thing;)

Have a good Wednesday everyone! Stay tuned for another update this week!

is it really my third travel season?!

BUMegan — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:11:00 GMT

So, I really can't believe this is my third travel season...I'm sitting in my hotel room, thinking about how just how much has changed from my first travel season to my third. I'm currently in Chicago, and have done about a week of travel. I love it here (well, minus the traffic and construction...but what are you going to do?!) and have been really pleased with how my college fairs and visits to high schools have been going.

I spent two weeks in St. Louis, and had a GREAT time. I got to stay with my parents, who are now empty nesters! It was a good two weeks, but it went by VERY quickly. The fairs, visits and everything was awesome. I already know the area, but I feel like I have a better handle on everything than I did last year!

My first week in Chicago also went well. I had three fairs and was able to see all the people I travel with/hang out with-it was SO, SO, SO good to see everyone! Its funny how close you get to people you only see three months out of the year, but yet I love all these people like we all went to school together or something. Chicago is such an interesting territory to have because everyone is up here so long, you can't help but become good friends with other college reps. I'm just lucky I've met some AMAZING reps. I love travel, and love spending time up here. Chicago is definitely one of my favorite cities. It also helps that one of my best friends lives up here, and I get to see her this week!!!!!! (Can you tell I've had an overabundance of coffee?? That's what happens when you travel a lot...at least for me;)

This week is a little quieter than last, but I'm actually up here for two weeks straight. I have a fair on Saturday, so I'll just stay here over the weekend. Any suggestions as to what I could do?? Please feel free to leave me a message:)

Its good to see our new bloggers up and running-I'm very impressed with the group that Brad put together. I've been reading some of their stuff, and it's exciting to see, especially as an alumna of Butler. Keep up the good work! (It's also good to get to read Jerry's blog. I miss him AND ALL of the other counselors:)

I know I said this last fall, but if any current applicants have questions-PLEASE don't hesitate to let me know. I'd be more than happy to answer your questions!

Finally-since it's surprisingly colder up here than when I left, a quote about my favorite season:

I've never known anyone yet who doesn't suffer a certain restlessness when autumn rolls around... We're all eight years old again and anything is possible.
-- Sue Grafton

Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter.
-- Carol Bishop Hipps

back in the swing of things...

BUMegan — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:19:00 GMT

"I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired."--Fannie Lou Hamer

Now while I don't know what this quote is entirely in reference to (and doubt it means what I'm using it for), it PERFECTLY encapsulates my feelings toward the past two weeks. I have been sick,and I think that being sick in the summer is possibly one of my least favorite things. I was out most of the last week of May and the first week in June and all the while, my doctor couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. Finally, yesterday, I received a phone call. Apparently, I have something along the lines of mono. Now before anyone can make any cute and clever remarks, I've already had mono. I'm not sure how I got what I have, all I know is that it took two weeks to feel better. Now, I'm just tired. (Apparently, whatever I have is very similar to mono. Produces similar effects and symptoms, but isn't as severe and doesn't last as long. Thank goodness:)

I had mono when I was a senior in high school. It's SO much easier then, to miss school, make up work and get better. When you're an adult, it becomes so much more complicated, with sick days and missing meetings and events and not being able to respond to emails and phone calls. Right now, it's 11 and I am SO unbelievably tired. I told BUChris this morning that it felt like I slept two hours, when really I got a reasonable 8 and a half. I am so grateful though, for my sister, family, friends and the people I work with at Butler. Everyone has been great and very understanding about it, and I've only been teased a couple of times about it. :)

Before the mess of my illness, our staff retreat was held at the Speedway, and it was AMAZING. I think our entire staff enjoyed ourselves, but we had beautiful weather, great food and the chance to tour the pit and garage area of the Speedway. Even non-race fans realized how cool that experience would be! I went down with a couple of the guys who work here, and we got to see Team Penske practicing their pit stops for Ryan Briscoe. (Who only know what drama he would cause that Sunday at the 500!!) It was really amazing to see something so up close, and just how FAST those crew members have to work. I was really impressed! My friend Klint, who works for Sarah Fisher, took us on a mini tour of their garage and we got to see her car and a bunch of other things. I had never really seen anything like it before or been that close to an IndyCar. Very cool-thanks to Klint for letting us do that:)

Then I was sick. For two weeks. So when I felt better this weekend, my sister and friends jumped at the chance to get me out of my apartment. So, we went to dinner at a Thai restaurant by our apartment, and to see the Sex and the City movie. Both were amazing!!! The Thai restaurant was a mom and pop type place (would you expect anything less?! Gotta love those type places:) and the food was phenomenal. The movie too, was wonderful. As a student (and sorority member) a lot of bonding took place in our sorority house TV room watching old episodes of SATC on DVD. The movie MORE than lived up to expectation-in fact, we've even talked about seeing it again!! (Yes, lame, but its good girl bonding!!)

This coming week is a little busy-I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, answering emails and catching up on everything I've missed. We are currently in the process of hiring a new director, and interviews for that position are taking place this week. I also have a college fair in Chicago on Saturday morning, so I'll be headed up on Friday for that. I'm SO glad Shawna is there, because now I have plans for Friday evening to dinner with her. (can't wait!)

Hope everyone is well-a shoutout to the little sister Caitlin who is in Europe right now (I think Florence?!) with some girls from her HS. I hope you are having fun and know that I am extremely jealous:) Miss you!!

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S BEEN A MONTH!

BUMegan — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:04:00 GMT

So, now it's been over a month since I've last written, and I feel AWFUL. I do have to wonder though, how many people actually read my blog. Truly! I'm just one of two staff bloggers, and I know the student bloggers are the highlight of this sight, and rightfully so. I feel like my blogs tend to be a little less exciting, a little more mundane, so it always surprises me to hear that people read this thing. I can only hope they like it as much as I enjoy writing it. If nothing else, it serves as way for me to see the things that have gone on in my life, and some of the cool things I've done in the past however many months. I've definitely been slacking too, with keeping up the forums that we have on this site. It's cool though, to see just how many students have joined the site and are contributing to the forums, asking questions, getting to know each other and accomplishing what Brad had hoped for so many months ago (and me too! I love getting to see how all this plays out!!)

I've finally finished my spring travel, and I am, generally speaking, VERY happy to be back. I will definitely miss all the people I travel with, (SARAH!, Troy, Mike, Corey, Melissa, Jae, Brian, Kelly, Meg and everyone else!) but am SO excited for the fall and being back in one of my favorite cities. This spring's travel was DEFINITELY busy, SO much more busy than last year. I met a lot of great students though, and I'm really excited to be working with them in this coming fall. I went to a lot of great fairs: Barrington, the Glenbrooks' Fair, District 211, Fox Valley, Lyons Township and so many others. It amazes me how great of a response we get in Chicago.

My trip up there was really successful, and a lot of fun too. I was able to try some new things, and it's ALL thanks to a couple of my friends up there. ;) I went to a sushi restaurant, RA, in the Lombard area which was REALLY good. I had never been and was nervous to try it. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone-I loved it! I also tried oysters and alligator at restaurant called Pappadeaux, and let me tell you-I surprised myself by trying them!!! Oysters are really not something I foresee myself trying again, but at least I did, right?! (I'll just keep telling myself that...) Another cool restaurant to check out would be Harry Caray's. Now, as some of you know, I'm from St. Louis, and therefore a definite Cardinals fan. HOWEVER, I figured that Harry Caray had his start in St. Louis and went with a friend for lunch. The food was awesome, and it was really neat to see all the history and memorabilia that they have hanging up. They even had toasted ravioli, which is a St. Louis thing. I had a blast there:)

I also saw a movie which I really liked, 21. Now I know the main guy is from Across the Universe, which I haven't seen, so I really didn't know what to expect. It was a great movie!! I was really impressed with him, and will be renting Across the Universe, for sure. :)

I would be remiss if I did not mention my boss, Aimee had her baby and has been on maternity leave for a little while now. She had the most adorable baby boy, and I'm really hoping she likes the present my mom and I picked out for him. I'll be sure to keep you posted! It's weird, though, to come back and not have her here. I can't wait for her return to the office! COME BACK SOON AIMEE!!

My final bit of travel was a conference, held at the end of April and beginning of May. It was good to get see people I haven't for awhile, and to attend some really good sessions on a variety of topics. I love how much you can learn from attending a conference like that. We are truly blessed to have so many people in our profession who've been in the field for awhile, and have SUCH a depth of knowledge when it comes to higher education. Education is such a passion of mine,but when I graduated, I really didn't know the impact it would have on me. Its hard to imagine ever leaving the education field, in whatever capacity that encompasses. Time will tell what the will hold for me, whether I stay with admission or switch to another area with higher ed. It's something I truly love and am excited for this upcoming year.

Things have been a little quiet around here, with finals ending yesterday, and the amount of visitors slowing. I'm sure we'll see an increase come summer, but this is the time for finals, proms, graduations and the like. I know that I will attending a graduation, as my little sister Caitlin graduates from high school this year. I'm SO excited, because she will be attending Butler in the fall!!! She made her final decision, and I could NOT be happier. She is one of my most favorite people in the world, and I love knowing we will be in the same city. My hope is that she has as great and wonderful and fantastic an experience as I did when I was here, in whatever way that means. I leave on Sunday and will be home for a few days with them. I'm also lucky because I travel St. Louis and get to be at home with my family too. I was actually home for a couple days in April, doing a couple of fairs in the St. Louis area. Very fun. :)

I hope all the students having to take finals this week and from now on do well, and if anyone has any questions, please don't hesitate to let me know. I promise I will be doing a MUCH better job than I did in April of keeping up. :)

yikes...it's been awhile....

BUMegan — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:30:00 GMT

So it's definitely been awhile...I feel kinda bad, but I've been on the road for the past two weeks in Chicago, and things have finally settled down here, enough for me to post a recap!

My travels to Chicago are always fun, and these past two weeks were no different. My first week of travel took me to the city of Chicago for a fair at Richard J. Daley College, and then to Rockford, IL for a fair at Rockford College. I think both fairs went pretty well, and it was SO good to see all the people I travel with in Rockford. I tried a new restaurant when I was there (new to me, as they've been around for awhile!) called Red Robin. I'm not sure if we have them in Indy, but it was SO good. I went with one of my friends, Mike, and he had a burger that had a fried egg on it. SO weird, I know, but it actually was really good! My burger was a little on the weird side too, as it was Teriyaki flavored and had PINEAPPLE on it! I know, I know...I was a little weirded out at first, but it was soo good. I think I'm one of those people who will try anything once, and it just so happens that trying both burgers actually worked out for me. :)

I also got to hang out with some friends from Butler when I was there, Shawna-who is doing rotations in Chicago right now, and Josh-who is spending the month of March in Chicago for some work training. We went to a place called Hackney's, a great burger place that was up in Glenview. It was SO good!! (There was a definite theme to my trip that week....) It was really, really good to see both of them. Shawna actually lived with my sister and I for awhile, and I miss her SO much. Josh too-because he lives in California, it was great to finally catch up and hang out with them both. Overall, an awesome week.

Round two to Chicago was spent in Oakbrook. I stayed in a REALLY nice hotel that was in a more secluded, quiet area. Very nice:) We had a fair on Tuesday at College of Lake County in Grayslake which was actually really busy for me. I met some great students who I will hopefully being meeting again in the fall. The other fair I attended was at Depaul University on Thursday night. That was a quiet night, as there weren't many students and families there. Overall all, though, it was a good trip. I got some quality time in with my friends on the road, and I am VERY excited for April and getting to spend more time with all of them. It's such a good group of people!! This was an amazing week, regardless. I'm just really happy with how everything turned out:)

I'm back in the office for two weeks. It seems so crazy that it's the end of March already. I was able, however, to spend my favorite holiday in the office-St. Patrick's day. LOVE IT! I posted a couple of pictures from our potluck lunch that was truly an Irish FEAST! I'm lucky to have such amazing co-workers!

This weekend promises to be pretty good-a good friend from school, Jamie, is getting married on Saturday. Josh and Shawna are coming on Friday and spending what will be a crazy but fun weekend here. So excited for it! I need to find a dress, but have a great date-so it should be a good time. I'll be sure to keep you posted. :)

The family also came in last weekend-it was my mom's birthday and Caitlin (the little sister) registered for classes. She isn't dead-set on Butler, but I can keep my fingers crossed, right?!

That's about all I have from here. Hope everyone is enjoying/enjoyed/will enjoy their spring breaks. I know that I'm definitely ready for warmer weather!! Hope everyone is doing well!!!

The sun'll come out...tomorrow....(is it spring yet?!)

BUMegan — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:12:00 GMT

A little sleepy today....It's gray and overcast and definitely a GREAT day for a nap. Its just TOO bad that I can't take one!

So how much did you love the weather yesterday?! I was in St. Louis yesterday, and it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL there. Sunny and warm, it reminded me of how much I love spring, and how I can't wait for warmer weather! The trip to St. Louis was definitely an abbreviated one, as I had to work on Saturday giving presentations and talking to families. Each Admission Counselor works two Saturdays a semester, and this was one of mine. Erin and I got home and hung out with my parents before eating an amazing homecooked meal (can't beat mom's cooking!!!) and heading to Incarnate (my alma mater!) to see Caitlin in Annie. She was one of the main orphans, the one that says "Oh my goodness!" if anyone is familiar. She was BRILLIANT. She also had a tap solo, which was really cool to see. I always forget just HOW talented my little sister is, and she so proved (AGAIN!) that she can hold her own on stage. The show was a little long, but I really, really liked it. Incarnate has definitely stepped up their shows in the past few years and it's obviously worked, as this year they sold out!!

I got to do a little bit of travel in the end of February and went with Tara to a college fair in Chicago. It was SO, SO good to see Troy, Mike, Justin, Dan and Jae. It definitely got me itching for spring travel, which starts next week. The fair was at St. Ignatius, which is an absolutely beautiful school in downtown Chicago over by UIC. Tara and I got there kinda early, so we just hung out and walked around before an amazing dinner and a pretty busy fair. Can't wait for the rest of my travel, which is partially in March and a lot of April. It's nice because I get to meet so many of the students I'll be working with in the fall!

Last week, the Alumni Office hosted a Young Alumni event before the basketball game against Wright State. SO FUN! They had food and drinks and I got to catch up with some friends I hadn't seen in awhile and had a really good conversation with Tyler.(twice!!) The game was awesome, and it was good to see us beat Wright State in one of the last games of the season. Erin and I stayed to watch the seniors cut down the nets, and heard the announcement of home court advantage and a first-round bye. Definitely a great game to have attended, and I am very excited to see what will happen for the team in these coming weeks!

Other than that, this week promises to be pretty quiet. We've been getting a lot of random questions in the forums about housing, meal plans and the like. If you need ANYTHING or have other questions, please let me know. Hope everyone has a good week!!

happy president's day!

BUMegan — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:37:00 GMT

So I've been putting off this blog entry for almost a week now, and I figure now is the time to just buckle down and do it! I seriously can't believe how fast this month has gone. For some reason, it has been FLYING by, and I really can't figure out why that is, because life really hasn't been too crazy as of late. Last weekend, Pam, Chris, Andy and I went to a conference in Chicago. It was interesting, to say the least. I really couldn't believe just how cold it was there and how much I just did NOT want to go outside. Thankfully, I only left the hotel once in the time we spent there, and I was more than ok with that. It snowed on Monday and while I'm sure Chicago/IL/Iowa residents are done with the snow, I thought it was absolutely gorgeous outside. I'm not sure what it is about snow that I love so much, but it's beautiful to watch and fun to play in. Must be the little kid in me! The conference itself was fine. Some of the sessions were just ok, and a few were really interesting to me. It was a lot of fun to get to hang out with Pam, Chris and Andy though. I am SO, SO lucky that I have such amazing coworkers with whom I truly enjoy spending time. Overall, it was an awesome three days and fun to be back in Chicago again. I definitely missed it!

So Valentine's day was last week...There have been some random posts on the forum about it, which I thought was kinda funny. I'm really not a big fan of Valentine's day, but this year wasn't THAT bad....I guess;) Erin and I rented a movie that night, No Reservations, which was AWESOME. I think Abigail Breslin is such a good actress for someone who's so young. I was really impressed-I really liked it! Other than that, I didn't do anything, and that's how I prefer it. Definitely not a favorite! HA! (However, I promised I would give a shout out to Tyler Johnston. I saw him at Starbucks on Valentine's day, and said I would give him a call-out. So Tyler-YOU'RE AWESOME! how's that?? ;) )

This weekend was the first in awhile that I didn't have to work, and it was SO nice! Friday night, Erin, Nisha and I went to Don Pablo's and waited for Shawna, who got to Indy late Friday night. She had to finish a project, so came in for the weekend to finish it. It was so good to see her, and for the four of us to hang out. It's just so nice to have such amazing friends-we had a really good time going out on Saturday night together, but we usually do. I also got to go shopping on Saturday afternoon, which of course I loved. I got a lot of fun stuff, so I'm considering the trip successful!! All in all it was a really, REALLY good weekend. I'm really lucky to have such good people in my life! :)

This week promises to be busy, at least work-wise. We are finishing up with applications, meeting with families and I get to go back to Chicago for a college fair with Tara, the other counselor who covers Chicago. I can't wait for that!

That's it! One last thing- I have to give props to my little sister Caitlin-she's a senior who applied and got accepted to Butler AND she joined this site. Nice job! ;)

why is life so boring in january?!

BUMegan — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:13:00 GMT

To be honest, I don't really have a lot to talk about. Life has been pretty uneventful as of late, and while I welcome the change, it also can be boring! I'm hoping this weekend brings a little more excitement back into my life!

There's a movie that's coming out I am really excited to see-27 Dresses. Yes, I know TOTAL girl movie and definitely a chick flick, but I'm a really big fan of Katherine Heigl and James Mardsen so I'm hoping we can go see it this weekend when it comes out! I am definitely one of those people who always think about going to see movies I like, and NEVER end up seeing them. It sucks, because then I forget about them entirely after they leave the theatre. My new goal is to watch some movies that I haven't seen during spring travel when I'm up in Chicago. Spring travel is wayyyyy less stressful, as compared to a really full schedule during the fall. I love travel, and especially love the time I get to spend in Chicago in the spring. It starts the process over with Juniors, and it's a lot of fun to meet the students I'll be working with so early on in their college search process. I don't start though, until March, so I'll keep you posted as to how that goes and where I'm headed!

I had to dogsit this week for a friend....she has a yorkshire terrier that's about a year old, and let me tell you, it really made me NOT want any pets. I go back and forth, thinking I'd like a dog. I think, after this whole thing, I'm giving up the idea permanently. No offense, but I really don't think pets are my thing...as witnessed by my week of dogsitting....

I would, however, like to point out that (speaking of dogs) bulldogs broke the top ten most popular dogs list this year, which is apparently compiled by the American Kennel Club. (seriously! who would have thought they make lists like this?!!) Our mascot, Blue 2, actually blogged about it, and you can see what he said here:

www.butlerblue2.blogspot.com

It's a really funny site, so be sure to check it out!

Other than that, life is pretty quiet here. Colin Powell is coming to speak in about a month which is REALLY exciting for campus. Even now, as a staff member, it still amazes me, the opportunities afforded to the students, faculty and staff here. I'm excited at the idea of it!!

Finally, to end, our basketball team is doing SO WELL THIS YEAR! Props to them, to Coach Stevens and all the other coaches. It's been a great season so far!

Have a great holiday weekend:)

Butler 101's, stormy weather and reading files-November at Butler

BUMegan — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:39:00 GMT

November 12...I REALLY can't believe that it's mid November already. This is my second week back in the office, first full week back (thanks to a random trip to Chicago last week) and let me tell you...I think I could be going cross-eyed. I returned to my office to find STACKS of applications all over. My absolutely amazing student assistant (GO TRICIA!) has been so wonderful in prepping all of the applications I have, so I can just sit and read. Which is what I've been doing. Jealous?? Hence the blog entry-I needed a break... and thought this would be the perfect mini distraction before going through more applications this afternoon! To the many, many students who have applied-nice job! I'm impressed how on the ball everyone seems to be in getting in their applications to Butler. Congratulations :)

This weekend was quiet again for me. Not sure what my problem has been, but I've been ALL about staying home and just relaxing. We hosted our LAST Butler 101 on Saturday, and I think it went really, really well. Danielle, our event coordinator, does such a wonderful job. Congrats to her for a great event and for being done with BU101's...til next year!! After the event, my sister (Erin) and I went to lunch with Klint. It was a nice little way to celebrate, even if I was kinda tired!

Saturday night the roommates and I stayed in and watched The Holiday. A total girl movie, I know, but a cute romantic comedy for anyone who's a fan of Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Jude Law or Cameron Diaz. As much as I would hate to admit it, it's a really cute movie that I really did enjoy. But that's the girly side of me coming out! :p

Yesterday I went to Borders for awhile. I honestly LOVE bookstores. I could spend HOURS just looking, reading and browsing. I had a gift card, which makes going to a store like that even better. I got the second season of "The Office." I think it's a pretty good choice, considering I haven't been able to watch any episodes recently. Troy and I were only able to get through a little less than half of Season Two, so I'm excited to finish it! Apparently the second half is even better than the first (according to Troy) so that will be my new goal!

On a side note-the weather has been AWFUL here. I am almost positive our apartment building got hit by lightning Sunday morning, because the TV no longer works. I guess I'll have to watch my new DVDs on my computer...

Finally, thanks to Lake Forest High School-they were my very last high school visit of this travel season and it was a GREAT last visit! I went up to Chicago last Wednesday for it, grabbed lunch with a friend of mine (Mike!), (yes, another Admission Counselor. We are JUST that cool ;) and met with some wonderful students. So thanks to you all!

That's about it. Now back to reading applications....wish me luck!

Got my paper and I was FREE

BUMegan — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 01:29:00 GMT

Sitting my apartment. In INDY! I can now say that travel for 2007 is officially OVER. It is a little bit of a weird feeling, because I feel like my travel season went SO fast, and now it's November. Less than one month until December 1^st, and the applications that are all over my office are proof of that!

This week was awesome-I didn't have any fairs, and I decided to go all out for my hotel this week. I used Priceline, which gave me a deal at the Marriott Hotel in Oakbrook. It was AMAZING! The hotel had a Starbucks (which of course, as a coffee ADDICT, I truly appreciatedJ) I was able to do a lot of fun things this week because of an open schedule in the evening.

(Quick plug for Priceline-use it if you ever get a chance. It's a pretty amazing website!)

I went to Oakbrook Mall and can officially say I'm in love. It's a beautiful mall and the stores were awesome. The one store I didn't get to go to though was an Irish Store. I'm definitely a sucker for anything Irish, and I'm sad that I didn't find it in time before the mall closed at 9. I will definitely be going back, not only to stay but also to the mall! (I just MIGHT also be a sucker for shopping!)

Speaking of Irish things, I ate lunch before leaving today at an Irish Pub called Ballydoyles in Downers Grove. It was so cute! Again, sticking with a love of all things Irish, I love getting to visit Irish pubs and lunch today was AWESOME! Definitely give a chance if you are ever in the area. :)

Last night (Thursday) was the Milwaukee reception, which was held at the Audubon Society, a little north of downtown. We had an amazing dinner at the North Shore Bistro and then had a great reception with some really nice families. The drive from Oakbrook wasn't the most fun I've had, but it the event went well which is what matters!

Halloween was actually quiet for me, I went to dinner to Weber Grill, which is an amazing steak restaurant that has a few different location in Chicago/Chicagoland and they just opened one in downtown Indianapolis. It was a little pricey but so, so worth it! After that I went to see a movie, Dan in Real Life, at a movie theatre close to the hotel. It's a short movie, and a little predictable (at least, I thought so) but a very cute, heartwarming movie and definitely for fans of Steve Carrell or Dane Cook. Both are very cute in the movie!

This weekend should be pretty quiet...and for that I'm grateful. I need some down time, and I am very excited to spend time with friends here, and my roommates (Shawna and Erin! LOVE YOU BOTH!)

That's about it from here...A note to anyone who travels, as I've just completed another round of travel and recognize the importance of helpful hints, is to get audio books!! I was lucky enough to get an audio version of my favorite book, On the Road, by Jack Kerouac. (Amazing book, if you're wondering!) They make the time pass so quickly and I am really glad I had that for my the last trips back and forth from St. Louis and Chicago.

Now, its off to dinner with some friends. SO glad to be back! :)

closer I am to fine....

BUMegan — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

October 25, 2007.....8 days left of my fall travel season. At this point, sitting at my parent's house in St. Louis I am READY to be done. It seems like I've lived six lives since I wrote last, and I'm not sure as to what I can specifically attribute that to...regardless life has been very, very good. I'm very happy (if sleep deprived!!) with how life has been going these past few weeks. Life is at a good point right now. :)

I am finishing up a week in St. Louis and will be heading back to Indy on Saturday. I took my first trip to Evansville for our reception, which seemed to go pretty well. We had about 40-50 people (students and families) come to The Jungle, a coffee shop/restaurant in downtown Evansville. Hopefully the students that attended had a good time-I think it was pretty informative and I'm glad I got to go and see all that downtown Evansville has to offer! (Right Aaron and Stephanie?!) Quick shout out to the students I took in the van with me-Ashley, Nate, Lissa and Andrea-you all rock! Nate, thanks for the CDs on the way home...I definitely needed them!

My last three fairs went really well-the Chicago fair at the Navy Pier (yes, I definitely make a penny after stopping to get coffee. It's awesome ;) was busy almost the entire time, the St. Louis fair at SLU was very good as was the fair the next night at St. Louis Community College-Meramec. I was pretty ready though, on Monday night, to be finished. Some counselors and I went out to Bar Louie for a bite to eat and a drink after the fair, to celebrate. That was a nice feeling!

To any Blues Brothers fans-I FINALLY saw the movie last week for the first time. I figured since I travel to Chicago so much, I might as well see a movie that's filmed in the Windy City. I must say it's a great movie-VERY funny, and I really like the music too. I finally feel like a real life/almost resident of Chicago....as much as I can be!

Gavin Wally (The Garmin GPS) is working out REALLY well. It's probably one of the best purchases I've made in a really long time. I keep finding new things I can use it for and it is definitely convenient to have in Chicago.

That's about all that I have...except for one last thing. The students I met with Evanston deserve props for the most entertaining visit this fall. They were funny, outgoing, asked a lot of questions and were just really awesome in general. So if any of you are reading this, thanks for keeping me entertained and loving my job!

Hope everyone has a good weekend--HOPEFULLY it's not raining (as I feel like it's been a constant barrage of bad weather recently) and we get some sun. You can't beat Butler during the fall, so I hope I can get back to campus before it's too late and I miss my favorite season!

Please let me know if you have questions-more than happy to help, especially at this time of year. Catch y'all later!

a sleepy blog entry....

BUMegan — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 04:11:00 GMT

Week number five of travel....puts me more than halfway done. That seems so crazy, as time seems to have flown by, this week especially. One fair again this week means LOTS of down time, which is why I am SO thankful to have Troy around. :) This is his last week in Chicago, so we've definitely been getting some good down time in before he heads out tomorrow. Chocolate cake shakes from Portillos, BW3's and Season 1 and 2 of the Office are pretty much the highlights of the week for us! (And Christmas shopping, but SHH it seems wayyyy to early to say that) I had seen a few bits and pieces of episodes from the Office, but had never sat down and watched a full show. Now, after this week, we finished the first season and we are halfway through the second. I am addicted. What a good show!!

So yesterday, I got to go to this really cool restaurant which I have to mention. It was in Aurora, after a fair with Marmion Academy and Aurora Central Catholic High School. Walter Payton's Roundhouse Restaurant/Bar/Brewery is the name, and the place is AWESOME. If you are ever near Aurora (Downtown I think?) go check it out. The food was good and the building itself is pretty neat. It was DEFINITELY a good choice. ;) If anyone is wondering-the fair went really well! The Marmion boys are always fun to chat with, as were the students from Aurora Central. (My first visit there, from what I can remember)

I have a fair tomorrow night at the College of Lake County, which I think will be pretty busy. These next few fairs will get kind of crazy, and I had to call the office today to have them ship me some stuff. (Lame, I know, but I keep running out!) We have the big Chicago fair at the Navy Pier on Saturday, and then I'll be making the super exciting drive down to St. Louis for the big St. Louis fair on Sunday at SLU. (Almost positive it's there!!) Life is pretty crazy for the next week or so, and then everything will finally slow down for my final week of travel in IL the last week of October/first week in November.

After almost completing another year of travel, I can still say that although it's tiring and at times trying (thank you, Chicago traffic!!!) I truly, truly do love what I do and the people I work with, both at BU and the counselors I've met up here. It blows my mind that in just two weeks I'll be back in the office reading applications. For those of you who have gotten yours in-congratulations!! I'm excited to read them, and happy for you that you were so on the ball! For anyone still trying to get everything in--you still have time, and know you can always call me if you need help. :) Good luck getting everything filled out-I know what a pain it can be!

I think that's it from here. I am in some need of a good night's rest, as that hasn't been happening too often lately. (Early wake up calls and running around all day seem like they would help the sleeping thing, but it doesn't!!) Hope all is well wherever you are:) Until next time...

PS-To anyone wondering, I DID name the Garmin. His name is Gavin Wally and I can't take credit for his name. Troy and Mike came up with the two names, and I liked them both so much I used them both. So thank you to both of them and if anyone is thinking about buying one-just get it. They are amazing!!

Side note-Happy birthday to Miss Molly. Hope you had a great birthday!

a Garmin, some sushi and a kia optima-week 2 in the Chi

BUMegan — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 19:39:00 GMT

Week 2 in Chicago...

Is WAY better than last week! I actually was in the office yesterday for our BU101 and it was so, so good to see everyone. The event went really well and people seemed to enjoy it, minus the extremely hot weather. I was able to grab lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, Naked Chopstix (sushi bar, SO GOOD!!) and got one of my favorite rolls, the Maui Roll. If you are ever in Indy and want good sushi (and LIKE sushi!) definitely head there. Also, the most exciting news-I GOT MY GARMIN!!! It's amazing. I am definitely in love with how convenient my life is now up here. I never have to worry about getting lost, it reroutes my directions, tells me what time I'll get there, and speaks with an Australian accent. (You get to choose, and I figure that mine has to be a boy, don't you think?)

Only 2 fairs this week, one for District 211 and one at the Illinois Math and Science Academy. It's just SO nice to have some time off-I can work out, hang out and get some stuff done here at the hotel. My friend Troy and I were talking about how much better travel year 2 is as compared to year 1. Now that I know people up here, traveling with them and hanging out with them makes life so much easier. :) Shout out to all those counselors, especially Troy, Justin, Katie, Brian, Mike, Lamar and everybody else-you all are the best. I'm a lucky girl!!

This past weekend went REALLY fast-we had an SAT test that I had to work, and I went to a college fair in Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon. It was a crazy fair! I definitely wasn't expecting the amount of people, but I was happy with the turnout. Thank you to anyone who stopped by that day-it made my day go so much faster (and much better!)

Same goes for the students I met with last week-I had SO many wonderful visits and met so many awesome students. You all were wonderful to talk to, and is definitely a main reason I enjoy what I do so much. To my students at Barrington and Marian Central Catholic, specifically-you all were AWESOME!!! Thank you for such good and entertaining visits. :)

On a side note- to my friends back home in St. Louis (LIFERS!), I miss you all so much. Glad this email thing seems to work out for us so well. And congrats to Miss Mary, who I hear is now engaged?! Crazy.

Glad to know there are some people that read this, or at least look at it. I brought a camera this time around, so expect some pictures in the near future! Have a good week all, and please let me know if anyone needs anything!!