My life in the long run

My professor at my previous college once told me, "Lance, you're more than just coffee." I have worked for Starbucks for more than four years now, and it's really been tough to let go. This "job" has turned out to be a constant giving machine. It helped me get out of my shell (if you think I'm a quiet person now, you should have seen me before), it gave me coffee a free pound of coffee every week that I never drank, it helped me network to get my first ever internship with a small graphic design firm, it gave me an opportunity to illustrate chalkboards, it gave me furniture for my apartment, and the list just goes on. It's been hard to give up something that has turned out to be so rewarding. For a couple of years now, I have been saying that I wouldn't mind designing somehow within Starbucks, and it's still true. I wouldn't be totally against it. Plus, there are travel opportunities that come with it, and I would love that just as much.

Being a little more realistic I guess, I would like to stay local for a couple of years and work for a design agency, firm, house, boutique. I can see myself working for a couple of different places, though I'm not entirely sure I would be a good fit. I like the idea of working for Hallmark or Barkley, and though VML and Liquid 9 are more interactive/web based, I can see myself gaining a lot of experience and practice from either of those places. I'm not sure. I do know, I am not opposed to moving. The more of this world I can see, the better, and if graphic design is the way I will get to do it, ideal! I'm also liking the idea of doing more advocacy work. The Rosedale project was just the tip of the berg, but it was really great helping a community in need. I will need to research a little more into firms that do advocacy work.