(originally posted on http://banisterbanter.wordpress.com on january 27, 2010)

Coming back to RVA after a five week hiatus is a bit of a mind fuck.

Not only is it a mere 50 degrees warmer here, it feels like I never left. And that's after two 15-hour drives across the eastern half of the US. I feel like I went into hiding and after a two-month hibernation, I emerged into a "January" that feels more like Chicago's June.

Didn't take too long to get over it though. Five days into second semester and everything is already full steam ahead. Got two hours of sleep last night. I'm halfway through my first black book of the semester (it was brand spanking new last Tuesday) and I've already managed to kill one pen.

It's good to be back.

You know, as long as I've been blogging, I don't think I ever mentioned how I got to be in advertising. Now seems like a good time. Shall we?

Rewind to August 2008. I'm still at Marquette (@MarquetteU) and it's two weeks before the start of junior year. I want to drop out of school. Not that school is ever that fun, but finance REALLY sucked.

After a long week (and a few words from my parents), I did the smart thing and changed majors instead. If only it were that easy. Finance had mauled my GPA to the point where I was on a semester-by-semester review. Even the College of Communications wasn't convinced I would succeed. Thanks, guys.

My first brush with advertising was with Jean Grow, one of the rare professors at Marquette that "get it." Loved her class so much, I took her for copywriting the next semester. By the second week of copywriting, I knew. If I could do anything for the rest of my life, this was it.

Meanwhile, Jean was a huge advocate for a little website called ihaveanidea.org (an orgy of all that is advertising). I used to spend hours gawking at the talent on the site, intimidated by what lies beyond Marquette.

Fast forward to February 2009. Graduation is three months away and I have zilch for a portfolio (I'm Photoshop illiterate). I need help. The practical solution? Miami Ad School.

No joke. But when you're talking about dropping $30K on a school that doesn't give you a degree, you better be damn sure it's the right decision.

And so I Googled.

And Googled some more.

Until finally, I happened upon ihaveanidea. Someone asked for opinions on portfolio schools and a Brandcenter professor happened to be the one to respond. Researched some more and haven't looked back since.

Fast forward again, this time to Tuesday, January 26, 2010. It's 9am. I've had three cups of coffee and am debating a shot of 5-Hour Energy. Just as I manage to psych myself out (again), in walks Mark Avnet with what I can only imagine the Costa Rican version of Gerard Butler would look like if he existed.

Ladies and gentlemen: Ignacio Oreamuno, the founder of ihaveanidea.org.

Well, shit.

Turns out, my Digital Engagement class (taught by the brilliant Mark Avnet) will be working on a project for ihaveanidea. An actual project with real world application. FINALLY. I can't say much else, but  you better believe the level of awesomeness associated with this project is through the ozone layer.

Oh, and Ignacio Oreamuno? Super cool dude.

I shook his hand.