This place is the gallery in Italy that my class and me had a showing at when I studied abroad. Throughout our trip I was involved in two classes. One of them was called the Italian Sketchbook. In this class we walked around Arezzo and other areas that we visited such as Florence and Sienna and drew in our sketchbooks. It was a dream of class. We got to see what beautiful things there were to see and also commemorate them with drawings and paintings. Our other class was called Visual Narrative and in it we were charged with a group project. We had to pick a topic and show a feature that was specific to Arezzo. My partner and I chose graffiti because we had saw that there was so much interesting street art there. Eventually near the end of our time there we had a showing in a gallery to show the culmination of our work in the two classes as a tribute to Arezzo. Our showing was both emotional and bittersweet. I did not want to leave Italy. Overall, to me, this building represents a tale of a truly life changing experience.

For me the Fred Jones Art Center represents a lot. I have had classes there every Monday through Thursday for three years. When I first began I found the building intimating. I had new teachers to work with and so much to learn. I walked in and the building is flooded with creative bold people and artwork. I remember not only being intimidated by also being excited and inspired. My view of the building has grown more meaning throughout the years. I have so many memories there. Everything from daunting all-nighters in the studio and frustration to proudly presenting projects that came out successful and leaving the building feeling really fulfilled. I will always remember this building as it represents so much growth for me personally, both in my character and in my development as a graphic designer.

Out of all the places I traveled to during my study abroad program, my favorite is the Vatican Museum in Rome, Italy. It was located just a few blocks away from our Hotel near St. Peters Square, the Hotel Emmaus. The entrance was beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many beautiful things in one place at one time. We visited the museum just two days after our arrival and it really set a engaging start to the beginning of our program. There was so much to see and everything was so beautiful and rich in history. This place represents the beginning of my immersion into a beautiful culture. My favorite thing that I was able to see there was the hall of statues. There was just so much to see and all of was so masterfully crafted.

Walker Hall is, as you know, one the tower dorms on the University of Oklahoma campus. These interesting and some-what iconic buildings hold a lot of memories for me. This was the first place I lived away from my parents. I experienced a lot of newfound freedom here but also a lot of homesickness. My first year at the University I was truly a mess. There was a lot to learn as far as study habits, social skills, parking locations, living with a roommate and more. As this place holds both positive and negative memories for me I still wouldn’t change a thing. Living in the dorms at college is an experience that I believe everyone should have. It is the best way to immerse yourself into college.

Bold-multimedia is a graphic design and multimedia studio located in Downtown Norman on Main Street. I began working there as a designer at the beginning of last summer and I continue to work there today. It has a sleek street appearance with our eye-catching logo presented on the glass panes that line the front of our studio. This building has definitely affected me in a positive way. It represents the first place outside of school where I am working in my career. It is here that I am getting paid to do something I love. Not only has this building been important to me in a work sense but for me it also represents a place of learning. Every time I go in to work I get to see and learn about how a real design studio works.

I remember the first time I entered it. I was then a design intern for the CCEW, The Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth. I had been invited to meet my boss at the design studio to present a design concept for an annual report they were doing for us. I was super nervous as I entered the building I waited on the couch in the front room and had a chance to look around. The office dogs and the creative eclectic nature of the interior immediately charmed me. The presentation went over well and I thought that was all I would see of Bold-Multimedia. Leslie Christopher, one of the three owners at Bold contacted me a few days later by email and invited me to come in for an interview. I was so shocked and excited. It was a really nice feeling that someone that established saw talent in my work. The office continues to remind me that they saw something in me as I gain great real-life experience and knowledge in my field.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to study abroad in Italy the summer before last. We predominately stayed in B & B Palazzo dei Bostoli In Arezzo. It was located on the main drag in Arezzo, Courso Italia. I have nothing but happy memories in this place. It had a large wooden double-doored entrance off the street where you further entered through a gate and up the stairs. The rooms were fun of beautiful windows that overlooked the bustling Course Italia. I remember the charm of the old wooden floors and brick ceilings. Up more stairs from the living area is a door to a rooftop terrace. This very well may be one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. When it comes to picking my favorite thing about the B & B I am torn between the beautiful terrace and the bakery located beneath it. It was called Bar Stephano, and I vividly remember the nights where I would wake up in the middle of the night and the entire B & B would be full of the most amazing fresh bread smells. This building affected me strongly because of the memories I made there and the happiness I found.