update on a crazy week

Posted by tobysturgill in Inside|Out, lifestyle on August 24, 2010

Wow, what a whirl wind week this has been. Here’s an update:

LAST SUNDAY: drove back to Nashville from DC with the decision made to move to DC in two days.

LAST MONDAY: I packed up my office in CoLab Nashville and said goodbye to the folks there.

LAST TUESDAY: I packed up my belongings in the house I was staying at. I was able to take most of everything. I had to leave my mattress, the Christmas tree and some other storage bins. I was only taking what would fit in the back of my SUV. I was able to say “farewell for now” to some really great people at aLoft Hotel in Coolsprings that night. It was great seeing everyone there.

LAST WEDNESDAY: I made the long drive back across I-40, up I-81 and over I-66 to the capitol beltway and arrived around 8PM exhausted.

LAST THURSDAY: was spent looking for jobs around Shirlington, Ballston and McPherson Square area. Lots of Metro riding!

LAST FRIDAY: I interviewed at Union Jack’s British Pub in Ballston and had a second interview at A|X Armani Exchange. I met up with two new friends for a happy hour at Capitol City Brewing Company in Shirlington (the coolest little neighborhood and mainstreet… more on that later).

SATURDAY: I hear back from A|X Armani Exchange and they offer me a part time position. I take it.

SUNDAY: Church and a MUCH needed day of rest.

YESTERDAY: I work on GO projects, open a PO box in Shirlington, and have my first day of training at A|X. I also get a DM tweet asking if I’m single and would mind having a date with me auctioned off for a great cause. I agree to it and will now be up for auction at Busboys and Poets in downtown DC for the Citizen Gulf National Day of Action. Read more here: http://bit.ly/a2PCA1

So I haven’t even been here a full week and already I have a job, am making new friends and will have a date by the end of the week. That is if someone bids on me… ladies, you can’t just leave me standing up there. Awkward.

This just wasn’t happening in Nashville. It’s amazing to see how God moves us by closing doors and opening others. Everything was closed in Nashville. Everything.

To many, the decision to move seemed VERY fast and almost like a knee-jerk decision after a “mountain top experience” (Inside|Out).  Truth be told, I was ready to leave last October when I came back from New Zealand. I knew that God was moving me in a different direction, but I wasn’t sure which way to go. Was it to New Zealand, Los Angeles, New York? As time went on that year it became harder and harder for me to really feel contented there. The only thing that made it livable was my relationship with my friends. Y’all are awesome.

So for the record, the decision to move had been a long time coming and when I saw the open window I jumped through it before it closed; Indiana Jones style.

Currently it’s been decided that I’m to be the Communications Director for Inside|Out Global. I’ll be working on Global branding initiatives, communications collateral as well as attending all of the film intensives world wide. We’re trying to work out a way to go to Australia three times in the next year and a half to further develop a ground team there. There is a lot going on and I can’t imaging myself doing anything else right now.

More updates on the way!

moving forward

Posted by tobysturgill in Inside|Out, lifestyle on August 14, 2010

There is so much to write about that I’m not sure where to begin. I’ll break it down and manage it the best I can.

THE SHORT OF IT:

• I had another amazing experience with Inside|Out Global that I’ve decided to move to Washington DC to help it get off the ground. My last day in Nashville will be Tuesday night, August 17th. I know… less than a week.

• I’ll be working any part time retail/restaurant job I can get while working with Inside|Out Global to get that off the group and running. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us and I’m excited to get my hands dirty. Gradient Overlay will still be up and running so clients, don’t worry about that. Think of it as a change of address.

• I’ll be back in Nashville Sunday evening and packing up Monday and Tuesday and driving back here on Wednesday. I have a second interview with Armani Exchange here on Friday in Pentagon City.

• Final get-together will be on Tuesday night from 5-8 at aLoft Hotel in Coolsprings. Come and go as you please. If you’re in the area, I would love the chance to say “farewell for now.”

THE LONG OF IT:

Those of you that know me, know that I’ve been involved twice now with an organization called, “Inside Out.” Essentially we teach filmmaking to under-served inner-city youth as a means for them to tell their stories. And boy do they have some stories. It’s always fascinating to see God move in the lives of  the students, but also in the lives of the mentors and instructors.

After I came back from New Zealand I felt so moved to be involved that I sold all of my possessions (you can read about all that here) so that I could go anywhere at anytime.

Finally, this is my time!

Over the past year God has closed ever single door to me in Nashville and other cities where I’ve applied for jobs: Dallas, TX with Southwest Airlines, Martha’s Vineyard with Vineyard Vines, along with many others.

Over my 5 1/2 years in Nashville I’ve made the best friends and the best memories of my life. I can’t thank each and everyone of you enough for the tremendous blessing you’ve been in my life. The relationships and the people is what I’ll miss the most.

Please try to stop by aLoft Hotel in Coolsprings on Tuesday night between 5-8 so I can give you a hug and say farewell! I’ll be driving out early the next morning.

I don’t see this as an ending at all… it’s a new beginning; a fresh start. And I can’t wait to get started.