When Paul was almost ready to head off to college - and as Holly began preparing to return to Europe - the two of them began strategizing ways to stay in touch.
There are the traditional means of contact - letters, emails, etc. Social media could also play into the equation with Twitter tweets and Facebook updates. And there’s always Skype.
But leave it to these kids…they decided to eschew many of those traditional communication channels and do their own thing and all it takes is a camera…and a little ingenuity.
They’ve created a Vlog.
Without getting into the technical definition or even the pop culture significance of this particular social media channel, I can tell you the basics of what they are doing. Simply put, they are posting videos online for each other. The video updates - posted through YouTube - will give each other insight into what the other is doing during their daily lives.
Paul’s “half” of the vlog talks about adjusting to life on a college campus; Holly will speak about the adjustment of relocating to a foreign country (albeit for a finite period of time). Paul is at university, of course, so his first few clips have discussed the process of getting on campus and getting plugged into college life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ6LiguRYZ4
Holly has covered all the prelude to her trip - from applying for a Visa to enjoying the last summer days in East Tennessee.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBX_ddFREF8
What I think is particularly clever about these clips is that they reveal the unique styles of the individuals. Holly is thoughtful and thorough in her approach; Paul is always the performer.
Most importantly, the vlog will allow the two of them to stay connected across the miles over the next few months. And it is a great example of the two of them collaborating on a project as Lisa and I have seen them do so diligently as they were growing up.
JG
Originally posted 9/4/2013
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