Hi, my name is Lydia, and I’m the new kid at the ‘Peg.

So, grab your vodka tonic or overpriced microbrew, because we’re going on a speed date.

The Boring Basics

I was born in St. Paul, MN, but I’ve been in Indiana since I was five (apart from a brief stay in Tasmania). I graduated from Butler University in 2016 with a double major in English and Philosophy. If you ever want to chat about metaphysics, time travel, or eternalism – I’m your gal. Or, if you’d prefer a suggestion for a good novel, chat about how outdated traditional canonical literature is, or discuss your seething hatred of all things Shakespeare, we can talk about that as well.

So, how does a hippy dippy English and Philosophy major get into marketing? Well, 18 credit hours, a full-time job and having a social life didn’t keep me busy enough, so I started doing some marketing for a restaurant that I was working at. After I graduated, I spent a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA (essentially domestic Peace Corps), where I helped to eradicate and better understand poverty in Indianapolis by working behind the scenes at a nonprofit. While there, I found my passion for all things digital marketing, including but not limited to: social media, email marketing, web design, content and my all-time favorite: analytics.

So now that you’re one drink in, and we’re getting a little more comfortable with each other, let’s dive in.

The Weird Stuff

I live in a haunted apartment in the quaint little town of Irvington. Yes, haunted. Yes, it’s awesome. And before you ask, it’s a nice ghost, albeit mischievous. It just likes to hide silverware all over the house and sit on the bed. Besides the ghost, I live with the love of my life, Michael (who is a part-time paralegal and part-time bee keeper) and our two cats – Gorgonzola and Halloumi, or Zola and Loumi for short. We did name our cats after cheese, so if that tells you anything about us…

Anyway, I’ve got two cats at home, and two at work, so my life is about to be filled with hilarious antics and hairballs. When I’m not working, I’m pretty much your average 20-something. I love to travel, and have been to about 10 different countries; I’ve snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef, hiked an active volcano, and trekked through some pretty sketchy areas of Eastern Europe. I’m also an avid runner, I love checking out new bars and restaurants, and binge watching shows – I’m currently watching Lost for the first time – no spoilers!

So now that I’ve overshared, as anyone would do on a speed date, our short time is coming to an end, but on a final note:

I am beyond thrilled to be here. As my first “real” big-girl job, I could not have landed at a better place. Cats, cheese, popsicles and awesome people make for an amazing work environment. More than anything, I live and breathe marketing and communications. This is my dream job, and I’m certainly not going to take it for granted. I just can’t wait to get started!

If you are in the neighborhood, stop by to meet Lydia Thurston or look for her on Twitter  @lydiacecile