​It’s been almost a year since I graduated from university, and I must say I had no idea eyewear would become such a huge part of my life. Sure I would buy the occasional pair of sunglasses from my local mall, but when it came to having any knowledge about eyewear, both sun and optical, I knew very little. So when I applied to work at an eyewear magazine, I was concerned my lack of knowledge would put me at a disadvantage. Fortunately, it did not.

Now only six months later, I have written content in six issues of 20/20, became familiar with multiple brands and companies, worked hands-on with product, assisted on photo shoots, attended Vision Expo in New York, and now, here I am writing my first editorial column. When I was originally asked to come up with a topic, I had no idea what to anticipate. I had never written a column previously; I was busy trying to prepare for Vision Expo East and completing content I was working on for our next issue. However, after I attended Expo, the pressure of choosing the perfect column topic was lifted off my shoulders.

Entering the Javits Center in New York City for the first time, I was incredibly overwhelmed. It could have been the colossal size of the structure or the thousands of unfamiliar eyewear and eyecare professionals surrounding me. Perhaps it was the fact that my morning commute had been nothing short of a disaster (as per usual), and I was about to miss my first event of the day—assisting Executive Editor Christine Yeh on an interview with “Good Morning America” co-host Lara Spencer at Tura’s booth. Nevertheless I made it to the Jobson booth, pulled myself together and was ready to continue the morning. I accompanied the rest of the 20/20 team to our first meeting at the Marchon Eyewear booth, where I toured the newest products from brands like Nike and Calvin Klein and met with company executives. Before I knew it, it was time for the interview.

We made our way to the Tura booth and waited for Lara to arrive. Once completed, the rest of my day consisted of a meeting with De Rigo Rem, followed by exploring the entirety of the trade show in which I visited multiple booths, browsed hundreds of collections and even enjoyed some food and drinks. As my day was winding down, I came to a significant realization. My anxiety and apprehension had been unnecessary. From my short experience here at 20/20, I have learned more about eyewear than I could have imagined. I have seen the world of eyewear through new eyes. My experiences and the friendships I have made here at 20/20 are ones that I will take with me for the rest of my career, and I look forward to what the future holds.

• Alexandra Hough
Editorial Assistant
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