Week 7

Things with my internship are improving dramatically. Since my long deliberations with Fred, I’ve come to the conclusion that despite its pitfalls ASG is the best placement for me. I have a career goal, and that’s not something I give up on. Throughout college I’ve had educational pursuits in almost every possible major area. From engineering to medicine to anthropology—I’ve tried it all—and said to heck with it all. I finally have it figured it out—now it’s time to buckle down and do it. I guess deep down I knew I was never going to leave, but now that I am definitely staying I’ve found a new sense of determination and excitement about my job. This is where I need to be to get to where I want to go (Thanks Jill).

I’ve been going through a lot of self assessment lately. I’ve been in the process of finding myself—making the transition into a very different lifestyle than I’ve previously known. Socially, life as an “adult” is very different. On a daily basis I interact with people of all ages, races, and belief systems (both politically and religiously). Unlike college, where you can self select the group of people and ideology you wish to be surrounded by, you are forced to deal with people you may not want to all the time. The hardest thing I’ve found is being able to take a step back and realize that you can’t change what a person thinks or believes. You have to have the strength in your own beliefs to sit back and agree to disagree. This has been the biggest lesson of my time here. It’s not the responsibility of grocery shopping, maintaining a home, or getting up for work every day that makes being a grown up so hard—it’s everything else.

Despite its difficulties, this is a transition I love making. The sense of accomplishment of waking up and doing a day’s work is wonderful. While as an intern I may not be making the largest contribution, I am still working hard, trying my best, and doing what I’m capable of to add to the company. This is what I came here for.

Lesson of the Week:
1) If you have very little self control when it comes to spending money… just leave your debit card at home, and carry an ATM card from a savings account for emergencies.