Work Zombie.

I’m starting to think that my Halloween costume this year will be a work zombie, because I have no spare time outside of work to do anything of my own. This is of my own accord, I chose to work this much, but stress is high and made worse by the loved ones around me who do not understand why my schedule is the way it is.

I’m having a great time at my internship and am learning so much. Sure I am tired, and constantly worried about how I am going to fill my gas tank up with a measly part-time job paycheck, but I just remember, this too shall pass.

I am on my way!

Oh and another thing, I set up a professional public Facebook page. “Like” it on Facebook to get quick updates,especially because I only update this blog every few days.

Thanks again 😀

Oh brother!

I’ve been so busy, and I’m starting to feel the cons of it, such as feeling run down and stretched out.

I applied for a new part-time job at a grocery store because the hours are better for me. I would be able to work after my internship for a few hours, giving me a day or two off for the weekend to relax, recuperate, and enjoy a small social life.

Plus, I am just flying through gas money and it is so concerning to me because I obviously can’t work without it. I’ve been really spacey and out of it today as well, and I think I just need a day in my pajamas, a cup of hot cocoa, and a few books and movies.

Also, my internship informed me that online articles eventually get taken down, so I need to find a way to get them onto PDF files and stick them here. Will update my featured publications page with them when I get around to that.

Crazy!

I just got back from my school late last night. I left Tuesday afternoon to go up, went out a bit with friends to celebrate my birthday, ran some errands on Wednesday morning, got lunch with my cousin, went to my internship seminar class, hung out with some friends, and then left for the two-hour trip back home.

I cried 5 times yesterday because of how much I miss my professors and classes, as well as my friends.  Luckily, my choice to complete school early and graduate in December, and stay home to do my internship feels right. I feel more concentrated at home.

Still, the first time I walked into the building of where I had most of my classes, I began to cry. I’ve spent so many hours there, learning, creating, and envisioning what my life can be like in the future. I had to spend a couple of minutes in the bathroom to compose myself. I then went and saw my adviser. She is a great lady and told me how proud she was to see me succeed. She convinced me that i should walk at the graduation ceremony in the spring. I began to cry again.

On top of seeing her, I also saw one of the professors I’ve worked a lot with. The adviser for the club I was president of last year. I could only chat with him for a few minutes, but it was nice to see him. I mentioned to him how I kept tearing up and said that I had loved all my classes here. He made a comment that I said that in the past tense. It was an emotional day.

Seeing all my friends was hard too. They’re the people I saw everyday for the 3 years I was up at school. They even said it feels different without me there. At least my school isn’t so far away that I cannot visit from time to time. And I have to go up once a month for a class, anyway, so that excuse is a nice one.

Ahem.

Today is the last day in the first week of my new internship. I need to talk to the internship coordinator, but he wasn’t in yesterday and I haven’t seen him yet today.

I so need to talk about another thing. It occurred to me as I was driving to the internship, that the U.S doesn’t really have plazas. Yes we have strip malls and in NYC usually in front of some buildings people sit and stall in front. But I was reminded of my trip to Italy from seeing a picture Venice how we really don’t have those kinds of public squares. It’s a societal element that I think urban and suburban planners should start incorporating.

Oh, and how about the RNC? I refuse to watch it on television to save myself from getting riled up on politics, but I’ve been reading some articles to keep informed. I’ve been reading op-eds on both sides, and general articles that have slim leanings. What I’m learning is how divided this country is now. Eleven years ago we couldn’t be more close in the dust clearings of 9/11, and now the repercussions of the early 2000’s have left us in a politician division comparable to that of a two best friends feuding over a love triangle. And it’s been morphed into some kind of snowball effect. Now it’s not just politicians hating the other party, but actual people unable to have a conversation with someone who supports in another political party.

I’ll be frank, I’m liberal, but have some very conservative family members. I no longer post political things on my FB or comment on their political postings because I know it’ll incite an argument. But this is how I see it; we may have different political ideologies, but on the very basic level all we want is for ourselves and our families to be happy. Why can’t everyone agree to disagree and live a bit more civilized?

 

In the beginning…

Started my first day of my new internship on Monday. It’s been going well. The paper I’m an intern is not in publication this week, and everyone is pretty much on vacation, as well as they are moving around things in the office, so they haven’t had work for me to do. But I have been helping out with the women’s magazine that has branched off from the paper. I’m really enjoying this work, and the ladies I’m working with are super nice and easy to talk to.

It’s tough being far from my college, especially with my graduation application due in a few days and I need to get it signed by my adviser, but, I can’t make the trip up to school until next week, and the deadline is Sept. 1. On my break today I’m going to call the registration office to beg for a 5 day extension. I need to graduate. Please, please, please, this needs to work!

More about my internship later!

So honored.

My editor called me into his office today to talk about a little field trip I get to go on.

For years, the LIRR and MTA have been working on creating an East Side Access Tunnel.  Lots of Long Island commuters work on the east side of NYC but have to go all the way to the west side of the city to Penn Station because there is no stop before then.

The East Side Access Tunnel will stop of course on the east side, and then I believe direct to Grand Central Station.

The LIRR/MTA have invited my paper to tour the tunnels in progress, which are not expected to be completed until 2019.

So on June 27th I get the opportunity to tour the tunnel.  This is a privilege!  Few people have ever gone down there besides the workers.

I’m truly blessed!

And on June 30th I’m going sky diving for the first time, but that is a present my sister and brother chipped in for.  Spectacular.

I feel really comfortable here and am so grateful to have found this internship.  Now back to work! 😛

Nerves!

Today I handed in my first article.  It was a different experience than handing it into a professor or peer to edit, grade, and return.

I sat at my editor’s desk as he read out-loud my article.  I couldn’t help but already nit-pick things that I could of changed, and small mistakes that I had made out of being nervous.

Despite my heart lodging itself in my throat the whole time, it wasn’t that bad of an experience.  My professors always spoke of this experience.  That there own articles would be pulled apart and marked up unbelievably.  I had a couple of word-agreement mistakes, and needed to shift some information around but other than that the editor said my article was good.

What a relief!

So I survived my first newspaper editing experience.  I have had plenty of articles edited, all of them have been, and a every article should, but this one was new.

I’m glad I didn’t cry!