Goodbye, Internship!

Today was the official last day of my internship. It feels good to not be an intern anymore! I had a great job and the best boss, but I am honestly glad it is over. The biggest drawback of the entire semester? The commute! The more-than-an-hour long commute from the Bronx to Manhattan completely sucks-- especially during rush hour. Almost every morning trip had delays. Last week I was even stuck between stations for an hour. Needless to say, being an intern in NYC is not glamorous.

I am very lucky to have gained so much experience as an undergrad, though. Not many students are able to intern at a law firm before reaching law school. I also learned a lot about what it takes to be a sports agent (one of the fields I would like to enter as a lawyer). It's much more than contract negotiation-- marketing and personal relationships are the keys to your clients' (and your own) success. I'm even thinking about watching some of the NFL Draft on Saturday to see if any of my boss' guys get drafted. I have a new respect for football, but I would definitely want to work with basketball players. Basketball is much more exciting and enjoyable for me, and I need to be interested in the work I do.

Moreover, for my last day my boss took me out to lunch at the restaurant that Justin Timberlake co-owns, Southern Hospitality. I had been wanting to go there all semester! We went to the Hell's Kitchen location, which is easier to get to from where the office is (although, I met him in Grand Central because my train was delayed... surprise, surprise). The food was absolutely delicious. I love southern-style stuff. I got a caesar salad and a BLT wrap, plus we got spinach and artichoke dip as an appetizer. There were so many options to choose from, though, that I want to go back and try more! I definitely recommend it if you're in the city. This location is just a short walk from Times Square, and there is another on the Upper East Side. 

On my way home from lunch, I had a really cool experience on the train. When I first moved here at the beginning of the semester, I was taking the train home with Mary. I'm not sure exactly where we were coming from, but a man came on and sang "Lean On Me." He had such a beautiful voice, and now every time I hear that song I think of him. Today, he was on the train again singing the same song. In a weird way, I felt as if I had come full circle. I'm going to miss the NYC community. We all come from different places, but we're all in it together. 

Here's a great version of "Lean On Me" with Steven Tyler. The video quality is crappy, but it's the music that's important:

Lesson 3: Keep Calm and Carry On

Let's be honest, things are going to happen that we're not all so happy about. If you're me, you are used to freaking out and getting pissed off at a lot of little things. When living in the fast-paced city of New York, there is no time for freaking out no matter what happens. I've noticed during my morning commute that a lot of things tend to go the opposite of how I would like them to. It begins with the small annoyances, like the computerized "Ladies and Gentleman, we are delayed because of train traffic ahead of us. Please be patient." I hear these words almost every morning (sometimes multiple times!) but there's nothing I can do about it. I have to sit (if I'm lucky enough to get a seat) there and wait for the train to keep moving. 

Then there are those things which for me at least are a pretty big deal. The first occurred a few weeks ago. The guy standing next to me on the subway started throwing up on the people sitting down in front of him. For any of you that know me, I do NOT deal with vomit! I don't even want to know when other people have a stomach ache! But what was I to do? The train was moving, we were underground, all I could do was put as much distance between him and me as possible- and believe me I did! I pushed my way through everyone to the other end of the car, took some deep breaths, and tried not to freak out. For the next few days, I was so afraid that someone was going to puke on me on the train. Of course, it can happen at any time, but there's no use worrying about it.

And then today, a bird decided to poop in my hair just as I was getting on the train. The funny thing is, I had just taken a shower and thought to myself "Hey, my hair looks good today." Not for long! When I felt that "plop" I just knew what happened. It was too late to go back home to wash my hair again, so I took the tissues out of my purse and wiped it the best I could. After the hour ride on the subway to work, I went straight to the bathroom and used a combination of paper towels, soap, and water to wash my hair the best I could. The smell was still there a little (and oh GOD did it reek), but I moved on with my day until I could get home and take another shower. Fun, fun. 

Lesson 3: Things that you don't like are going to happen to you. There's nothing you can do about it, so do your best to hold your composure and move on with your life. 

My Internship (So far)

This past week I began working at my internship. I'm working in a small law office. It's really laid back (be jealous, I get to wear jeans), and so far my projects have been pretty cool. My boss is really nice, and seems to trust me and the quality of my work already, which is great. I like that it is low key, but the commuting is rather tiring. I have to take a bus, a train, and another train before I get to work. The commute is about an hour each way. If I can get I seat, I pull out a book to read. On the way home, however, the trains have been really crowded. I'm sure within a week or two I'll get used to it. 

One of the great things about my job is the location. It's on Park Avenue right on the corner of 34th street. On that street there are lots of restaurants and places to shop. Ever heard of Macy's, the world's largest store? It's just a few blocks down. When I got out of work the other day, I took a walk down 34th. Since I'm on a tight budget, I only let myself buy things in Sephora, where I had a gift card. I figure if I can save most of my money for the end of the semester I can go crazy then. I also hope so see at least a few shows while I'm here, so I'm saving for those as well.

Other than that there hasn't been anything else exciting going on. The weather has been pretty bad lately (tons of snow!), so I don't feel like leaving the house unless I have to. So far it looks like this coming week is going to be sunny! I can't wait for that. Also, I would love some visitors! Just something for you all to keep in mind :)