So now that I'm back home, over my jet lag and starting to settle back in to the 100-degree Texas heat, I guess it's time for me to write my last post and call this experience officially over. As much as I'd rather not, here's a wrap-up of my last days overseas, proof positive that yes, it is done...and so real life returns.
After taking my IB final on Friday morning, I spent part of a beautiful afternoon at St. Paul's Cathedral, climbing all 252 steps to the top of the dome! What a view....gave a really great perspective of how big London really is. Despite just reminding me of that song from Mary Poppins ("feed the birds...tuppins a bag"--anyone??), St. Paul's is a gorgeous church in a really pretty part of the city, right across the Millennium Bridge from the Tate Modern.
Zara and I spent Thursday afternoon at the Tate's "Global Cities" exhibit--something else that gave an amazing perspective of this city (and several others: Cairo, Mexico City, Mumbai, Istanbul...) in terms of population distribution, growth rate, ethnicity, layout, etc. Very illustrative and incredibly interesting.
After returning from St. Paul's, Shu and I spent about an hour saying goodbye to Kensington Gardens in an oh-so-fitting way....wine and pastries, of course! The "pastries" were really cupcakes--a thoughtful gift from a friend--but they still count and in fact were pretty amazing. The weather was perfect (definitely got lucky for our last couple of weeks in this respect!) and it was the best way to spend the best part of the afternoon...lazing in the sun on towels in the grass, sipping on white French wine and licking icing off our fingers, no objective but people watching while enjoying the scenery and each other's company.
Then it was off to the EUSA-hosted goodbye party at a bar a few tube stops to the west. As nobody else had other plans, this was quite a way to spend the evening: with our entire houseful of new friends, food, drink, dancing and general merriment. Though the place stayed open till 2 a.m. (an incredible rarity...most close at 11!), some friends and I caught the tube home before it closed to start packing, hang out, and embark on our last adventure: staying up to watch the sunrise before catching our flights out.
When we first arrived in London, the sun was rising at about 3:30 a.m. and setting after 11 p.m. Strangely enough--and very illustrative of the length of time we spent there--on the day we left it rose at 5:45 and was beginning to set around 8:30. crazy!! So it actually was a bit of a feat to stay up, but definitely worth it to see those colors wrapping around the tops of old buildings, as the city started to come to life below our fifth-floor "balcony" viewing point.
After this, it wasn't long until I had to leave the flat at 6:30 to make my 10:20 flight out of Gatwick. I thought I'd have plenty of time, but only arrived about 20 minutes prior to boarding. Given many options for heading to the airport, I decided to play big girl and take the tube to Victoria Station and a train from there by myself...meaning I'd have to lug all my luggage on my own. Luckily, good friends and nice people we usually available to offer their assistance--definitely wouldn't have made it otherwise!
Fourteen hours and two plane rides later, I was in the back of my parent's car drinking a big Bill Miller's sweet tea and eating chicken strips and fries (NOT CHIPS!!). oooh man I never thought fried grease could taste so good--or so much like home. As much as I'll miss being in London, it was definitely time to come home. And after all is said and done, it's not so much the place that I'll miss--the tube brake dust in my nose at night, the countless foreign accents, the dogs and children running free in the beautiful parks, even the incomparable pastries I can do without. It's just the experience of being in a completely new place surrounded by completely new and unfamiliar things, being forced to acclimate or not survive. OK, so maybe "survival" is too strong a term, but it's true: if you never let yourself really live in and try to understand your new surroundings, you're not getting the full experience. That's something I learned--foreign cultures (even one as close to our own as Britain!) are "strange" by definition, but also provide an incredible opportunity for learning. Every little thing is new and exciting, so the whole experience has this sense of enchantment....as in, what am I going to see/hear/find/eat/learn today?? There's really no telling.....
A new goal of mine is to keep this attitude and "sense of enchantment" even returning home--as corny as it sounds, I know. If you think about it, every single experience at home is literally just as new as the things I saw this summer in London--I mean nothing can be an exact repetition, right? London was exciting because it was new, but there's no reason I can't be equally as excited about everyday life!! Believe me, I'm planning on it.....
15 August 2007
09 August 2007
Almost the end?
No, this isn't my "the end" post.....but its pretty close, which for me is pretty strange. It truly seems just like yesterday when all the people I've become such good friends with were strangers, when there was no work to do and we were all naive tourists. I don't think I'll realize how long ago that really was until I get home and the amount of time I've been gone starts to set in. In the grand scheme of things two months isn't all that long, but when you pick up your whole life and move it to another continent across the ocean, the normal grind of "daily life" at home can start to seem very foreign. The really important things that will start to happen at home next week (band, moving in to my apartment, etc.)....right now it still hasn't set in that they actually will be happening next week. I expect what I'm doing right now to just keep going, and I'm afraid I won't realize that it can't until I land at DFW.
whew.....enough of that! Today is my last day of work at Ethical Corporation--or here in London at least. My bosses have said they hope I can continue working remotely once I leave, so I feel like this is a definite possibility that I'm incredibly excited about! If you've read my earlier posts, there's nothing bad I can say about this company or my time here....I'm really going to miss this.
I'm really going to miss lots of things about this whole experience, but despite this feeling I'm completely ready to come home. I don't know why, but I came to the realization a while ago that I wasn't ready to leave then--too much left to see and do--but that I would be when the time came. Well, I've seen and done all those things (and more!), the time has come and now I'm ready.
As for the "seen and done" part: since I turned in some major class projects last week, there's just been too much going on! I can't actually write about it all, so a list will have to do....
whew.....enough of that! Today is my last day of work at Ethical Corporation--or here in London at least. My bosses have said they hope I can continue working remotely once I leave, so I feel like this is a definite possibility that I'm incredibly excited about! If you've read my earlier posts, there's nothing bad I can say about this company or my time here....I'm really going to miss this.
I'm really going to miss lots of things about this whole experience, but despite this feeling I'm completely ready to come home. I don't know why, but I came to the realization a while ago that I wasn't ready to leave then--too much left to see and do--but that I would be when the time came. Well, I've seen and done all those things (and more!), the time has come and now I'm ready.
As for the "seen and done" part: since I turned in some major class projects last week, there's just been too much going on! I can't actually write about it all, so a list will have to do....
- Thursday: a late opening at the Museum of London. This was medieval-themed with a hog roast, period musicians, a table of authentic objects that you could pick up and talk with the curators about, and a private tour of the museum
- Friday: after class we visited the Natural History museum (great dinosaur exhibit!), went to eat Indian food on Brick Lane (this is very near where I work--same tube stop), played around "downtown" (near the Tate Modern, Globe, Millennium Bridge & St. Paul's), ate Chinese food in Soho and went on a historic Ale Trail that we almost finished...to be continued. :)
- Saturday: got up very early to go queue to buy last-minute tickets to Wicked at the Apollo Victoria, visited the British Library's "Sacred" exhibit of books and artifacts plus lots of history about Christianity, Islam and Judaism; spent the afternoon at Regent Park for the innocent (smoothie company--like Naked) village fete (reminded me of the Folklife Festival, county-fair style with more free stuff), and went to see Wicked! Absolutely amazing musical--best I've seen here, and that's saying something---and afterward we met all the stars as they were leaving the theatre! Then I immediately downloaded the soundtrack, which has been in my head ever since and is not leaving any time soon. :)
- Sunday: I went to church in the morning, visited the Tate Modern for about 45 minutes before I realized that I don't get modern art (though I did enjoy a few Pollocks, a Matisse and a Monet), then headed out on a train to the countryside to "Go Ape!" I can safely say this was one of the most enjoyable experiences of the trip...it was basically a ropes course in the treetops with ziplines, ladders, and all kinds of obstacles to get you from platform to platform. The coolest part was that after a little educational session, you sign your life away and are basically unsupervised--a lot of responsibility to make sure you know what you're doing!! An amazing excursion.
- Monday: finished the Ale Trail by visiting the last pub after work, eating dinner and earning my T-shirt, which I really wanted to wear to work this week but have refrained from doing.
- Tuesday: apparently was boring, as I have nothing to write about here
- Wednesday: the 30th annual Great British Beer Festival was happening at Earl's Court--this is a two-week long event where tons of breweries set up inside this gigantic venue and serve beer you'd never be able to get in one place. I thought this was hilarious, as it reminded me of a convention--like TMEA or some home and garden expo--but for beer. Of course it was. :) Really fun evening!
26 July 2007
Nothing bad to say.....
In a few hours I have my midterm review with EUSA (forget the fact that its not really the middle of the term...) for my internship placement. They want to know "how things are progressing" and help me "troubleshoot any issues" I'm having on the job. This makes me laugh, because my job is so beyond perfect for me that I don't think the reality will set in until I get home and think back on what I did. I almost don't want to write this post because it feels like I'm just bragging about my great experience.....which I guess I am, partly.....but hopefully it will convince at least one other person to take that terrifying chance, see what you've been given, and run with it all the way. I have nothing bad to say.
For starters, my coworkers are the best group of people I could have asked to spend the summer learning from. Especially Zara, whom I spend the most time with--I'm so glad she's willing to take the time to teach me things; I was really starting from the ground up with this!! I recently realized I'm going to miss spending the days listening to their hilarious conversations while I sit at my computer.
I also think its great that my workplace is so informal...very different from the companies many of my friends are working for. I kind of expected to spend the summer doing "intern work" in the corner by myself......completely wrong!! The closest I've come to that so far is Zara laughing it up while delegating me to write a press release she didn't really want to do herself....you're right, not very close at all :) Plus, everything is new and exciting to me so there's no way I won't think its fun!
I've also picked up on a couple journalistic differences between here (at least my office) and the States, in addition to the whole British v. American spelling thing:
www.climatechangecorp.com
In conclusion, I guess, I'm extremely blessed to be where I am. I can't wait to see where this experience will lead me once I get home!
For starters, my coworkers are the best group of people I could have asked to spend the summer learning from. Especially Zara, whom I spend the most time with--I'm so glad she's willing to take the time to teach me things; I was really starting from the ground up with this!! I recently realized I'm going to miss spending the days listening to their hilarious conversations while I sit at my computer.
I also think its great that my workplace is so informal...very different from the companies many of my friends are working for. I kind of expected to spend the summer doing "intern work" in the corner by myself......completely wrong!! The closest I've come to that so far is Zara laughing it up while delegating me to write a press release she didn't really want to do herself....you're right, not very close at all :) Plus, everything is new and exciting to me so there's no way I won't think its fun!
I've also picked up on a couple journalistic differences between here (at least my office) and the States, in addition to the whole British v. American spelling thing:
- They always use the present tense for news. Instead of differentiating between certain circumstances of quotes, they use "says" instead of "said."
- Punctuation can go outside of quotes!! This is not just where I work, I've read it in all kinds of publications! As in, "blah blah blah", he said. Unless the comma is part of the quote, it goes outside. The same when referring to a word, like "word", because obviously the comma isn't part of that "thing" that you're quoting. weird!!
www.climatechangecorp.com
In conclusion, I guess, I'm extremely blessed to be where I am. I can't wait to see where this experience will lead me once I get home!
25 July 2007
Week Back in LDN
On one hand the weeks seem so long here, probably because we pack them full of all kinds of random fun activities. Sometimes I literally have to sit and think about what exactly I did two days ago--it seems like forever since I've been back from Dublin (only a little over a week), but that week was full of crazy-amazing stuff.
On the other hand, though, the time is really starting to fly by.....as cliche as it is, I guess that old saying is true! I can't believe I can now count in days how much time is left--less than 20. mindboggling!!
Anyways, on a more positive note.....the (relatively) short time I have left is going to be just as full--if not more so--with things to do. I'm getting to the point where there are certain things I need to do before leaving, so its more like checking things off a list than aimlessly wondering what to do next....I kind of enjoy it. :) It gives my fun an objective!
Since Dublin, though, (sorry, its just the easiest way to measure time!!) there's been a lot going on. Last Wednesday EUSA was selling some discounted tickets to Mary Poppins (the musical), and I had been toying with the idea of trying to go so I just hit it up after work. Tickets were cheap enough but the seats were not--I guess not terrible but not what I've been used to buying last-minute, dirt-cheap, third-row orchestra. Great musical though, with some pretty impressive special effects. Kind of sucks to try and do Mary Poppins....nobody is Julie Andrews and Dick van Dyke. :)
Thursday a small group went to try Yo! Sushi, the "conveyor-belt" sushi restaurant with color/price coded plates. Turned out to be really great....I would say expensive, but that's everything here, so meh. :) I definitely could have grabbed several more of those plates just zooming on past--I guess that's the point--but you just have to watch out for the colors!! I ended up with a stack of like 5 dishes, but it was awesome watching the (I assume) well-off businessmen next to us put away tower after tower of the "platinum" plates.....man, I wish. :)
Friday after class I went to the first day of a three-day conference on investigative journalism that I was lucky enough to be able to attend through work--really really compelling stuff!! Makes my work look wishy-washy though, having someone literally stand up there and tell you what to do with your hidden camera when your cover's blown, what's the best way to hide the wires, etc. For real!! Crazy stuff, what have I gotten myself into?!? A couple of really memorable topics, my favorite from an Iraqi reporter making documentaries--for some reason his stories really brought home to me the situation over there, like nothing's ever done before. It was eerie, especially being an American listening to him recount his personal experiences. Quite a bit of, say, hostility toward us in that room, but not overtly from the author....he was just telling a story and letting the facts speak for themselves--very admirable, but at the same time very strange, for me I guess.
Later in the evening some friends and I went to a wine-tasting at a really nice place near the Thames--I was very impressed!! We got quite a bit for our money, and I kind of feel like a pro now....ok, not a pro but I at least know more about wine than I did. not saying much..... :)
Saturday and Sunday were spent at the conference too--sitting all day just made me that much more antsy to go out and have fun in the evenings, so each day wrapped up with some time spent at a nice pub or club. Sunday I went to go see Hairspray (the movie) at a great theatre near Piccadilly Circus--awesome movie, go see it!! Maybe I'm lame, but stuff like that just makes me want to dance around.....which I definitely did on my way out of the theatre. :)
So that's recent fun....tomorrow a post about work, I promise!! It really is happening in the midst of all this..... :)
On the other hand, though, the time is really starting to fly by.....as cliche as it is, I guess that old saying is true! I can't believe I can now count in days how much time is left--less than 20. mindboggling!!
Anyways, on a more positive note.....the (relatively) short time I have left is going to be just as full--if not more so--with things to do. I'm getting to the point where there are certain things I need to do before leaving, so its more like checking things off a list than aimlessly wondering what to do next....I kind of enjoy it. :) It gives my fun an objective!
Since Dublin, though, (sorry, its just the easiest way to measure time!!) there's been a lot going on. Last Wednesday EUSA was selling some discounted tickets to Mary Poppins (the musical), and I had been toying with the idea of trying to go so I just hit it up after work. Tickets were cheap enough but the seats were not--I guess not terrible but not what I've been used to buying last-minute, dirt-cheap, third-row orchestra. Great musical though, with some pretty impressive special effects. Kind of sucks to try and do Mary Poppins....nobody is Julie Andrews and Dick van Dyke. :)
Thursday a small group went to try Yo! Sushi, the "conveyor-belt" sushi restaurant with color/price coded plates. Turned out to be really great....I would say expensive, but that's everything here, so meh. :) I definitely could have grabbed several more of those plates just zooming on past--I guess that's the point--but you just have to watch out for the colors!! I ended up with a stack of like 5 dishes, but it was awesome watching the (I assume) well-off businessmen next to us put away tower after tower of the "platinum" plates.....man, I wish. :)
Friday after class I went to the first day of a three-day conference on investigative journalism that I was lucky enough to be able to attend through work--really really compelling stuff!! Makes my work look wishy-washy though, having someone literally stand up there and tell you what to do with your hidden camera when your cover's blown, what's the best way to hide the wires, etc. For real!! Crazy stuff, what have I gotten myself into?!? A couple of really memorable topics, my favorite from an Iraqi reporter making documentaries--for some reason his stories really brought home to me the situation over there, like nothing's ever done before. It was eerie, especially being an American listening to him recount his personal experiences. Quite a bit of, say, hostility toward us in that room, but not overtly from the author....he was just telling a story and letting the facts speak for themselves--very admirable, but at the same time very strange, for me I guess.
Later in the evening some friends and I went to a wine-tasting at a really nice place near the Thames--I was very impressed!! We got quite a bit for our money, and I kind of feel like a pro now....ok, not a pro but I at least know more about wine than I did. not saying much..... :)
Saturday and Sunday were spent at the conference too--sitting all day just made me that much more antsy to go out and have fun in the evenings, so each day wrapped up with some time spent at a nice pub or club. Sunday I went to go see Hairspray (the movie) at a great theatre near Piccadilly Circus--awesome movie, go see it!! Maybe I'm lame, but stuff like that just makes me want to dance around.....which I definitely did on my way out of the theatre. :)
So that's recent fun....tomorrow a post about work, I promise!! It really is happening in the midst of all this..... :)
16 July 2007
Dublin Adventures!
So Dublin! This post is a little late in coming, but it's been quite a busy week.
Last Friday a group of a dozen EUSA kids ran from class to the airport via fast train to catch our .01 pence Ryanair flight to Dublin. Our airline turned out to be better than I expected for the price paid--security and check in was a mess, but we were also a bit hurried so that contributed to the fluster.
Upon arrival it was....(drumroll)....raining. No surprise there, but the rest of the weekend turned out to be a massive treat. Having such a large group wasn't as unwieldy as I expected, as everyone kind of split up to do their own thing with friends. The hostel was still a "hostel," but nicer than any I'd been to before. Jacob's Inn, right in the city centre: huge property, courteous check-in staff....the normal crowd of sketchy hostel-stayers, but it was cheap and we didn't require all that much in terms of creature comforts. :) I also found that a bottle of Johnson's baby shampoo is all one requires in the way of toiletries for an entire weekend. Plus toothpaste.
So Friday was marked by the opening round of visits to "traditional" Irish pubs (which cater to tourists--most of them) for food and drink...including some good Dublin Guinness--an acquired taste for me, but nice stuff once you realize you can't have it this good anywhere else. I ordered a beef stew that came served in a hollowed-out loaf of sourdough bread--gigantic. A group of Irishmen sitting next to us even asked me how I was going to eat it and I responded, expectedly, that I didn't really know. :) Dig in, I guess!
Saturday for me was spent on an amazing tour of the Irish countryside--up into an area called Wicklow, where there are some quaint villages, great scenery, rivers and lakes of Guinness (not really but you wouldn't know the difference just by looking!), ruins of old monasteries, and sheep. Lots of sheep. The sheer size and openness of the country (it just doesn't quit!) made me want to, like, frolic around in the moorlands or something. It was really great. Plus our tour group was small with a knowledgeable and entertaining guide, who loved his job and took special care to take us to some off-the-beaten-track sites.
In the evening we went to an Irish dinner/song/dance show, traditional all the way. I had lamb stew and some Irish coffee before the live music started, broken up by stints of Riverdance-esque performances from a small troupe. It was great, and then we went to explore the city nightlife a little more before heading back to the hostel.
Sunday started with an Irish breakfast before a tour of the city in the hop-on, hop-off the big bus fashion. Surprisingly informative and good transportation between tourist spots--I'm glad I spent a few euro on it. And then....the last tour stop was at the Guinness Factory. In addition to being, well, the Guinness Factory, it was really educational if you're interested in how beer is made...I didn't think I would be, but it's actually quite interesting. After an informative self-guided tour, your admission includes a free pint at the top in what they call the Gravity Bar, where you're in a glass-walled room with a 360-degree view of the city! Also glad I decided to invest in this tour--very, very worth it. :)
Then it was a whirlwind of bussing to the airport, waiting for delays, flying into whichever small London airport offers cheapest flight (Stansted--flew out of Luton), and getting home VERY late after not wanting to wait for the bus, walking for a bit and giving in to a cab.
Exhausting, fun-filled weekend that was worth every penny! (pence? euro?) :)
Last Friday a group of a dozen EUSA kids ran from class to the airport via fast train to catch our .01 pence Ryanair flight to Dublin. Our airline turned out to be better than I expected for the price paid--security and check in was a mess, but we were also a bit hurried so that contributed to the fluster.
Upon arrival it was....(drumroll)....raining. No surprise there, but the rest of the weekend turned out to be a massive treat. Having such a large group wasn't as unwieldy as I expected, as everyone kind of split up to do their own thing with friends. The hostel was still a "hostel," but nicer than any I'd been to before. Jacob's Inn, right in the city centre: huge property, courteous check-in staff....the normal crowd of sketchy hostel-stayers, but it was cheap and we didn't require all that much in terms of creature comforts. :) I also found that a bottle of Johnson's baby shampoo is all one requires in the way of toiletries for an entire weekend. Plus toothpaste.
So Friday was marked by the opening round of visits to "traditional" Irish pubs (which cater to tourists--most of them) for food and drink...including some good Dublin Guinness--an acquired taste for me, but nice stuff once you realize you can't have it this good anywhere else. I ordered a beef stew that came served in a hollowed-out loaf of sourdough bread--gigantic. A group of Irishmen sitting next to us even asked me how I was going to eat it and I responded, expectedly, that I didn't really know. :) Dig in, I guess!
Saturday for me was spent on an amazing tour of the Irish countryside--up into an area called Wicklow, where there are some quaint villages, great scenery, rivers and lakes of Guinness (not really but you wouldn't know the difference just by looking!), ruins of old monasteries, and sheep. Lots of sheep. The sheer size and openness of the country (it just doesn't quit!) made me want to, like, frolic around in the moorlands or something. It was really great. Plus our tour group was small with a knowledgeable and entertaining guide, who loved his job and took special care to take us to some off-the-beaten-track sites.
In the evening we went to an Irish dinner/song/dance show, traditional all the way. I had lamb stew and some Irish coffee before the live music started, broken up by stints of Riverdance-esque performances from a small troupe. It was great, and then we went to explore the city nightlife a little more before heading back to the hostel.
Sunday started with an Irish breakfast before a tour of the city in the hop-on, hop-off the big bus fashion. Surprisingly informative and good transportation between tourist spots--I'm glad I spent a few euro on it. And then....the last tour stop was at the Guinness Factory. In addition to being, well, the Guinness Factory, it was really educational if you're interested in how beer is made...I didn't think I would be, but it's actually quite interesting. After an informative self-guided tour, your admission includes a free pint at the top in what they call the Gravity Bar, where you're in a glass-walled room with a 360-degree view of the city! Also glad I decided to invest in this tour--very, very worth it. :)
Then it was a whirlwind of bussing to the airport, waiting for delays, flying into whichever small London airport offers cheapest flight (Stansted--flew out of Luton), and getting home VERY late after not wanting to wait for the bus, walking for a bit and giving in to a cab.
Exhausting, fun-filled weekend that was worth every penny! (pence? euro?) :)
13 July 2007
Press Conferences & Plane Trips
So yesterday's conference went as expected: about a dozen reporters in a formal/informal setting (you know, where it's a round table "chat" but you still have to make awkward conversation with company big-wigs), handed a report and a few press releases, expected to juggle reading those with the aforementioned awkward conversation with drinking tea and eating pastries. Maybe some have mastered it, but certainly not me, not quite yet. Overall, it was interesting information presented in a (for me) new format. I made a couple contacts for another story I'm working on, and spoke with several people at the company who seemed interested in our special report coming out in October--I feel pretty good about it. Also got a free corporate pen, highlight of the day :)
I spent the afternoon working at home--no sense wasting 1.5 hours on a commute when I can work just as effectively from my laptop in my bed :). Sent off some newsbriefs for edits, and then was asked to freelance-edit a coworker's friend's friend's masters thesis for Cambridge....?!? Sure, I say. So from 3:30 to 9 p.m. I read 110 pages on the Russian Internet used as a medium for non-standard communication about US-Russian relations during the Iraq war---I make edits, and get paid. This whole freelance thing is really starting to look good!
So in about three hours and post-midterm I get on a plane for Dublin with 11 other EUSA kids...exciting! Weekend will be spent there, and it'll be nice to get away from the city for awhile, I hope! yay!
I spent the afternoon working at home--no sense wasting 1.5 hours on a commute when I can work just as effectively from my laptop in my bed :). Sent off some newsbriefs for edits, and then was asked to freelance-edit a coworker's friend's friend's masters thesis for Cambridge....?!? Sure, I say. So from 3:30 to 9 p.m. I read 110 pages on the Russian Internet used as a medium for non-standard communication about US-Russian relations during the Iraq war---I make edits, and get paid. This whole freelance thing is really starting to look good!
So in about three hours and post-midterm I get on a plane for Dublin with 11 other EUSA kids...exciting! Weekend will be spent there, and it'll be nice to get away from the city for awhile, I hope! yay!
11 July 2007
I love my job. For serious.
I just want to assert that I have the coolest job/coworkers ever, and I could really get used to a working lifestyle....like work, home, dinner, maybe go out, weekends free, etc. It's great.
Really, I understand how blessed I am to be in this position right now, and I'm definitely not taking any of it for granted--I'm also taking advantage of TONS of opportunities I never dreamed I'd get to experience in my job over here. I really appreciate that I'm being given so much freedom and responsibility (an interesting mix!) at work, and this is totally and completely the work experience I imagined....I just never thought I'd actually get it!!
Yesterday I:
Really, I understand how blessed I am to be in this position right now, and I'm definitely not taking any of it for granted--I'm also taking advantage of TONS of opportunities I never dreamed I'd get to experience in my job over here. I really appreciate that I'm being given so much freedom and responsibility (an interesting mix!) at work, and this is totally and completely the work experience I imagined....I just never thought I'd actually get it!!
Yesterday I:
- wrote the weekly news round-up for the Climate Change newsletter = $100. nice.
- wrote a new conclusion for my second story = $100. nice.
- edited a huge piece that was sent in by another reporter...this was done on my commute in the Tube, making me feel special because a) I had something relevant to do on the Tube and b) it was something important.
- decided what I was going to do today, which is: attend a press conference with big-shots from a large bank on a report they're releasing. This is more like a "round-table discussion" with special reporters.
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