I Lost August Somewhere...

But seriously. Where did August go? Today, it feels as though I've blinked and eighteen days have gone by since I've last written. It has been a whirlwind of a month.

I'm now four whole weeks into my internship, and I already feel settled and confident. I'm so glad now, more than ever, that I decided to take this job. It's giving me some really valuable experience for the future. Finally, I have reached the point where I have several of my own projects and don't need a supervisor standing over my shoulder. I'm even getting to write a lot, which is something I secretly love despite how much I've argued with past English teachers about how I can't write.

Since I've started working at DNA, I've also transformed into a full-fledged insomniac. Like right now. It's Friday night, I just worked for five days straight, and I'm sitting up at 11:25 writing a blog. I went out Monday (babysat drunkies), Tuesday (the universe stomped on my face and I got two hours of sleep), AND Wednesday night (babysat drunkies), and then went to recruitment retreat Thursday night. In other words, I have not slept. And for whatever reason, I am taking zero advantage of my weekend and I'm blogging.

I've had an interesting couple of weekends. Lots of bingo and karaoke, which makes me sound like a senior citizen, but those are the main highlights of summer in Clemson. I've remained relatively tame this summer, bringing a bit of "Mama TarTar" back from Italy with me. Last weekend I threw every ounce of tame (and sane) out the window when I let my suppressed girly emotions become...un-suppressed. Very publicly. Recent events, life choices, and confusions have made me realize a lot of things about myself and other people. It seems all I ever get to walk away with is some "life lesson" or realization about the type of people I don't want to surround myself with. But that's life. And when the universe stomps on my face like it did this past weekend, it will eventually lead to better things. It has to. That's what all the country songs say.

Plus, whenever I'm feeling down about life, Kirstie and I play a really fun game. We name every friend we know who is in a relationship, and we ask one another if we would want to date their boyfriends if given the chance. It goes like this.

Kirstie: "I don't feel sassy. Wahh."
Me: "Okay, take [insert a friend's ugly boyfriend here]. If you could date him right now would you?"
Kirstie: "NO!"
Me: "Exactly." 
or...
Me: "Wahh, boys are mean."
Kirstie: "Okay, take [insert a friend's unintelligent boyfriend here]. If you could date him right now would you?"
Me: "He doesn't know how to spell..."
Kirstie: "Exactly." 

A few rounds of that game and a pint of Ben and Jerry's and we're both good as new. We also pep talk one another about how we are smarter and more mature than all other humans and someday Kirstie will stumble upon a northern LAX bro (granola-free) and I will stumble upon a hot CEO of a multibillion $ internet start-up (puka-shell-free) and we will win the game of life. Even writing about us talking about it is making me feel great.

So, now is when I bid adieu to MY LAST SUMMER AS A KID and say hello to my senior year. Right now I'm in sorority la-la-land, which might be more exhausting and draining than my full-time job. My second to last semester of classes starts Wednesday, and I am extremely excited as any self-proclaimed nerd would be. Something about a new syllabus just makes me happy.

Workin' for the Weekend

Another entire week has come and gone and it's hard to believe it's August 1st!

My first week of work at DNA was great! I can tell I'm going to get a lot of really great experience that will (hopefully) make me a more marketable job candidate this year. As much as I'm enjoying it, I can't help but admit what a reality check it is to work 8:30-5, five days a week. Plus a thirty-five minute commute both ways. I question how my parents have been doing this for 20+ years. I think I might need to reevaluate my ultimate career goals. If someone could pay me to travel the world, that would be suitable.

I'm really, really missing Italy lately. Not only the pasta, architecture, cheap wine, and my roommates. Just the simplicity. The sound of the most beautiful language in the world...the smell of leather...the lack of any real responsibility. It's really made me realize I can't live the entirety of my life being a corporate slave to The Man. Maybe for the first 5 years, but after that, I have to figure out some occupation, company, university, something that lets me see more of the world.

I don't have any "haha-funny-college-stories" to share, since I've been so consumed with work lately. This weekend was really fun, though. I'm starting to get back into my old college-girl groove. Overtime is my new obsession. It's the only bar in Clemson that is open past midnight on Saturdays (yeehaw, Blue Laws!) but you need a membership to get in. Although the membership is only a one-time fee of $5, it is clearly way over my budget. And I enjoy making a game out of making friends who do have memberships to bring me in as one of their guests. It reminds me of hassling bouncers in Europe to spare my poor little American self the 20 euro cover charge.

Now, my night will consist of drinking wine (unfortunately from California...pish posh), watching The Bachelorette finale (TeamJP!), and finalizing my OrgSync Internship presentation to present to the Student Affairs Cabinet tomorrow morning (yikes!)

Ciao!