Oops...

So i just realized its been almost a month since my last posting. I can't even begin to say everything that's happened.

The networking opportunities are so great here. The professional staff is so willing to talk about their careers, the field, and give me advice about my upcoming job search. Like today, I coincidentally had lunch with one of the Assistant Deans of Students today and it was really productive to chat about UNC, the student population, and just have a professional to connect with. My supervisor is really great about that, too.

The students absolutely blow me away. Every day they do something that makes me wonder if I would have the same response when I was 18/19/20. They are really supportive of each other, which is helpful during stressful Orientation days. They are so smart and come up with feedback about the program and are really intentional about making Orientation a success. I so value interacting with them.

That's not to say that every day is easy. In fact, some days are downright hard. But, it's nice to have such a strong support system here and back home/Columbia. Whether they know it or not, the OLs have such a good way of picking me up out of a bad mood. When they have a good day, I have a good day.

Well, the day is just about halfway over in Session 5 (of 14). It's hard to believe I've already been here about five weeks. Orientation is going by fast. I'm also enjoying developing relationships with the other interns here in the Triangle. It's nice to have a set of other interns to hang out with, explore the Triangle, lots of fun stuff.

I'm learning so much not only about this field that I love but also about myself. One thing that seems to be a recurring trend is the importance of flexibility and communication. Sometimes, I feel like you can't have one without the other. I've learned how to have constructive conversations with colleagues, and although feedback is always something I've had a hard time with, I feel like I'm learning better ways to give and take feedback. All in all, I learn a little something every day.