"The interns can wait"

Lesson of the day: "The interns can wait," thanks to Brent (the associate who sits in the cubicle next to my office). I'll explain.

This afternoon I had a meeting scheduled with my "relationship partner," who is assigned to guide and direct me during my internship this summer. He sent me the invitation for the meeting a week ago, scheduled for 5:00 to 5:30 (right up until the time I am supposed to leave the office). Well, when I arrived at his office (three minutes early, of course) I could hear through the closed door that he was on a conference call, but knocked lightly to let him know I was there. Expecting him to tell me to wait for a couple of minutes while he wrapped up the call, I instead offered to do so before he had to ask. Sure enough, he accepted, but told me to wait not for 3 minutes, but for 20 minutes! Really? That means I'd have to stay at the office later than planned, which wouldn't be such a big deal, except that it was unapproved, and thus unpaid, overtime. Not to mention, I had institute to get to after work!

Once he shut the door I debated internally for about 30 seconds, walked over to see if my senior buddy was at her desk to debate with her, and then decided to reschedule the appointment. I approached his executive assistant, Sue, and asked her if it was a possibility. Three clicks later she'd sent out the reschedule invitation to myself and Rich (my partner). Perfect!

Not quite. On my way back to my desk I continued to debate... and I don't have a very long walk from his desk to mine, mind you. Short as it may be, however, it does involve passing Brent's desk. So I stopped to talk to Brent, asking for his advice in the place of my assigned mentor. I explain the situation and when I was done he looked at me with a look I won't soon forget and said, "The interns can wait. The partners time is a lot more valuable than yours. You can wait. They are busy." Really, he just confirmed what I already feared was true. I hung my head and with my tail between my legs I walked back to Sue's desk and told her I'd wait. She smiled and assured me Rich would be out shortly.

Well, the meeting went well. Sure enough he finished his call twenty mintes from the time he said he would, and I left the office twenty minutes late. I missed institute, but instead had a quite enjoyable conversation about funerals with Kristin over dinner (well, I had dinner, she had ice cream). It was a lesson well learned, and one I surely will remember. What a blow to the ego to realize I am at the very bottom of the totem pole around the office. It doesn't get much lower than my position. I guess good news is it can only get better from here!

Weekend Adventures

Everyone told me working life was great because you don't have any homework- once it's five o clock hits you just go home and leave work at work. As an hourly-paid employee, I've found that to be true. What I have discovered on my own, however, is that it's not only great, it'sAMAZING!! I love not having homework! I don't think a weekend has ever been so relaxing in my life!

So much happened- as I've found to be true with life in San Jose, particularly with the Bowmans- never a dull moment. The fun started with a YSA dance in Palo Alto hosted by the Stanford ward. Latin dancing! Yes, it's true. We learned how to cha-cha, merengue (sp?), samba, and ba-chocolate (also sp? actually, I know that one's not right, but I like to call it that) on Friday night. Ole!

Saturday I hung out with the Bowman family all day. The morning began with a trip out to Santa Cruz (about 45 minutes away) to see "Woodies on the Wharf," an antique carshow, featuring the old station-wagon type cars that surfers would cary their surf boards down to the beach in. Anna(their 7 year old granddaughter) and I had a great time walking up and down the pier, learning from Blaine (Brother Bowman or Papa, as Anna calls him) all about the different

types of engines and styles while eating huge ice cream cones. We saw cars as old as 1929!

On the way home we drove by the Beach House, the Bowman's vacation home located in Santa Cruz and watched the surfers out in the ocean. It's in a beautiful location with a beautiful view. They've promised to take me there sometime while I'm here, so I'll write more about it then. For now, suffice it to say that they feel about their beach house like we feel about our cabin, which makes it all the more meaningful and special to be a part of.

We got home to a swim party! Anna's family (the family of Tricia, their daughter) was all here and after we finished the World Cup game (which I will just briefly skip over) we started out on the most exciting series of events yet! Mark came over to join us (so that the numbers could stay even for game-playing purposes) and the both of us were absolutely exhausted by dinner time! These people know how to party! Swimming (everyone swam, by the way- no one sun-tanned or sat out) was followed by pickle ball which was followed by bocci ball which thankfully was followed by dinner, giving us a rest. By this point I'd had the time of my life but was ready for a nap! What a fun day!

Lastly I'll mention church. It was wonderful and uplifting and it was great to already know so many people having attended the activities this week. As if the week's events hadn't been enough though, there was an ice cream social linger-longer after the block! By this time I was so far spent when it comes to meeting people that I mostly just enjoyed my ice cream (I've never seen so many toppings in my life) and peaced. What a champion activities committee- I am truly impressed. The social atmosphere in this ward is unlike anything I've ever experienced before in a ward setting. Everyone is so outgoing and eager to meet me! I love it- I can definitely feel it rubbing off on me as well, making me reach out to them in return. It's going to be an amazing summer!

Invictus

I'm nearing the end of my first week as an intern at Pricewaterhouse Coopers in San Jose, California. It's somewhat of a surreal feeling, looking back at how much led up to this event in my life. How's it been so far, you ask? Well, so far I wouldn't change a thing. It's been a life-changing experience already. I've had a couple of realizations or thoughts over the course of the week that I thought I'd share.

First, why is it that once we become professionals (or pretend like we're professionals, in my case as an intern) we go from using backpacks to book bags/brief cases? Walking down the hall this morning behind two of my peers I couldn't help but surpress a laugh watching them lean to the side (coincidentally away from each other) to balance out the weight of the computer cases they each carried. Aside from the added strain on our backs, we're now having to learn how to look like we're interested in what a person's saying while at the same time leaning away in apparent disinterest, or on the other hand leaning too close for comfort!

Next, on a more serious note: I've realized how well my education has corresponded with the work that will be expected of me as a profesional. Throughout training the format has been a short lecture followed by hands-on work. Today, after a week of this, I was struck with the realization that the case studies I was doing were exactly like those I've done for the past two years in school. I was grateful for the applicability of my training thus far, but even more than that I was taken aback and somewhat shocked at the situation. I am studying to be an accountant, specializing in tax accounting, and that is exactly what I've been hired to do this summer, and potentially for the rest of my life. They weren't kidding- no one was. Not the professors with the tests and assignments, nor the recruiters with the job descriptions. I've chosen this path and it's the path down which I'm traveling. No one can read my mind, they only know what I tell them. I've told them accounting, so that's what I'm training to become.

{Very briefly, we can expand this thought to life. Am I traveling down the path in life (rather than only specifically career- although the two are more related than not, when it comes to geographic location choices and choosing what people you spend your time with, etc.) that I want to travel down? Am I fulfilling my life goals and dreams? Although it's true that someone else could potentially choose this for me, it's not true that they will know what I really want or what's really going on in my mind. Only I know. I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul (Invictus, William Ernest Henley).}

Last, working for the past four days is preparing me to be a better wife and stay-at-home mother. Here's how: I had no idea how hard it is to work 8 hours a day and come home and be fun to be around, not to mention share those precious few hours after work with other people and resist keeping them all to myself. It's completely different than being in school, even being in school full time studying all day everyday. The difference is that in school the time is mine- mine to do with what I want, whenever I want. Now, at the firm, the time is not mine. I am on their clock, spending their money with the work I do and the work I don't do. Time is money. And, I'm only working 8 hours a day! In today's world, successful businesspeople all work more than 40 hour work weeks. It's virtually unheard of to work any less. How does that happen? I feel like I get home at 6 and I'm pressed for time to accomplish everything in my personal life that I want to do. How does one do it all?? Self, family, spouse, church, community?

Having the opportunity to work full time for the first time in my life has opened my eyes. I know that because of this experience I'll have a better appreciation for the time my husband spends working, as well as for the times when he comes home and just wants to "chill" after a long day at the office. It's also made me realize that I definitely do not want to spend the majority (or even any more time after this summer) of my career as an employee paid hourly.

And the Winners Are...

We won the Thanksgiving Point photo contest!

Look for the photos in the Tribune and Deseret News this weekend!

CALIFORNIA!!

Well, here I am sitting in my new bedroom in San Jose, California, with the world at my feet, just waiting to be explored. At least, that's how I feel. Today is huge! It's my first day on the job (well, sort of... more like "on the internship"... but that doesn't roll off the tongue quite as well) at Pricewaterhouse Coopers. I couldn't be more excited, which is a good thing (obviously), simply because over the past three days I've been going back and forth on being nervous or excited for this day. It's been such a long time coming, it's hard to believe it's finally here!

I left Saturday morning to drive across one and two halves states to get here. Jordan was so kind as to drive with me, making the trip much less tiring and boring and much more fun and enjoyable than it would have been had I driven in on my own. We drove pretty much straight through, stopping only for lunch and to fill up once (which was an experience in and of itself- apparently I have to relearn how to use the gas pumps over here in California).

We arrived and booked a hotel for me to stay in for the night (Jord stayed with our friends interning in Palo Alto) and even had time for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, which was absolutely delicious! The next morning we took a self-guided tour of Stanford, making sure to visit the Graduate School of Business. Standford is such a beautiful campus! If I were looking to do more schooling (which I'm currently not) I would seriously consider Standford. What a dream!

I'm living with a darling middle-aged couple who have already made me feel like one of their own. We spent hours yesterday just talking and catching up on each other's lives, as well as watching the US Open! I have no doubt this is going to be one of the best summers of my life to date, if only for the opportunity to meet them. I love watching them interact- just by watching them it's obvious they are simply best friends who have a lifetime of experiences together, and they love it and love each other. More about them to come.

Well, I'm starting to feel like I'm just journaling now, rather than writing anything good, so I'll stop. Either way, the good news is I'm back to blogging. I'll write more later.

Weddings! Weddings!

This week two of my very best friends got married! Congratulations to you both! The best part? Being able to spend so much time with so many of my lifelong best friends. I love you all!

12 June 2010

Becky & Jarom Gunderson

{Cami, Heather, Becky, Lauren, Liz, Melissa}

16 June 2010

Jocelyn and Ronnie Matheson

{Rachel, Ronnie, Jocie, Lauren, Cami}

Passport Pandemonium, Part 2

So it turns out the passport confusion wasn't over before I left for Europe. In fact, remember the lady I talked to at Border Control? The one who was so confident my passport wasn't invalid? Well, she was wrong. Yes folks, it's true. I travelled throughout Europe for a month on an invalid passport. Here's the story.

We arrived in the US yesterday evening, in Fort Worth Texas. With only an hour to catch our connecting flight to Utah, we raced over to customs. Having already passed through multiple security stations in Spain we didn't anticipate any problems. I was the last of our group of now four to face the Border Control Security Guard. This is about how our conversation went:

Guard: How are you doing?

Me: Great! I'm just happy to be speaking English again! (as I hand over the passport in question)

Guard: Oh really? Well then... [insert rambling Spanish phrases here]

Me: Oh no! (joking) Well, since I don't understand I might as well go back to Spain! (shared laughter)

Guard: (laughter stops) Have you ever reported your passport as lost or stolen? (after he just swiped my passport)

Me: Yes, right before I left, but then I found it. (I didn't take the time to explain everything- like how I didn't think I actually had ever reported it as such. In hindsight, would it have been better to deny ever having reported it? I'm not sure. In fact, it probably wouldn't have made a difference.)

Guard: Come with me.

Me: Ok??

I then followed him to a room in the far end of the airport where a surly looking woman stood guarding the room. At this point I had no idea what was going on or what they were going to do to me or have me do. I could only manage a "Is there something wrong?" before he walked away. He replied with, "Your passport is invalid" before he scared my customs form with a big red X and scurried off to resume his post, reviewing the passports of other weary travelers.

So... ya. There I sat in a room in the airport. No passport, no idea what was happening or how long it would take, wanting nothing more than to go home (by this point I'd been en route for over 12 hours, and had spent the previous night in the airport, trying to sleep, switching off between the cement floor and the plastic benched with armrests between each seat.) My group had no idea where I was or why it was taking so long, and when I asked the woman if I could just peek around the corner to tell them, she barked something at me like I was a prisoner attempting to escape or something, which resulted in me cowering back to my seat. Needless to say I refrained from talking to her anymore. That left me with only a sweet Indian family of four for company. Sadly we couldn't not communicate either. They just stared at me sympathetically. By they way they looked at me, I must have been a pretty sorry sight. I appreciate the consideration.

I've never wondered what it feels like to not be able to enter a country. As US citizens we found ourselves passing border control in every country with more ease than any other ethnicity with whom we stood in line. We were never questioned or stopped anywhere. But there I sat, trying to get into my own country, in the room where people sit who can't enter.

Finally a different guard came out of his office made of bomb-proof plastic windows with my passport in hand, asking for another form of ID. I gave it to him and after he asked more questions (this time I tried to explain more, and even mentioned the lady from his own department who had led me astray), he finally told me he was going to have to confiscate my passport and send it back (where to, I'm not sure. I'm only sure that I will never see it again- all of those beloved stamps! gone!). Although it was nice to be informed, it still didn't answer my biggest worry: entering the country. After having joked about it only half an hour before, was I actually going to be sent back to Spain? Or now, without a passport to my name, was I country-less? He assured me I could go home, I would just need to apply for another passport. Hallelujah! I've never been so relieved in my life.

Out in the hallway Ben and Steve were waiting for me. I've never been so happy to see them in my life. It was so incredibly considerate of them to wait for me, knowing we had such little time to make it to our flight. We definitely had to run... and this airport is one of those with a subway system in it to take you between portals... it's huge! Nevermind that our flight ended up being delayed for two hours. We still would have made it on time. But, that is another story for another post. Moral of this story however: hmm... there are a number of things I've taken from this experience. I'll leave it to you to take what you will.