9 to 5!

I made it, I lived, I survived my first day at work!

First and foremost, the internship is great. Essentially, I will be doing a lot of research and reading about what different organizations are doing to improve education. I will be looking for new groups NPEA might not yet be aware of, and will also have the opportunity to peruse a lot of published information about the current state of education. My internship is going to involve a lot of reading, I think, which is totally fine with me. In addition to these responsibilities, I will get to work on the webpage (who even uses Dreamweaver anymore?! Adobe Contribute is where it's at!), help with organizational outreach, and partake in NPEA's 2010 conference planning.

I really like the office; the majority of people are young, aware, and active. I arrived this morning to a sign on the door welcoming me to Steppingstone/NPEA. I've already met a Teach for America alum already who shared with me a bit about her experiences today during lunch. There is, interestingly, another Bouchard in the office, but we haven't had a chance to meet yet. Apparently she is from Maine, too! I have my own cubicle, (more exciting than it sounds) equipped with an iMac, large desk, and file cabinets. I spent a lot of the day being oriented to the office and organization, setting up technology (I have my own email, personal phone line, voicemail, and code to the security system!), and trying to survive until 5:00. Who knew a workday lasted so long! But I made it, and I only hope that it will get easier. Also- NPEA/Steppingstone is plentifullllll in supplies, especially colored paper. It was like being in Staples, but better.

So, in order to get into the bathroom on our floor, you have to enter a code into the door. It's not an electric passcode; instead, you have to push in a series of metal buttons. Our door, however, has a personality of its own (legend has it that it is even more difficult when the weather is poor) and opening it can be a struggle. On my first trip to the bathroom this afternoon, I tried 12 times to open it with no success whatsoever. Of course, someone showed up behind me, watched me struggle, offered her help, and opened it on the first try. Of course. Then I was pee-shy.

Also, no one felt it necessary to fill me in on the shoe rule of the city/corporate world. Very few people actually wear their work shoes to and from work. Instead, it's very acceptable to wear flip flops and even SNEAKERS with suits, ties, skirts, and other formal outfits. And it's not just old people who do this; young and old alike outfit their feet in more comfortable and appropriate footwear. After marching around the greater Boston area all day in a serious pair of heels, I have certainly learned my lesson. Apologies to my fashion police friends, but I might be employing sneakers with slacks sometime in the future (I promise, no backpack).

I saw a Sue Albring look-a-like today on the train. Also, on the bus on the last leg of my trip home, I sat near a woman who smelled very strongly of beef jerky. Not pleasant.

I noticed something interesting while waiting for the bus this morning. Out of the at least 50 cars that passed me while I stood at the stop, 3 had more than 1 passenger in it. Of those three, all only had 1 other passenger who were children. What a waste.

But word, I'm not sure how anyone works 9-5. After my Writing 205 project on work-life balance, I became aware of the unproductive nature of such a work day, and I can totally see how that happens. I'm so impressed by the stamina of professionals who do this day in and day out, but wonder how efficient they actually are.

Also, my mother is on FACEBOOK. What has the world come to?! And I am her DEFAULT picture. Holler creeper status.

Bed is probably going to happen by 10:00 tonight.

There you go; my first day as a semi-professional; clearly an epic experience.