It's my third week in Louisville, Kentucky interning with V-Soft Consulting and each week presents me with new and challenging experiences.
Intern Work Lunch & Eating Healthy
It’s difficult trying to stay healthy when you're a constantly hungry 20-year old college student. By preparing lunch, I try my best to restrict eating out; however, not waking up in time to prepare food has become a problem.
Unlike back home, aside from the standard lunch and dinner I eat large amounts of pasta, ice cream and pizza sprinkled with an occasional fruit here and there - not the epitome of a healthy diet. Although I grocery shopped en-mass upon arrival, food items ranging from fruits, granola bars, peanut-butter and jelly, and other snacks I have purchased have not been fully consumed. My goal by the end of this internship is to better plan for my meals during the work day and to learn how to cook at least one signature dish just to ease the stress on my wallet.
Sleep! (A Tech Intern's Friend)
Similar to my Week One Survival Guide tip, I want to reemphasize the importance of getting sleep. Sleep not only helps me regain my energy, but also allows me to wake up in the morning with enough time to eat breakfast and prepare food. I've found out the worst part about missing breakfast is working until lunch hour on an empty stomach which then prompts me to binge-eat during my lunch breaks.
Thus, finding that perfect balance between occasional treats and prepared food from home (Bellarmine) is an important factor when planning to stay healthy.
Working in the Office
Finally, I can say by the start of my third week in the office I have gotten into a very good groove of things. I have learned the importance of prioritizing the immediate daily to-do’s with the long term projects Michael, Doug, and Phil provide me. By creating a task list/to-do list for each day, I manage to stay on track with both short and long-term goals that have taught me about time management and how to truly thrive in the office.
For me, the most eye-opening experience is the positive small-office working environment V-Soft provides to its employers while maintaining a large company status – stationed in 41 different states and across the globe. The ability to interact with the CEO of the company everyday while communicating with every different department of the company structure ranging from marketing to finance has taught me an important lesson of the crucial importance of communication.
When I arrived my first day, I expected a strict hierarchical office structure with tense and stoic, command-like orders from my superiors; however, what I received was a lovely surprise – exactly the opposite. In the words of my coworker Casey:
“one thing you realize is that working in the office is like being in a group project that never ends”
The office is where you have different variables that come into play that, when working together, succeed in producing the work necessary for V-Soft Consulting to thrive.
The professionalism at V-Soft while simultaneously maintaining a productive and friendly work environment has made every day on the job something different.
My New Home: Enjoying Louisville
The highlight of my week was viewing the last leg of the Triple Crown at Churchill Downs. For those not familiar to horse racing, achieving the Triple Crown is an unparalleled feat where one magnificent horse wins three of the longest races in horse racing – the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and finally the Belmont – consecutively. There have only been 11 previous Triple Crown winners in history, the last being Affirmed winning in 1978.
As the crowd stood up in excitement, we watched on screen as American Pharoah crossed the finish line, ending the 37 year dry spell, the longest in racing history. Call it a classic tourist move but I have truly come to appreciate the sports (coming from someone who is a part of two worlds: the West Coast and the Northeast which says a lot).
The conclusion my amazing racing journey was attending the White Out event at Downs After Dark where I was able to see American Pharoah, who was paraded around the track like a king.
Similarly, I have continued exploring the Louisville community by walking down eclectic Bardstown road (a.k.a. the Highlands), discovering an adult soccer league, watching the first Harry Potter movie on IMAX at the Science Center, and much more that has made me appreciate both the city and strong sense of community.
Did you miss my 1st 2 weeks?
If so, no problem because here they are:
