Reality Check

            I’m having that all too familiar feeling on a Sunday night when the weekend comes to an end and dreadful reality is fast approaching – except my weekend has lasted nearly 2 months, which only makes reality seem worse. My summer began on April 27^th when the Tornado hit Tuscaloosa and finals were canceled. Since then I’ve traveled from Georgia to Texas and nearly everything in between, to the Middle East, and Europe. Life’s been one big carefree party with my main responsibilities being to make my next flight (which I didn’t accomplish in Nashville) or remember to check my bank account before I go out. But all that comes to an end in the morning when 7:15am alarm clocks will become standard and the term “rush hour” isn’t referring to the 60 minutes before last call at the bar.

            I start my internship at Bluecube Interactive advertising agency at 9 am. It’s about an hour commute and with my directional skills will probably take me an extra 30 minutes. I had a confirmation interview on Thursday and met my boss and the small team of six employees. The office is in an all glass building overlooking the canal and shares the block with the Google and Facebook headquarters, two of the firm’s biggest clients. I’ll be working in all areas of advertising, alternating from sales, creative design, copyright, event planning, and account managing each week. Long days, hard work, and no pay – coffee will be my best friend in the morning and wine will be my best friend at night.

The sting of reality increases when I realize it’s my first night abroad without any company from home. The day Cody left Dublin, Kelsey, Taylor, Kendall, and their friend Emily all came in. We went to Temple Bar and on a pub-crawl in city center, and they spent Friday and Saturday sight-seeing while I ran errands and finished settling in. I hadn’t had much time to really set my roots in Dublin yet with Cody being here and now all of them, but with work starting Monday I needed to start checking things off my to-do list. I felt bad not spending the days with them, but fortunately they were the most self-sufficient bunch I could’ve asked for. I loved getting to see Kelsey and am glad she got to meet my new friends and see where I’ll be spending the summer.

So now I’m left with Ann and the Irish roomies, and no TV – I’d say culture shock is an under statement. My Sunday nights for that past year revolved around the TV and my best friends, and maybe some Buffalo Phils ordered in. Homesick isn’t exactly the word I’m looking for, I think I’m just finally starting to feel the adjustment. Sometimes when life is moving so fast you forget to sit down and appreciate everything that’s been going on and account all the changes it’s made in you. And now that I’m sitting here doing exactly that, I’m only mildly annoyed I can’t play Eastbound and Down on my laptop. Maybe I am growing up after all.  

catching up with kels

Group before heading to the pub crawl