Week Two of life as a Lidl intern: completed. I've already been given and completed some projects and am getting into the rhythm of corporate life. It reminds me of being back in elementary school. Prep your lunch and outfit the night before, wake up early with the morning traffic, sit at a desk all day, lunch with the other kids in the cafeteria, then go home and collapse on the couch and wish Mom was there to whip up something other than mac and cheese (a specialty of mine). But ultimately, I'm feeling like I've found my place at Lidl, with the interns, in D.C. and am even picking up a few new tricks along the way.
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| The Lily that brunched. |
Trick Number One is my culinary skills. I've been fortunate enough to be consistently surrounded by wonderful cooks my entire life-- my mother, my host parents last year, the Waldsee crew (I was technically helping, but schnitzel isn't exactly my forte) the good folks in the UO food service. As an independent, working woman I now realize if it weren't for the excellent concoctions in the dining hall two minutes and 25 second from my bed this year, I would probably never have gone the vegetarian route at all. Disclosure: this summer I'm pausing the full-veggie-dom. Turns out I can't cook tofu. Or really anything with more than three ingredients, actually.
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| Thank God summer means fresh produce! |
My roommate got to laugh at my culinary prowess this weekend as I tried to make pudding and somehow-- I don't know how!-- messed it up. The great cooks in my life have always been very giving in sharing their recipes and methods with me, but I haven't exactly practiced over the years. This summer is an exercise in adulthood. I guess it's only fitting I become an active grocery-goer as soon as I start working for a grocery store. There are also great Farmers' Markets all around the Alexandria, Arlington and D.C. areas, too, which makes cooking more interesting.
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| Del Ray Saturday Farmers' Market has the cutest babies and puppies. |
Trick Number Two is to always make a reservation for brunch. Man, they take their brunch seriously here! All of us interns went to brunch (along with the dads of D.C.) this past Sunday. I was reminiscing about this time last year when I was climbing a mountain back in Oregon with my dad just after arriving in the US again post-Germany. I'm looking forward to more hikes together when I return in August! But D.C. brunch. They have every kind of brunch you could ask for-- vegan, pork-tastic, dim sum, lively French faire, even pancakes served by drag queens-- and it's the must-do Sunday activity here apparently, which hey! I'm not complaining!
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| What's the official bird of D.C.? Oh, the crane, of course! |
And Trick Three is how to talk as little as possible from 8am to 5pm five days a week. It may be a surprise, especially to those who know me well, but this is very difficult for me. I'm, oh, what do they call it... a "talker?" I'm not sure what it was, but since setting foot in Virginia, I've had this hacking cough, which eventually made me hoarse. Turns out that having almost no voice the first two weeks of your internship isn't the best way to establish great first impressions with your department. But thankfully my line manager and colleagues are very patient, understanding and friendly individuals and I feel I am slowly but surely integrating with the PR and Marketing folks.
I'd describe my voice the past few days as Commissioner Gordon-esque. A deep, gravelly, some might say mysterious, bark. I'm looking forward to full recovery and then I'll go visit the local Toastmasters club. Who knows? Maybe I'll meet some diplomats or politicians or (much more likely) Toyota salespeople because meetings are held in the nearby Toyota dealership. My voice has healed a great deal and a full week in the communications department unable to even really talk to other humans, be it at Lidl or the Farmers' Market, I'm so excited to show my true, professional self these next eight weeks. Although I can't discuss most of my intern work here, I'm bursting with inspiration and ideas for my upcoming projects! But for now, it's time to a pack lunch, lay out my business smart attire and get some beauty sleep before another day at the office.