City of 10,000 Lakes

Hey!

It's been a few days since my last post. Believe it or not, I am finding a lot to do with my spare time around here. I have gotten close with a group of about 10 other interns, and we've explored a lot of the areas and have some fun together. Here's the skinny on the city.

1. Uptown is amazing. It's a lot like Broad Ripple (for my indy friends), but a lot nicer. There are several bars and restaurants, and almost all of them have rooftop decks. There are a lot of really cool shops too! Zac actually just came to find an apartment for next year and he is living literally two blocks from my favorite place for happy hour.

2. Downtown is a lot like Indianapolis. It's an up and coming city, but there still isn't THAT much to do. Of course there are places to eat, drink, and shop - but nothing really unique. However, the architecture is really interesting. All the buildings have a separate look and feel - pretty cool.

3. The lakes are incredible! There is one in Uptown that is perfect for just a few hours of laying out, volleyball, running and just hanging out. About 30 minutes away is Lake Minnetonka. We went boating here last Saturday with a group of 20 interns and it was a BLAST. About 100 boats all tie together and it's just a big party. LOVED IT.

So far, Minneapolis has been fun. Working is picking up too, which is good. I'm starting to finally understand my projects and everything I am going to have to do. I'm going to be in Indy this weekend before we leave for NSAC nationals - I can't wait for that either!!

Dairy Queen

Today was my third day of work, and I am still loving it. I'm doing work I never thought I would, and it's great. I'll admit, I was a little worried when I found out I would be doing so much work online - but it's not as unfamiliar as I thought. And I am still getting to be creative too, which I love. I actually got to sit in on an IMC meeting this morning for Yoplait Yogurt and it was so interesting. I can't believe I was sitting in on a brainstorm meeting for a campaign that is going to be implemented nationally - isn't that CRAZY!?!

There was a "pizza party" in the lobby of the apartment complex today and I got to know a few of the other interns better. We went to Dairy Queen after for treats and we were really starting to click. It's nice to know that I am starting to make friends here, and I'm not going to be sitting at home all the time haha. We are actually going to a happy hour tomorrow downtown after work :)

Tomorrow I have more introduction meetings with other managers in the communications department, so I'm really looking forward to meeting everyone and learning about their jobs. More to come!

First Day!

Hey Everyone!

I just got home from my first day on the job and I LOVED IT. Everyone there is super nice and you can really tell they enjoy where they work. The campus is BEAUTIFUL and the benefits are out of this world. On the tour I learned on-site there is a huge cafeteria, coffee shop, salon, bank, auto shop, concierge, day care, post office, and probably a whole lot more. It really is like a small town - some people probably don't ever leave!

I learned a lot about what my projects are going to be. I am working in the Brand Public Relations department, mostly focusing on consumer engagement. Ironically, this is going to be through blogs and other online forums. I haven't learned the details on everything, but it sounds really exciting. I don't have much of a background in this, so I am going to be learning a lot. Brand PR is in the GCOM department along with imarketing, brand design, promotions and other branches. We all work together and rotate positions every once and a while - so there is still so much to learn!

I'm going to head to target and find some things to decorate my HUGE cubicle. There is so much space, I don't know if I'll ever fill it up. One thing there is plenty of, is food. Free stuff all over the place, so my diet may be harder than I thought (I resisted 3 chocolate chocolate chip cookies and only ate 1. But the others are still in my desk) haha.

So that's it for now - I'll keep you all posted on what happens next and how life is going!

All Moved in!

After leaving Friday afternoon, I have finally settled into my new apartment. As always, it wasn't as easy as it seemed. The week before I left, my car needed to have some SERIOUS work done on it. We're talking new tires, control arm, ball joints - the works. Thank God my dad was able to help me out with that, because I don't know what I would have been able to do. The day before we left, my mom's car was having the SAME problems. After a mini-crisis, we got a rental car so that way she could also make the 10 hour drive.

Once Terrance got off work, the three of us left Indianapolis for "the city of 10,000 lakes". The trip was going smoothly until we spent over 3 hours in traffic outside of Chicago. This was TERRIBLE. But, Terrance and I were able to call some apartment places while we waited lol.

Once we got to Minneapolis - I immediately fell in love. This city seems so alive! There is culture everywhere! From the unique shops and restaurants to the museums and parks - this city is really interesting. My apartment is in the 'burbs right outside of the city. The area is really nice, and I have a grocery store, a Target and a mall all within walking distance. Couldn't be better! I've posted pictures of the apartment and city on facebook - check them out!

My mom and Terrance left this morning and it was really hard to say goodbye. Especially since my roommate won't be moving in until next week - I'm all alone. BUT - Only 3 weeks until I'll be home for NSAC Nationals.