Hello, Dream Internship. Nice to finally meet you.

Greatest lobby EVER, am I right??

This was my first week working as an intern at Random House Publishing. I still have to pinch myself when I say those words to make sure I'm not dreaming. I'm blessed to have the opportunity to work in their Children's Books section which is, hands down, the best place to be. When I stepped onto the floor the first thing I saw were prints of illustrations covering the walls, stacks of books shoved into every nook and cranny of people's desks, and a wall on which little kids actually draw and color. People, this is heaven! 

But before I jump right in, let me give you a play-by-play of my first day of work. This is for you, Momma. 

Joel picked my outfit for the first day. It was his first time giving me advice on clothes. 

"You don't want to be all up in people's faces with color on the first day, Sara," was his reason for picking this combo. A Project Runway judge in the making, mark my words.

Here I am waiting at the train station with all the men in suits. Joel says that you can tell where they work by the kind of suits they wear. He read about it in The Big Short. I sat next to a man in a cream colored suit, a floral tie and a gold mermaid belt buckle and cuff links. Definitely a banker. 

Also, about 5 seconds after this picture was taken it started to rain. And I didn't have an umbrella...so my hair turned into a mane of frizz and curl. It was the first of a series of unfortunate events.

I got off the subway at Columbus Circle, my final stop. I haven't seen very many of the subway stops but I've decided Columbus Circle is the best. The mosaic signs and sailboats are a relief from the grime and the outlet is a grand entrance to the streets of New York.

Stopped at my morning croissant stand. I'm practically a regular, going twice in a row and all.

And then I turned to my left and behold, (trumpets trumpeting) Random House! 

Now, before I even stepped into the building on my first day

-I had been rained on, which completely ruined my hair and left me slightly damp for the rest of the day

-my necklace broke into teeny tiny pieces on the stairs in the subway

-my skirt unhemmed(!) leaving a trail of thread starting from somewhere down in the depths of the subway system to where I was standing 

-and, of course, my Wonderful Week of Womanhood started right then and there as I gazed at the top of the skyscrapers

Perfect.

Despite those things, I had a pretty good first day. I work closely with down-to-earth, kind and funny people who were totally welcoming and not even a bit scary.  My supervisor handed me books to read when work lulled (heaven, I tell you). I love the work, even if it seems menial, because it has to do with things I am most interested in. Now I can understand what it is like to be in love with your job. We had delicious New York pizza for lunch. We talked about how much we love TV, which is something I've always felt guilty about (trading books for TV) but now I feel totally unashamed. And I have my own cubicle with my name on it AT RANDOM HOUSE! I am totally attached. 

When I got home I opened the door to my husband making rice & lentils. I peeled off my work clothes, tied my hair on top of my head and sat on a step stool drinking diet coke and telling him about my first day. It was the perfect ending. It is comforting to know that no matter where I go I will always come home to Joel, who loves me and listens to me.