And just like that almost one year passes! Eight months ago I was unsure of what to expect with the year ahead. Now officially completed the classroom education of my Masters, the real learning begins! For the next year I'll be trading my backpack for a briefcase and heading out as an intern...working like a real grown-up save one small detail - I do it for free.
I'm okay with this. After all I knew what I was getting into heading into the program so really there's no use complaining as I am a willing participant!
This past Saturday I made the trek from London to Ottawa for my first placement. The drive itself was uneventful. On Sunday Jo and did a dry run of my drive to where I'm working. This was no problem thanks to Jo's expert knowledge of Ottawa (and perhaps a little help from the GPS). That afternoon Jo, her sister Julie, and I headed to Wakefield, QC for dinner with some of their family. It was good times and good food and all in all a nice way to spend the Sunday before my big day.
On Monday I had to be in for 9 am. Not knowing how Ottawa traffic is (good, bad, ugly) I left an hour early (to travel about 15 km) just in case. About 30 minutes later I arrived at my destination and had some fun trying to find a parking spot (I had been warned about this)!
I was a bit nervous about actually meeting my preceptor but it turns out I had nothing to worry about! I think the fact that she had forgotten her keys that morning so she was locked out of her office (and hence my office) helped to break a bit of the tension and we had a good chuckle about it.
Much of Monday was spent acquainting myself with the orgainization I'm working with and the project I've been assigned.
I did a LOT of listening (and learning). I forgot how tiring this can be. I got home around 5:15 pm, had dinner and was asleep for the night before 8:00 pm!!! If asked how I felt after day one: overwhelmed (with knowledge) and excited (to delve into my project).
Today I had a chance to meet with some of the other people involved in our area at work. It was nice to hear a little bit about what others are doing and how they came to be where they are. We have people from all over Canada and there are a number of new employees (there are at least 5 people who have been there for less than 4 months) and so I'm not the only one who is getting to know the ropes.
Today I worked more on becoming acquainted with the organization and my project. Four weeks is such a short period of time to get things done and so I've really got to make sure I stick to the deadlines I've made for myself!
Cheers,
T.
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