What's Going On?

I have to admit that before my internship, I only followed the news on a weekly basis. Whenever someone would turn on the television and flipped to the news, I would respond with, "Ugh- can't you put something else on?"

I now know how important it is to know what is going on in the world. Not only does it leave you informed, but it also keeps you from looking uneducated while having a conversation with a well-rounded person. My internship is all about news and entertainment, and to have an old story is embarassing. To keep me informed even on the go, I receive text messages from Channel 7 on my phone with breaking news updates. This can come very handy in some cases.

I think it is a sign of growing up when you would rather watch the news than a repeat of "Friends". With knowing what is going on in the world, it leaves chances for more interesting conversations and opportunities.

Change of Plans

With the way the economy has been, it has caused a lot of people to change their everyday spending habits. Some people have opted to walk or take a bus rather than spending money on a car or gas. Fewer people are going out to dinner and cooking at home istead. A big change I had made is reducing my coffee intake from three cups to one or two a day.

It makes me feel better to know that my friends are in the same boat as me. We can agree on staying in and making margaritas rather than going out to a fancy martini bar. Although we don't have many cooking skills, we have chosen cooking dinner at home instead of paying for dinner out at a restaurant. Not only does this save us money, but we also can work on learning how to cook more than Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.

Everyone needs a fun night out every once in a while. However, we can no longer do that as often as we used to. This just makes the nights that we do go out more enjoyable and fun. We are taking everything in stride, and hopefully things will start looking on the up side soon.

"What Are Your Plans For After?"

It's that time of the year again. Talks about finals are beginning, projects are due, and everyone is slacking off because we can all smell the summer air coming. I'm familiar to this process, I have gone through it many times. However, this time is different. This time I will not be coming back.

I am picking up my cap and gown tomorrow. It is a bittersweet feeling. I am so thrilled to be done with exams and long papers, however, I am terrified. I am terrified of not finding a job and the threat of being a waitress for the next five years. I have to say, the question, "What are your plans for after?" sends chills down my spine and makes me want to crawl under my covers. I have no idea about what I'm going to do after. I am beginning to think that this may be a bad thing.

Is it too much to ask to just want to sit back, relax, and enjoy the moment of hearing my name being called in front of thousands of people as well as my family and friends? Maybe I will continue on to graduate school, but for now I need a break. I want to enjoy my last summer of freedom without having a full time job. I mean, I do have the rest of my life...right?

Swine Flu? Enough Already!

"Flight from Germany diverted to Logan Airport-- Woman on board has flu symptoms and doctors will check her out." Are you kidding me? This was a breaking news text message I received from Channel 7 just moments ago. I understand that the nature of swine flu is serious. However, I think the media is making the virus sound much more worse than it is.

I'm not sure if the media knows that about 36,000 people in the US die from the normal flu every year. So far there has been one recorded death in the US from swine flu, and now everyone is in a frenzy. It is understandable that there have been about 200 deaths in Mexico from the swine flu, mainly because a lot of people in Mexico have poor quality health care, or none at all. Here in the US, swine flu is very treatable and does not place serious health risks on people.

I know that we will continue to see this epidemic as the lead story on the news for a while to come. Until then, it is wise to wash your hands, cover your nose and mouth while sneezing and coughing, and stay alert. However, I do not think that everyone should be as nervous and stressed as they are right now about the swine flu.

Casual Dining Continues to Suffer

I walked into work a couple of weeks ago and quickly learned that we would be getting a lot of new salads and sandwiches, mainly to attract a lunch crowd. The new items looked great and tasted good as well- and then the news came. We would be featuring these new additions for the cheap price of $5 for a limited time.

While this is a great marketing technique, it is putting a hole in my pocket. Bills are now cut in half, which means my tips decline by a lot. Seriously though, if someone wants a $5 meal, don't they usually go to McDonald's or Panera?

I think that it is a waste of time and work for the servers to be serving someone who is eating for so cheap. Don't get me wrong, everyone should be able to enjoy the luxury of sit-down dining. Filling up my four-top booth for an hour with the bill being only $35 is a waste and unfair to me.

Until this limited time offer expires, I will continue to be hurting for cash. I am optimistic that when it ends, people will come back, despite the increase in prices on the food that they have come to enjoy.

The Real World

Sometimes it is hard to believe that it is the year 2009. I remember when I used to think that the year 2000 seemed a long way into the future. I knew that the year 2005 was going to be a big one because I would be graduating high school. Now it is finally 2009- the year I will be graduating college. Gasp.

It used to feel as if my college graduation was centuries away. The past four years of college went by so much faster than high school. Surprisingly, I did much better in college than I did in high school. I have maintained a 3.0 GPA or better while working five days a week as well as holding an internship at a very popular Boston radio station. I have put in a lot of work during these years, and now I can't help but wonder about whether or not the hard work will be worth it.

In today's economy, it is going to be very hard for the college graduates of 2009 to find a job out of school. I love my internship but I do not see myself working for free past the end of the summer. In the meantime, I will have to keep my hopes high that I will have a "real job" by the fall. The search will be long and frustrating, but I am confident that my hard work will pay off.

Home Sweet Home

When I was sixteen, I used to count down the number of days until my 18th birthday on a dry erase board. My excitement grew whenever I erased an old number and replaced it with a new one, even when the total was 572 days. I envisioned moving trucks, decorating my own place, and buying brand new furniture.

Fast forward to the present. I am 21 and still reside at my dads house. Although my dad is nowhere near strict and the only rule he gives is for me to do my own laundry, I still want to be out on my own. The thought of coming home from a long day of work and not having to answer any pointless questions puts a smile on my face. I'd like to have friends over to socialize over bottles of wine and not have to worry about disturbing anyone else.

But then again, I am only 21. I still need to graduate and find a real job. I have decided that the time to move out will come when a considerable amount of my credit card debt is paid off and when I am secure in a post-graduate job. Until then, I will continue to fantasize about the moving trucks, decorating, and new furniture.