So originally I planned on writing this post on the plane ride back from Nashville or in the airport terminal, but instead I’m writing it as I’m on my way there because I can’t find the sheet with all my Astronomy questions for homework. (Editing note: I’m in Nashville currently!) But hey, things happen, right?
In fact, sometimes they happen when you least expect them to; when you’re not looking for them to…. And that’s precisely what this blog post is about.
I know. You hear it all the time: “Stop looking for it! It’s going to happen when you least expect it!” But boy oh boy, has that become true the past two months.
I’m a junior in college, which means internships are pretty important – not just to get my name into a company, but also to graduate. I applied to so many over the summer and come the fall. I can’t even count how many.
I landed an interview with MSG Networks, which I was ecstatic about. I made it to the final round of interviews for it, but was rejected from the program. But that was okay. I took a breath, took pride in the fact that a major network like MSG selected my application out of the many who applied, and pushed forward.
Anyone who knows me personally knows how optimistic a person I am, and I wasn’t going to be negative about this one event, even though I was definitely disappointed.
So from there, I kept applying. I eventually landed an interview with Sports Illustrated, but after several weeks of the process, I didn’t get that one either.
There comes a point where not hearing back or getting your hopes up starts to get tiring, and that did become the case. But I kept an open mind and still applied wherever I saw an opportunity.
October rolled around and still no internship. I was started to stress myself out because I felt like I needed something, anything sports related. But then I got an email that caught my attention.
I applied to the American Museum of Natural History back in August and hadn’t seen the status of my application change over the two month span between August and October, so I figured at that point, the chances of me getting it were very low, if there was any chance at all.
I was complaining to my mom and cousin about being stressed out because I didn’t have an internship lined up. Low and behold, an email from the museum for an interview request popped up in my inbox not even an hour later. I responded, we set up an interview time, and that was that. I went into it with the thought process of, “You know what? I have nothing to lose. I’ve already been rejected by multiple companies. Might as well just go in confident, be myself, and do this for me.”
A media relations position at a museum about history doesn’t exactly work with sports, but it was an opportunity to gain some experience. I read about history and science in my free time because I find it interesting and that’s the reason I applied, but I didn’t think I would actually get to work there.
With that attitude of having nothing to lose, I did my interview and made sure to show off my best traits, work experience, and show them the well-rounded journalist I’ve molded myself into. The most rewarding part about that was how impressed they were with me, and after being invited back two days later to meet the rest of the communications team, I was offered the position.
If you asked me before now if I ever thought I would be working as an intern for the American Museum of Natural History, I’d tell you no way. But that’s where I’m at right now. And I’m so ecstatic for what’s to come in my experience there.
In that same week, I also landed an interview with W-ABC Sports, and while that interview went well, I didn’t get the position. And that’s okay. It just wasn’t meant to be for the upcoming semester. And I’m still thrilled with where I’m at. I’m going to have the opportunity to grow and expand my horizons, and that’s always the way I’ve approached my career.
This opportunity was unexpected, but I’m incredibly grateful for it. Sometimes, things just have a way of working out. Especially when you least expect them to. And that doesn’t just go for things like a job opportunity.
I think most often you hear, “Stop looking. It’ll happen,” as “Stop looking. You’ll meet him/her eventually.”
And to be honest, I have to agree with that statement as well. Like any other college student, I’ve spoken to guys, but nothing’s ever come of it. We’d start talking, they’d stick around for a little bit, we wouldn’t necessarily hang out that much (if at all), and then things would just stop. And that’s just the way it worked. I didn’t and still don’t hold anything against the people it happened with, it just became tiring. After talking to friends and looking at the situations, I decided that it would be best for me to just take time out for me. And that was definitely the plan…
Until the boy I dated over the summer asked me to hang out and talk about what happened between us. It wasn’t anything bad, we had just drifted, for several reasons, but none that would cause us to have anything against each other.
And the girl who said she was going to take time out for herself, not date for a little while, and just keep this as a friendship for now, was no longer in that mindset anymore.
Things picked up right where the left off. They felt normal the first day we hung out again, like we hadn’t skipped a beat (as cheesy as that sounds). And we also had both changed in ways that made us more capable of being in a relationship. So after hanging out for a bit, we decided that continuing to “date” with neither person seeing anyone else would be silly. So we put the label on it. And now he’s my boyfriend and I’m really, really happy about it.
The cool part about it is, we’ve both never been in a serious relationship before. So we get to figure it out together, and it’s nice to have someone. Even if you get to see them for just 15 minutes between classes, or spend the morning together before your later classes. Having someone who can have an intellectual conversation and puts a smile on your face on the daily is one of the greatest things.
And yet, I wasn’t expecting it. I wasn’t looking for it. I wasn’t even planning on dating him again. And it’s weird the way things work sometimes, but it’s also pretty great when they work out in a way you didn’t plan.
I’m not saying you can’t seek love, companionship, opportunities, or whatever it may be you are looking for. What I’m saying is, don’t restrict yourself or close yourself off to everything. Have an open mind about things. Apply to a job you may not usually go for, but sounds like it could be a fun experience. Go out to eat with an old friend, or a guy you dated over the summer and drifted apart from for no deal-breaking reason.
You never know what life may throw your way.
Just go out there and enjoy the adventure.
Alexandra Licata 