Through the Eyes of an Intern: First day fretfulness and farewells

Entering my sophomore year at college this week has brought back the all too familiar first-day-of-school-jitters. I’ve been getting them for as long as I can remember. In elementary school, they would manifest as sleepwalking.

I walked in my sleep occasionally, but it happened almost like clockwork the night before the first day of school. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the prevalence of sleepwalking is much higher for children, especially those between the ages of 3 and 7, and the Mayo Clinic cites stress as a potential trigger. So, it’s no wonder my anxious pre-adolescence self got up and wandered all through the house.

I also tended to take my favorite childhood companion – a black and white dog plushie creatively named Oreo – on the journey with me. However, I ended up abandoning her on the stairs quite a few times. I would wake up in the morning, unaware of the events of the night before, to find Oreo on the stairs. Of course, this led me to believe that my toy had gained secret sentience and escaped my cuddles and walked there on its own. To be honest, I’m still not entirely convinced that that stuffed animal doesn’t have magic powers.

And yes, I do bring Oreo up to South Dakota State University with me. It’s nice to have a little piece of childhood, magic or not, along for the newest adventure.

I would also like to take part of this column to thank my boss and co-workers for a wonderful summer. Jill, thank you so much for giving me such a valuable opportunity and experience. If every boss was like you, I believe fewer people would dread coming to work. Jamie, thank you so much for all the guidance and laughs this summer. I will miss having you right there to bounce lead ideas and Netflix suggestions off of. Lisa, thank you for all your hard work making sure our office runs smoothly. (I mean, as smoothly as our dysfunctional little group can work.) Erin, thank you for being such a ray of sunshine. Not only are you kind and witty but you are also such a detailed and hard worker. 

Lastly, I’d like to thank anyone and everyone who allowed me to interview, question, or snap a photo of them this summer. While we create the content, you are the content. We would be lost without you. Thank you for trusting me to tell your stories. 

And with that, I bid the Brandon Valley Journal adieu. For now.