The past couple of days have been incredibly hectic, not so much from work but just tying up all the loose ends. From packing everything up, to meeting people that I really needed to meet... just getting everything together has occupied most of my time here.
One of the more interesting realizations that I've had here is that I have quite an interest in visual arts. While I wish I could have realized this sooner, I've seized some of the free time I've had in LA to apply for a UROP in the Center for Advanced Visual Arts at MIT. When I hung up the phone after my phone interview and I had been offered the UROP, I realized how my experience in LA has led me onto a different path than I though I would be taking... and how that experience would probably lead me to another. It was an awakening, telling me that my adventure here in LA would soon end and I would be heading back to MIT to begin another one.
It's a little weird because it seems like I'm trying to get all of my work together and I'm "wrapping things up" when everyone else around me is getting started on brand new projects, moving into new offices (we've officially been incorporated into Fox now) and meeting new people.
And my group of coworkers will definitely laugh when I say this, but I really wish I didn't have to go.
I look back and think of how very little I did know at the beginning of this externship when I was unwittingly thrown in with a group of creatives with a quirky sense of humor that took a lot of pride in not fitting in... a group of people that would do... and just about say anything to get a chuckle out of people. Coming from a more buckled-down corporate environment, this was the last thing I truly imagined.
As I sit here typing my final blog entry for this externship at the Fox Lot in Century City, I realize how far this group has come... and how much further this group will go. It makes me sad to realize that I've only been able to see the beginning and won't be able to be with these people as they adjust to the corporate lifestyle, continue to produce viral media, and move up in the industry. Even after this externship, I feel like this industry is still new territory and there's so much more to learn here.
As I look back, this whole experience is still surprisingly surreal. To my surprise, going to work everyday was an opportunity to laugh and work on amazing projects with a group of friends, not sitting around in a corporate office making little paperclip necklaces. I learned all sorts of history about "Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll" not just about the creative consulting industry. And most importantly, I found something I really enjoyed doing, and the California weather had nothing to do with it.
This being my final blog entry, I would really like to thank several people for making my experience in LA possible. First off, I'd really like to thank Caroline and the several other alums that have helped me find housing in LA. Google maps and I might work wonderfully together, but it still doesn't work as well as someone who actually knows what they're doing. I'd like to thank to Larrys for letting me into their home and allowing me to stay with them. I even had a pet dog for a month! I'd like to thank my alum, David, and the rest of Rotten Inc, for giving me this opportunity and showing me the ropes. It's been an unforgettable experience!
I'd like to thank the MIT Alumni Association for matching me up with this group of extraordinary people. They are truly truly awesome. Every step of the way, I've been helped by MIT alums. From finding nearby housing, to describing the driving conditions of LA, to offering me this opportunity,.. nothing could have been possible without your help. This experience has been priceless and there are hundreds of other MIT students that feel the same way. So I'd like to thank all the alums out there that have made this program possible and will continue to do so.
Cheers!