Summer Loving

Whew! I've been on the go ever since I finished the spring quarter back in Rochester around two months ago, I hit the Californian ground and started running. I got an amazing internship offer that I couldn't reject. I started the internship day and half after I got home from Rochester, and have been working furiously ever since.

The internship with Convo has been both exciting and boring at the same time. Every internship has their down points, and especially since that Convo is a newly growing business--there's not much for me to do. I've been doing a lot of Customer Services training, and I recently took over the Customer Services lines for the past two weeks while the regular guy was on vacation. I learned how different each of our customers were, sometimes I'd have to adjust my approach or how I interact with people to accomodate that person. Every call would be someone new, and a new experience.

Having this experience has really benefited me for future calls I'll be making, my approach towards them should be friendly and polite--if I don't do this, I won't get the help I need. When customers are mean towards me, I usually give them what they need and close the conversation right there. With the ones who are friendly and happy, I allow them more time with me, I give them more details and help them out a little more than usual. It's incredible at how their attitude affects me and the call. But it does. The representative are just as frustrated as their customer when something does not go their way. So the next time you want to give attitude towards the customer services representative, think ahead--put themselves in your shoes.

I had a mini vacation the weekend before I turned 21 in June, I got to visit my boyfriend up in Seattle, Washington. It was exactly what I needed as seeing that week was one of my worst--still was. My dad and I almost got hit by a car, ended up damaging our driver's door--if you're friends with me on FaceBook, you have seen the pictures. So the Prius is done, no coming back, it's at a junk yard right now. Then few days later, the gardener shattered one of our sliding door's glass. (That didn't get replaced until maybe two weeks ago--suffered for few weeks with that shattered!)

With that long week, I was eager to see Taylor and just relax the whole weekend. Of course, it's always exciting to see your boyfriend after few weeks. So when I got to Seattle, all I wanted was to hug and kiss Taylor. I met his family and his dog, then the few days after that--I got to know them and honestly? We all got along very well. In the short weekend I was in Seattle, I went to a Seattle Mariners vs. San Francisco game (we won, naturally). I got to go up the Space Needle, and walk around the Pike's Place. Taylor also took me to University of Washington, we went on a GORGEOUS 75 degree weather day, so it was absolutely perfect. We got to see Mt. Rainer in the background while walking around on campus. The next day was super rainy and a bit cold, we were at a picnic. I loved this weekend because even though we were out doing things, sightseeing and all--I was extremely relaxed.

Getting back to California was another story though, I lost my ID at the Seattle airport on the way back, and that weekend was my 21st birthday. I decided not to have an extravagant party or to go out and get smashed, but instead a relaxing BBQ in the backyard and have friends come over. It was exactly what I wanted, later that night--I went out for few drinks with a friend. It still feels super weird to be able to flash my ID and get anything I want. Officially unlimited to do whatever I want....safely, of course.

Then Taylor came to California a week after that, in those short two weeks--I missed him so much. When he was here though, I was so busy working Customer Services between 8am-4pm so when I got home, I was pretty much always exhausted. Thursday night, we went out to the San Francisco game with my brother and his girlfriend. Friday, we met my aunts from Texas, they were in town for a retreat. Saturday we spent the day in San Francisco checking out Alcatraz and other must see locations. We were both exhausted by 4pm though, we both were up since 7am to catch the ferry to Alcatraz at 9am. So when we both got home, I went to sleep very early. Sunday, we got to catch up with my aunts before they went back to Texas and headed down to Napa Valley for a dinner with my grandparents. The whole weekend was stressful, but at the same time relaxing. I think this boy relaxes me the most.

He left to go to Kentucky for the NAD convention and to play in the College Bowl--and guess what? RIT won! That night, I just wished I was there for Taylor and for my fellow RIT people. But I got to Skype with Taylor after his sweet victory, so that wasn't too shabby. While he was wallowing in the 107 degree weather in Kentucky, I was busy working the Customer Services (still!) and organizing some details for the Deaf Expo trip to Las Vegas at the end of this month! I'm really excited for that, I get to see my best friend and the place she's been working at for the last few weeks (Caesar's Palace!). But not only that, for some mini vacation--even though I'm working, but it's working in a different place. So I'm pumped for that.

This whole journey with Convo has been what I wanted, and not what I've expected. I expected to do more Public Relation things, but instead I'm working Customer Services most of the time. Needless to say, I'll cherish this experience for the rest of my life. The things I'm learning everyday is incredible. I'm bringing this experience with me to Rochester when I complete my road trip with dad the last week of August. We're making a stop in Austin, Texas! You can only guess where we're stopping exactly...University of Texas, of course! We're both taking turns driving my new car, Eve. So it's really something else that I'm looking forward to in August.

For the rest of the summer, I'm gonna try grabbing every chance I have to hang out with my friends before it's too late. And of course, soak up the gorgeous Californian sun. To relax as much as I can, but at the same time--go all out and have fun.

It's definitely a summer to remember, and a summer much better compared to last year. I've grown so much, and I've finally found where I need to be. I've realized how some things don't make me happy, and I've gotten rid of those. I'm exactly where I need to be now, finally.