2013 marked an end to my second decade alive, and if you ask me, breathing for 20 straight years it really a pretty big deal. Turning 20 was the strangest birthday experience I ever had. For starters, I spent my birthday alone in Louisville, Kentucky. I woke up at 4:00am, went to work, came home, made myself dinner at my apartment, and went to bed. The best part of my day, was the free Venti Caramel Macchiato I got from Starbucks. Normally I spend my birthday with family and friends, so being 3 hours away was not sitting well with me.
Why else is it strange? Well turning 20 is like the most disappointing birthday because it just sits there and mocks you. That whole day will look you straight in the face and tell you that you have to wait another 365 days just to buy a beer. People either say to you, "Oh! Way to not make it on Teen Mom!" or "Just one more year!", neither of which are comforting, or really all that exciting. It is great to be still alive, don't get me wrong, but I began the official 365 day countdown that day.
2013 also brought me two different co-op jobs. The first, being at GE Appliances in Louisville, was so far from what I expected.
Day 1:
Katie wears her new blue pencil skirt to work - no other person she sees all day is wearing a skirt
Katie says she is a Chemical Engineer - only one other co-op out of 150 is also a Chem E
Katie expects to be working an 8 - 5 job in an office - her desk is in the middle of a production floor and she is told to arrive at 5:30am the next morning
Katie thinks about all the cute clothes she can wear (as long as it's with pants) - she is told that she should wear jeans or khakis with steel toe shoes
After day 1 at GE, I decided I should stop expecting things and just see what happens next. And what happened, was me working 50-60 hours most weeks, being in charge of planning weekly lunches and weekend events for other co-ops as the celebrations committee co-chair, and me running a production line by myself for a week while my boss went on vacation.
My co-op at Silfex, where I finish my first rotation this week, has been much more what I expected. Being able to live on campus is just one of the many perks of working here. And while I still do wear jeans and khakis to work most days, I can dress them up with a nice pair of Sperrys! I also have a desk, right next to the production floor, not on it, although I did spend quite a bit of time on the production floor. Also, knowing that no one is going to yell at me for touching a part is nice. Working on a development team has been incredible, and a small manufacturing environment has proved to be a place where I can excel.
New friends is probably one of the coolest things 2013 has led to. I have met new people through couch crashing (thanks to living in Louisville, this became a weekly thing in 8E), working, going on retreats, leading retreats, Marianist Leadership Scholars, singing at Mass, and summer classes.
*A note on taking classes in the summer: When you sit though class together for an hour and a half, four or five days a week, you make new friends very quickly. Also, summer classes are miserable and I am so glad that I only have to do that once.*
Campus involvement is one of the last big adventures 2013 has brought me. While living in Louisville it was impossible for me to stay involved in the organizations I love, but being back on campus has allowed me to have the best of both worlds. I have been able to take a leadership position within Marianist Leadership Scholars, which has allowed me to get closer to so many people, including our newest freshmen. I have also been able to continue singing and playing the flute at Ghetto Mass on Sunday nights, been able to be more involved in my sorority, and I got to be involved in ETHOS club and Society of Women Engineers. On the whole, this year has brought me some pretty awesome stuff.
2013 has been pretty awesome and I can only look forward to everything that 2014 is bringing me. Just in case you're curious about my 2014 adventures here's what I know about so far...
I am moving into the Pi Phi house in January!
I will hold an Executive Council Position in Pi Beta Phi for 2014
I will turn 21 - and my parents will go out to celebrate with me
I have more retreats to plan and lead
I will be on the Union Advisory Board as a student representative of Greek Life
I will be going on Dayton2Daytona with some of my best friends
I will be participating in the ETHOS program this summer, which will send me to one of seven countries for 10 weeks
I will have another co-op
I will be taking a little!
I will begin the first of two senior years
Adventure is out there!
