Role Reversal

I love how I overcomplicate my life.

On Thursday, I came back to my apartment with a pounding headache, intending on doing nothing but eating and lying down. Out of habit, I checked my email immediately when I got back, and what I saw left me stunned.

Let me backtrack for a second.

On Wednesday our school held its annual career fair, and I went. Even though I have an internship lined up for the summer, it hasn't been set in stone, so I essentially went to secure plan B (but shh, don't tell them that). I interviewed at one political publication, and I don't think I did a very good job, because this publication covers Congress and domestic issues and all I talked about was how interested I am in international relations. But I dropped off my resume, said thank you and moved on to the other political publication that was there. I think I did a much better job talking to them, and evidently my thinking is correct because it was an email from this publication that I found in my inbox.

Usually it's us students who are writing the polite emails to prospective employers thanking them and asking for an interview. But, this situation was quite the opposite:

"I remember you mentioning that you were studying abroad next semester and wanted to secure a summer internship before you left. Please let me know if you are available for a phone interview sometime next week."

Whaaaa? Did they just ask ME for an interview?! I honestly didn't think I was good enough to get something like this, especially because I've never technically done a journalism internship (shhh don't tell anyone) and the only pure journalistic experience I have is writing for on-campus publications (although I do now have all that beat reporting from this semester's journalism class).

Anyways, I freaked out because this would be an amazing opportunity, but I really want to keep the other internship, which is abroad. But, that internship isn't set in stone yet and in case that doesn't work, I would want to do this one. Anyways, to make a long story short, I called Papa and then I wrote this four paragraph email to my internship coordinator asking what should I do. The email response was 3 lines. Don't worry, she told me, just mention that you might be staying abroad but you're interested in the fall. Which is exactly what Papa told me too.

So, I now have an interview for an internship I wasn't planning on getting in the field I wasn't planning on going into. The best part - my overactive imagination has now started thinking about this internship turning into a job after I graduate - which isn't for a couple of years.

I know. I'm crazy :) But apparently that craziness pays off every once in a while.