Internship - First Day

Royal Blue blouse from Express - check. Black pencil skirt from Express - check. Colin Stuart black pointy-toe heels - check. News Reporter notepad - check. GPS - check. Prayer that God would calm my nerves - check. Sang along with Bebo Norman's "I Will Lift My Eyes" while realizing I am next to both the Mountains (I can't climb) and the oceans (raging wild) - check.

And so began my first day of work at the VCReporter.

My footsteps clicked as I walked up the stairs to the office, which seemed more like an attic than an office. "Here's Michael," pointed the receptionist, who had brought me up the stairs. "Hi Michael," I answered. "Hannah Davis," I said, as I shook her hand, realizing that she was wearing jeans, a sweater, and some comfy sneakers. She told me later, "As you can tell, we're pretty casual around here, so you don't have to come in wearing a skirt every day." .... "So I've noticed," said I.

I met two other editors and sat down with Michael (a female Michael). After chatting about my next 10 weeks as an intern, she handed me a pile of 8 past issues and an assignment for Friday: read them (not ALL of every one, but most), come back and tell her what I liked, didn't like, why, and a general sense of what I think the VCReporter is about. (Although I had done some research before . . . ) She also gave me the assignment to drive around the area, exploring and getting a feel for the people of the area. "To know one's people and what's important to them, is to know what stories to do." - not in her exact words, but essentially what she told me. So tomorrow I will drive around the areas in which the VCReporter is distributed and get a feel for the neighborhoods and come up with story ideas. This I am actually excited for! I already have a couple of story ideas, and I'm sure I will come up with some more on tomorrow's journey.

So begins my adventure of a true reporter for a newspaper. :-)