I’m back from France and have finally started my new internship at Nielsen. It’s at the Chicago office, and while I’m still getting used to what seems like a permanent state of exhaustion, I think I’m really going to like this job. The previous two summers I worked at Public Relations companies in the city. I absolutely loved the companies and everything that they stood for, but last summer I truly realized that PR isn’t for me.

When searching for a job this summer, I knew I needed something drastically different, and something involving my business major a bit more. I took a Market Research class at Miami last fall and loved it, so when I was looking for internships, Nielsen was at the top of my list.

My first day was amazing. Everyone in the office is so nice, and it’s much more relaxed than I expected. The dynamic between the team is fun and it seems like they have really built a family. On my second day I was able to take part in Nielsen Global Impact Day, which is a day of volunteering done worldwide by the company. I spent the morning with my manager at an organization called Share our Spare, which provides children with clothing and other essentials for families at or below the poverty line in Chicago. It was really wonderful to see so early on how the company gives back and how the different teams interact with each other. The culture here is very cool, which made me excited for the rest of the summer.

Exercising outdoors in the early morning hours and planning fun activities at night have been key for me. Getting up and going outside is so refreshing and definitely helps to give me some energy. And going out to dinner and trying new places has been giving me something to look forward to after a long day. Last Wednesday I was lucky enough to go to the Good City Chicago Stories and Sounds Event, which took place at the Chicago Helicopter Experience. My mom emceed the event, and we enjoyed appetizers on a beautiful night outside. The best part of course was the Helicopter Tour, and wow was it an experience. I’ve never been on a helicopter before, and this was a gorgeous night to do it. My mouth dropped as we turned every corner, but I’ll let the pictures do the talking:

My mom loves to try new rooftop eateries in the summer, and I’m lucky enough to tag along. After hearing rave reviews and finding it nearly impossible to get a reservation, we managed to get in to London House last Friday. The views were spectacular and the furniture was fun and outdoorsy chic. I enjoyed spending time catching up with friends and soaking in the summer sun.

One of the other goals I have set for myself this summer is to enjoy my weekends and try something new, so my sister and I headed to Starved Rock State Park. We entered a raffle when we arrived and lo and behold we won. We are both now the proud wearers of what we call raffle raincoats with the Starved Rock emblem. They came in handy as part of that day involved scattered showers and we were shielded from it all in our hooded glory. It was a beautiful park and it’s a nice reminder that there is nature in Illinois. We laughed the whole time and it was great to have some sister fun.

The week ahead is much longer, but I am excited to dive into work more intensely since I will have some training under my belt. There’s another rooftop event I get to attend this Friday and I will be catching up with some friends as well. As tiring as it is, it’s fun to be involved in the work environment and have a purpose each day, and to get to meet up with friends afterwards. I am looking forward to taking advantage of everything the city has to offer and to be outside as much as possible.

It’s going to be a great summer, and I can’t wait for all of the fun times ahead!