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Life of a New York City Intern: Final Entry

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Leta Stevens
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Amanda Norell
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Purdue chapter.

They say all good things come to an end, but I never realized how fast the end to my NYC summer would actually come. The end always seemed so far away, and now it is finally here. Now that I have finally faced reality and accepted the fact that I am moving back to Indiana, I have realized that this quote just does not suffice.
 
Don’t get me wrong, the saying “all good things come to an end” is just fine and dandy. But I prefer to use the song lyrics “every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end” (Thank you Semisonic and your 90’s smash hit Closing Time!) because coming to New York City was a new beginning for me. And I know it will continue to open more doors for me in the future.
 
It was a new beginning that I will absolutely never forget. It was the time of my life. It was a time to grow, to learn, to be independent, and most importantly, to find myself. I am proud to say that I did all of those things and so much more! Even though my NYC journey has finally come to an end, I will never forget the amazing summer I spent in New York City. It was an epic journey.
           
Another “new beginning” will start when I return to Purdue University for my senior year. With the “newly found” me returning to Boilermaker country, I am anxious to see how the year plays out and what is in store for me. I have grown so much in the past two months, but I do not want to stop growing or learning.
 

It was at this amazing internship at Anthropologie that I learned that you never have to stop growing or learning. My Display Coordinator, Katie, taught me that. Each day I walked into Anthropologie, Katie pushed me to learn something new and to figure it out on my own. I am forever grateful for that. It is because she pushed me that I now know I can put myself in a situation totally outside my comfort zone and still succeed.
           
When I say that I was put outside of my comfort zone, I do not just mean that I left Indiana and moved to New York City, even though that was a big change. What I mean is that I have always worked retail, doing jobs on the sales floor or in the stock room.
 
While I love art, I haven’t done much of my own artwork since I was in high school. Having spent the last four years of my life working retail, I was totally out of my comfort zone when I started working with the Visual Team at Anthropologie.
 
Each and every day was almost like playing arts and crafts. But instead of Popsicle sticks and watercolors, we repurposed normal household objects with power tools. How many retail management majors will come back from their summer internships and say that they are now pros with a jigsaw or a drill? I’m going to guess not many. But it makes me proud to know that I will be one of them.
 

After only two short months living in New York City, I have a new view on life. I have always known that every moment should be cherished and should never be taken for granted. But now, I know that even while enjoying life and the moments I am given, I can also work hard and strive to reach my dreams.
 
It took me awhile to come to terms with the fact that I have to leave New York City. But I am okay with it now, because I know… I came. I saw. I conquered. And I’ll be back.
 
From Manhattan with love,
 
Your New York City Intern

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Leta is a senior at Purdue University studying Retail Management with a Certificate in Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Leta is a member of Zeta Tau Alpha and is obsessed with her sisters. An avid shopper and fashionista, Leta spends her time working as an Assistant Manager at Twenty Ten Boutique on Purdue's campus while managing their social media campaigns. Leta started writing for Her Campus Purdue in April of 2011. It was because of her extreme enthusiasm and passion for Her Campus that she was promoted to Purdue University's Campus Correspondent in January of 2012.
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Amanda Norell is a junior at Purdue University where she is working toward a communication degree, supplemented by an art and design minor. A true Midwesterner, Amanda was born in Chicago and raised in northern Indiana, just minutes from the Michigan border. In addition to being Purdue's Campus Correspondent, Amanda is also a junior board member on Liberal Arts Student Council, a member of Alpha Gamma Delta, and has both edited and written for The Exponent, Purdue's independent daily student newspaper.  She has held internships in both event planning and career development, and has her sights set on becoming an event and wedding planner after graduation. She cannot get enough of campus in the fall, crepes from Greyhouse, Urban Outfitters, and simply lovin' life.