Intern no longer

A few months ago I wrote this, on the night before my last first day as an intern, maybe ever.

And now here I am, a few days after my last last day as an intern maybe (hopefully) ever. As I glance down the road, I see graduation coming up this week and then the job search kicking into gear. Big transitions. BIG.

But before I get too fixed on what lies ahead, I feel compelled to share about my final internship and how I'm changed. I walked into that hospital on January 19th expecting certain things: to learn a lot, to be pushed outside my comfort zone, etc etc...you know, all the things you say in an interview. And undeniably those things and more came true. I know a lot more now than I did before I started, and I know I've grown a lot as a practitioner.

But I read the list I wrote in the aforementioned January 18th post, and it makes me laugh. Yeah, it was challenging in a lot of the expected ways, but there were so many unexpected blessings. I just straight up loved it, and those worries seem so inconsequential now. Another tale of God's faithfulness I can add to my ever-increasing list.

Probably the most unexpected blessing was the relationships. I've been an intern many times before, and I've had great experiences with co-workers (i.e. interning with For the City), but I've also had some experiences where I was ready to be done.

That was not the case during my stint as a hospital social worker. What I was doing there was stimulating and challenging for me, but the people. That's what made it enjoyable. My supervisor, coworkers, the nursing staff...they have a special place in my heart now. I already miss them, and much to my surprise, I miss the 9 to 5 routine after just two days of no work. Who would have ever guessed that this girl would actually enjoy doing a full day's work? Certainly not I.

In a time that has been a little rough for me personally, I'm so thankful that I had a place that I genuinely looked forward to going each day. I felt like I was able to be myself and be appreciated for that, rather than trying to be something that I'm not. And the laughter and fun definitely outweighed the intense, frustrating moments. That is the grace of the Lord, pure and simple. I'm so glad that He saw fit to bless me in that way. He is good, all the time.