Step One: Get into the system.

Today is actually Day Two.

Step one, as far as I can tell has been executed. I, the student, entered successfully (thus far) into the work force of my desired disciple. (YES, finally!) According to the rest of my advisors/elders, "I'm on the right track." This is good. 

Yesterday I arrived at the International Institute of Connecticut AKA the IIC via car. A car is easier, but less interesting then a bus ride. In any case, I arrived at the IIC, deep into the depths of Bridgeport, at about 2pm yesterday. In the past couple weeks I've been hearing spatter about Bridgeport and how because I'm a woman I'll get shot. Not "will probably get shot" but, "get shot." Well alright. Day one, and I am not shot. 

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(not that I would have been anyway, I am in a safe area--Don't worry mom, people sometimes overreact here).

In any case, I came up to the IIC office which subtly hides amongst other social service buildings, optometry and dentistry buildings. Except these buildings are not exactly in town center, not like most would envision it. They are embedded and disguised cleverly as old houses which quietly submitted to a usurpation to the IIC, optometrist or dentist founders. It's quaint. That's really what it is. Except inside seems to have more caverns, nooks and offices than you would expect. 

"These are our new interns!" our day-of tour guide lets the other staff know.

"Well HELLO," they sing back, "finally, more workers!"

This institute, as far as I understand relies on volunteers and interns to get an impressively large sum of work accomplished in their quaint, tricky headquarters. 

Now on your first day, you always think: shit shit shit, I'm going to screw up somehow, somewhere...so I'll do everything right. Se la vie. I did screw up, or rather, the copier screwed up for me. 

Here is what I learned on my first real day of work: 

1) Copiers are terrible, no matter how new they are. There are too many buttons (And I thought I was technologically advanced)

2) Organizing is calming

3) If you wanted your non-American family members to come into America via VISA, I can tell you what forms to get. They all have special codes, like I-180 and G28. I feel like I need a walkie-talkie for this job, just to use the lingo. 

4) Saying thank-you and hello to people in their native language is always the best route. (I met an Egyptian family today, and understood much of what they said, this was very exciting to me!)

5) Ask questions. 

In a nutshell: the first day was good. 

It consisted of shadowing my supervisor, making copies, fighting the copier, gawking at the copier, peeing, eating an apple, talking to other interns, thinking about making copies, wondering why the new copier won't copy correctly, taking the bus home and being stared at because I'm white and wearing nice pants (I look different). 

BUT I did find a great thrift store on the bus ride. So, there are pluses and minuses to everything--if you called being stared at a minus. Which it hardly even counts as one. 

Lesson one for all new interns:

the biggest worry you will have is copying papers.