May

May was a transitional period, ending my internship in Fayetteville and starting a summer internship with my hometown newspaper, the Winston-Salem Journal. I had been away on internships ever since March 2012 and coming home was something I felt I needed, to be around family and friends while still continuing to work. It was very odd at first and felt like I was in the Twilight Zone---doing daily work, but in a completely familiar place and going back home and seeing Davis and the dogs at the end of each day. Something so normal and familiar had become foreign to me and I was having to acclimate myself to being in my own home again. The strangeness wore off in a few weeks and I now I feel as if I have been home for months, which is funny because the internship ends in just three weeks. I am not sure what is in store for me at the end of this internship. I have been applying for jobs and devising a plan in case I am met with unanimous rejection. Whatever happens, I am indescribably grateful for all the opportunities I have been granted through my internships at these NC daily newspapers. To be honest, I thought it might reflect poorly on me that I had stayed in my state all this time. However, as I went to each paper, I felt I gained a better understanding of the different cities and the communities within them, which in turn, gave me a deeper appreciation and in-depth knowledge of the state that I have called home for almost 30 years. I feel so much more connected to North Carolina and the people who live here and that has been one of the best gifts during the past year and a half.