So Long, But Not Goodbye
It’s my last day here at NAPCO.
My internship is ending, my classes have wrapped up, my off-campus experience is over. Next week, I am leaving Philadelphia and heading back home to Michigan.
It’s bittersweet.
On one hand, I’m exited to get back to the friends, the family and the homemade cranberry sauce that await me this holiday season.* On the other hand, I’m sad to be saying goodbye to this office, these people and this city that I’ve called home for the past four months. I’ll be trading in the gray of the city for the white (at least, if Mother Nature gets her act together) of the rural area from which I hail. Leaving Philadelphia will be weird, and it’s weird that it’s weird. You know?
With my semester here coming to a close, it’s time for me to reflect on what I’ve learned. The list is long, but I’ll give you some of the highlights. I’ve learned how to hail a cab. I’ve learned how to interact with people from all sorts of ethnic, religious, and economic backgrounds—because, let’s face it, encountering “difference” is just not something that happens that often in Fremont, MI. I’ve learned how to properly order a cheesesteak (provolone, wit’, thank you very much).
Working for Book Business and Publishing Executive, publications that focus on the publishing industry, I’ve also learned a lot about, well, publishing. I’ve learned about some of the challenges currently facing publishers as they delicately wrestle between the worlds of print and digital publishing, trying to move forward while maintaining their critical audiences. The industry is not like it was five years ago, and five years ago it wasn’t like it was five years before that. Entering the world of publishing right now is a bit like diving off the high board at the community pool for the first time—scary and a little dangerous. It’s impossible to know what exactly I’m getting myself into by taking that plunge.
But overshadowing that anxiety is a deep sense of anticipation. Now, more than ever, I am excited to put on those swim goggles and just go for it—because working in this industry—like that first, terrifying dive, I think— will be worth it. After my experience this semester, it will be impossible for me to shy away from this path because the world of publishing is, in my opinion, more exciting than it’s ever been. The publishing sphere is changing shape and I want to be there as it happens. I want to help shape it.
So, thanks to everyone who’s read my articles, left encouraging comments and shared their wisdom. I hope to work more with you soon.
*I’m sorry, but I insist that you have not lived until you’ve tried my mother’s cranberry sauce. I—just… no. Just no.
- People:
- Kara Robart
%0D%0A%20%20It’s%20bittersweet.%0D%0A<%2Fp>%0D%0A
%0D%0A%20%20On%20one%20hand,%20I’m%20exited%20to%20get%20back%20to%20the%20friends,%20the%20family%20and%20the%20homemade%20cranberry%20sauce%20that%20await%20me%20this%20holiday%20season.*%20On%20the%20other%20hand,%20I’m%20sad%20to%20be%20saying%20goodbye%20to%20this%20office,%20these%20people%20and%20this%20city%20that%20I’ve%20called%20home%20for%20the%20past%20four%20months.%20I’ll%20be%20trading%20in%20the%20gray%20of%20the%20city%20for%20the%20white%20(at%20least,%20if%20Mother%20Nature%20gets%20her%20act%20together)%20of%20the%20rural%20area%20from%20which%20I%20hail.%20Leaving%20Philadelphia%20will%20be%20weird,%20and%20it’s%20weird%20that%20it’s%20weird.%20You%20know%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookbusinessmag.com%2Farticle%2Fso-long-but-not-goodbye%2F" target="_blank" class="email" data-post-id="2709" type="icon_link"> Email Email
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