I don’t think anyone would have noticed if I didn’t post this last blog.  A new intern class will be starting shortly, and they’ll begin posting their reflections before anyone becomes aware of a lull on this page.  But my reflections felt incomplete, and I don’t like to start things and leave them unfinished.  Even an abrupt ending is better than none at all.  So, here it is:

I’ll start by saying that one of our blog post guidelines is to include an image to accompany our thoughts.  Usually, before I start to write, I think about what image I’d like to use.  In this case, I’m not sure I can come up with one.  The reason for that is that so much is still undefined.  I don’t have a solid impression of these past six months to offer to our readers, and I can’t neatly sum it up into a single picture.

This internship was not always easy, but I’m glad I did it (and, more importantly, I’m glad I finished it).  The work was not always exactly what I wanted to be doing, but I’m happy it was assigned to me and even more satisfied that I completed (most) of it.  I met so many different people with different specialties and areas of expertise, each with their own unique personalities.  I worked closely with some of them, and I answered others’ phone calls several times a week.  I can say genuinely that I will miss something about each of them.

As many endings are bittersweet, this one is really no different.  I am sad to be leaving behind a routine that I had gotten accustomed to and to be leaving work that I had become familiar with.  But I know that it’s not really an ending.  I’ve heard before that once you’re in the ANCA family, you can’t really leave… no matter how much you may want to (or how much others may want to disown you).  There is something that will always draw you back.  While I encountered many frustrations during this internship, I am one day out of it and am already starting other volunteer/committee work within this family…  I think that speaks for itself.

Now, for the picture.  Let’s try this: Imagine a group of people sitting around a table, having just eaten a family style dinner and enjoyed a few drinks.  They are celebrating the success of a defining event.  Not only that, but they are also celebrating togetherness and the endless hours they’ve put in for a common cause.  They are all smiling—big, genuine, lighthearted smiles.

This photo doesn’t exist as a media file because I forgot to take it.  But it exists in my mind, and that’s how I’ll remember my exit.

Until next time…