What an amazingly eventful summer we've had. Apologies for neglecting this blog for so long, but once you get through this doozy of a post I hope you'll understand what was keeping us so preoccupied.
I finished up my internship at VMware by mid-August. Put simply, VMware sells software to help IT departments maximize the efficiency of their hardware by allowing them to create virtual machines. I had an amazing time working with their User Experience team doing research on how virtual infrastructure administrators did troubleshooting when their customers complained that their machines weren't working properly.
You can read more about what I worked on here. Not only did I get to offer design recommendations for two of VMware's products based on my research, but I also was named a semi-finalist in the R&D interns poster presentations. There were a lot of professional highlights for me during the summer and they were all made possibly by the open and collaborative team I worked with.
While I was wrapping up at VMware, Allen was working diligently on his dissertation. He and his advisor set a hard deadline for submitting his final draft for Aug 20th and we're happy to report that he was able to turn it in a day early! So, now he gets started working on job applications - Whoohoo! It is really too early to say anything about where the two of us might end up, but the number of job postings is (thankfully) growing by the day for positions all over the country and all over the world. Fingers crossed!
But thankfully our time in San Francisco isn't all work and no play. I was keeping track of my comings and goings on Foursquare this summer and as you can see ... we definitely got around.
What makes me laugh is how all my activities in San Francisco proper are limited to the Mission (where I was living for the first part of the summer) and then within walking distance of the Muni and BART lines.
I feel so thankful for all of the wonderful friends I got to spend time with this summer. New co-workers, classmates from Barnard and the University of Michigan, and random other friends from all corners of our life came out for our going away party in Dolores Park.
Its good to know that we have roots to come back to if we ever find our way back to California.
But our summer hasn't ended in California folks! Oh no! We flew back to NJ, recovered from jet-lag, hung out with my parents and brother, and then hit the open road for Asheville..... where no visit to the Roda household would be complete without copious amounts of bridge playing!
... and because Allen was able to wrap up his dissertation draft earlier than expected we've actually had the chance to hang out with some of our other friends in town.
But soon we were back on the road again, this time to visit our Kentucky family. It was so wonderful to see Richard, Mary, and baby Caroline! It was a little too hot to do much of anything other than play with the baby, which ... honestly, didn't mind us at all.
And with that we drove the 6 hours up to Ann Abor!
Weeeeee'rrrreeeeee BAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCKKK! And we're already up to silliness. Tonight is Mediterranean food and trivia and then for the rest of the week I'm booked with helping out at SI's orientation for the incoming kiddie-winks.
Its a little bitter-sweet being here. I'm really looking forward to hanging out with some of my awesome classmates. But I can't also help thinking of all my 2nd-year friends who have moved on and I know that I only have one more week with Allen before he heads off to NY and his fellowship at the Met..... but I'm keeping my hopes up that I'm going to be making more life-long friends this upcoming year!
I finished up my internship at VMware by mid-August. Put simply, VMware sells software to help IT departments maximize the efficiency of their hardware by allowing them to create virtual machines. I had an amazing time working with their User Experience team doing research on how virtual infrastructure administrators did troubleshooting when their customers complained that their machines weren't working properly.
Presenting my Tri-force of Communication at the R&D Poster Session
You can read more about what I worked on here. Not only did I get to offer design recommendations for two of VMware's products based on my research, but I also was named a semi-finalist in the R&D interns poster presentations. There were a lot of professional highlights for me during the summer and they were all made possibly by the open and collaborative team I worked with.
While I was wrapping up at VMware, Allen was working diligently on his dissertation. He and his advisor set a hard deadline for submitting his final draft for Aug 20th and we're happy to report that he was able to turn it in a day early! So, now he gets started working on job applications - Whoohoo! It is really too early to say anything about where the two of us might end up, but the number of job postings is (thankfully) growing by the day for positions all over the country and all over the world. Fingers crossed!
But thankfully our time in San Francisco isn't all work and no play. I was keeping track of my comings and goings on Foursquare this summer and as you can see ... we definitely got around.
Locations covered in North, East, and South Bay
Zoomed-in on the City, with transit lines shown
What makes me laugh is how all my activities in San Francisco proper are limited to the Mission (where I was living for the first part of the summer) and then within walking distance of the Muni and BART lines.
I feel so thankful for all of the wonderful friends I got to spend time with this summer. New co-workers, classmates from Barnard and the University of Michigan, and random other friends from all corners of our life came out for our going away party in Dolores Park.
Party in Dolores Park
Its good to know that we have roots to come back to if we ever find our way back to California.
But our summer hasn't ended in California folks! Oh no! We flew back to NJ, recovered from jet-lag, hung out with my parents and brother, and then hit the open road for Asheville..... where no visit to the Roda household would be complete without copious amounts of bridge playing!
What's trump again?
... and because Allen was able to wrap up his dissertation draft earlier than expected we've actually had the chance to hang out with some of our other friends in town.
Blueberry picking in the Blue Ridge Mountains with Victoria, Stephen, and Samantha
But soon we were back on the road again, this time to visit our Kentucky family. It was so wonderful to see Richard, Mary, and baby Caroline! It was a little too hot to do much of anything other than play with the baby, which ... honestly, didn't mind us at all.
Don't you remember your goofy Uncle Allen?
And with that we drove the 6 hours up to Ann Abor!
Weeeeee'rrrreeeeee BAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCKKK! And we're already up to silliness. Tonight is Mediterranean food and trivia and then for the rest of the week I'm booked with helping out at SI's orientation for the incoming kiddie-winks.
Its a little bitter-sweet being here. I'm really looking forward to hanging out with some of my awesome classmates. But I can't also help thinking of all my 2nd-year friends who have moved on and I know that I only have one more week with Allen before he heads off to NY and his fellowship at the Met..... but I'm keeping my hopes up that I'm going to be making more life-long friends this upcoming year!
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