The last day
Well, after fourteen weeks, some real work, some frustration, a ton of fun, and a lot of really good lunches, my stint as a summer associate is a few hours from ending. It is, of course, a cause for some sadness on my part.
Being a summer associate is the best job this side of being a trust fund baby. You are paid well, spend eight hours a day in the office (well, maybe four hours, after subtracting lunches, coffee breaks, etc), are underworked, have few expectations or pressures on you, and are treated like royalty, with lunches at the city's top restaurants, Broadway shows, movies, golf outings, and the like. There is really nothing to complain about, other than the assignments which sometimes interrupt your blog-writing or the occasional meeting which torpedos a lunch at Gramercy Tavern.
It's also been fun to meet new people and make some great new friends over the course of the summer. While there are people in my summer associate class who I won't miss, I did make some good friends, and I'll miss hanging out with them once we're all back in school.
For now, it's a few more hours of enjoying the incredible view out my window, finishing up a memo for the tax department, going on one last lunch (destination to be determined), and clearing out my office.
As I leave, one funny email exchange from earlier in the summer, involving me and a couple of my friends.
TO: Several Summer Associates
FROM: BRY
TIME: 3:21 PM
Meet on the Plaza around 3:45 for coffee with [Female Associate].
TO: BRY
FROM: Val (one of the summers)
TIME: 3:22 PM
We're really all invited? Or. . . just one of us? (fn1)
TO: Val
FROM: BRY
TIME: 3:28 PM
Well, since you mentioned it, I really only wanted Sean [Val's officemate] to come. But I had to include you on the list because you share an office with him and he might tell you otherwise.
So my point is that really only Sean is invited.
There. I answered your question. Are you freaking happy now??
TO: BRY
FROM: Val
TIME: 3:29 PM
WOW! Just for that, I'm coming.
TO: Val
FROM: BRY
TIME: 3:29 PM
Well, if you're coming, I'm not.
TO: BRY
FROM: Val
TIME: 3:29 PM
Sweet! Mission accomplished.
TO: Val
FROM: BRY
TIME: 3:30 PM
Man, and I thought I was snobby. You want it so it's only you and Sean.
TO: BRY
FROM: Val
TIME: 3:30 PM
Nope. I told him that you didn't want him to come, so he's not either. (He's crying.) Just meeee and [Female associate]!
At this point, Val is laughing so hard that she's almost crying as she relays the developing conversation to Sean. Sean decides it's time to insert himself into the conversation.
TO: BRY, Val
FROM: Sean
TIME: 3:32 PM
SUBJECT: Act like lawyers
The two of you - WAY too much enthusiasm on something that isn't billable.
TO: Sean, BRY
FROM: Val
TIME: 3:33 PM
Sniffle through your tears, S.[ean] Patrick.
Probably not as funny to you all as it was to us, but it was probably the peak of our hilarious email exchanges.
1. This refers to a time early in the summer when I emailed some summers about an opening at a lunch. There was only one open spot in our reservation, so I told Val and Sean (her office mate) that only one of them could come. They've still never forgiven me.
Being a summer associate is the best job this side of being a trust fund baby. You are paid well, spend eight hours a day in the office (well, maybe four hours, after subtracting lunches, coffee breaks, etc), are underworked, have few expectations or pressures on you, and are treated like royalty, with lunches at the city's top restaurants, Broadway shows, movies, golf outings, and the like. There is really nothing to complain about, other than the assignments which sometimes interrupt your blog-writing or the occasional meeting which torpedos a lunch at Gramercy Tavern.
It's also been fun to meet new people and make some great new friends over the course of the summer. While there are people in my summer associate class who I won't miss, I did make some good friends, and I'll miss hanging out with them once we're all back in school.
For now, it's a few more hours of enjoying the incredible view out my window, finishing up a memo for the tax department, going on one last lunch (destination to be determined), and clearing out my office.
As I leave, one funny email exchange from earlier in the summer, involving me and a couple of my friends.
TO: Several Summer Associates
FROM: BRY
TIME: 3:21 PM
Meet on the Plaza around 3:45 for coffee with [Female Associate].
TO: BRY
FROM: Val (one of the summers)
TIME: 3:22 PM
We're really all invited? Or. . . just one of us? (fn1)
TO: Val
FROM: BRY
TIME: 3:28 PM
Well, since you mentioned it, I really only wanted Sean [Val's officemate] to come. But I had to include you on the list because you share an office with him and he might tell you otherwise.
So my point is that really only Sean is invited.
There. I answered your question. Are you freaking happy now??
TO: BRY
FROM: Val
TIME: 3:29 PM
WOW! Just for that, I'm coming.
TO: Val
FROM: BRY
TIME: 3:29 PM
Well, if you're coming, I'm not.
TO: BRY
FROM: Val
TIME: 3:29 PM
Sweet! Mission accomplished.
TO: Val
FROM: BRY
TIME: 3:30 PM
Man, and I thought I was snobby. You want it so it's only you and Sean.
TO: BRY
FROM: Val
TIME: 3:30 PM
Nope. I told him that you didn't want him to come, so he's not either. (He's crying.) Just meeee and [Female associate]!
At this point, Val is laughing so hard that she's almost crying as she relays the developing conversation to Sean. Sean decides it's time to insert himself into the conversation.
TO: BRY, Val
FROM: Sean
TIME: 3:32 PM
SUBJECT: Act like lawyers
The two of you - WAY too much enthusiasm on something that isn't billable.
TO: Sean, BRY
FROM: Val
TIME: 3:33 PM
Sniffle through your tears, S.[ean] Patrick.
Probably not as funny to you all as it was to us, but it was probably the peak of our hilarious email exchanges.
1. This refers to a time early in the summer when I emailed some summers about an opening at a lunch. There was only one open spot in our reservation, so I told Val and Sean (her office mate) that only one of them could come. They've still never forgiven me.
posted by N at 11:00 AM
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