Workin for the Peacock

Arrived in LA Tuesday night. First day at NBC internship Wednesday morning. Bah.

Stomach in knots. Butterflies flapping their wings like mad. Insecurities slowly creeping up my spine, oozing into my brain, heating up my palms as they moist by the second. I bat them away with the confidence I gained in Cannes. Feeble attempts. I really do not know what to expect for my first day on the job, but all I do know is that this is a big deal for my future. This could finally be the starting point of discovering my passions and where I want to start in terms of a career. This could also be the point where I meet the love of my life, John Krasinkski. Anyway.

My wonderful cousin and cousin-in-law are all too kind and gracious to open their home to me and even let me borrow their car for the duration of my internship. For the next 8 weeks, I will be living in Glendale and working in Studio City. The two cities are only 15 minutes away from each other, but probably 45 minutes with traffic. However, the gods have looked kindly upon my situation and have allowed NO traffic whatsoever to hinder my daily commute. I can't believe how great my luck is. I wake up an hour before work and get to work on time, even with a Starbucks stop. I have to wake up two hours before class to get there on time from my apartment in Athens. It's safe to say that when things are meant to be, they're meant to be. This is gonna be good.

On my first day, I get to the NBC Universal lot waiting to gain access into the ginormous spread of the studio. Turns out my boss forgot to call security to let me in, so I'm stuck outside waiting for a miracle. I call my boss six times. Of course he's not in the office yet. I call my intern coordinator. Of course she's not in the office yet. Ten minutes pass by. I'm ten minutes late on my first day. Strange, but I don't panic. I calmly tell the security guard my situation and he lets me use the company phone. I finally get a hold of HR, and Dorothy saves my day by sending a visitor's pass my way. By the way- the NBCU security? Friendliest people in the world. I felt like I was talking to the grandfather I never had.

Third floor, publicity department. Cubicles and offices everywhere. My boss is clad in an argyle sweater. Coolest, calmest guy you'll ever meet. He apologizes for being late, but I'm the one the who needs to catch up with him. He leads me to the intern cave, where I meet my fellow interns who have been working for at least a week now. I immediately feel connected with them because they're so open, so personable. Not fake, which is what I was expecting, to be honest. They show me the ropes of the office, daily tasks, how to load the paper tray. Everything seems easy enough. The hardest part is remembering all of the publicists' names, which I furiously attempt to memorize as the last name I hear slowly fades into oblivion (I really need to work on my remembering name skills). Huge, glossy posters of former and current NBC shows cover the walls. They let me take home a "Friends" poster.

As publicity interns, our main task involves perusing through newspapers, magazines and blogs to find any mention of anything NBC-affiliated, not including the NY-based shows (SNL, 30 Rock), compile the information and send them to the publicists. The publicists are so...human. They're extremely personable, they ask me where I'm from, they remember my name, they are in a hurry but never frazzled. Everyone works well together, everyone converses as if they are family. The genial environment embraces me, and I feel present. I'm only an intern, the bottom of the food chain, yet I feel like I can belong in the hub of an entertainment giant. 

I get to attend a screening of a new pilot that NBC is going to add to their fall lineup. It's pretty good. The executives ask my opinion. Did you like it? What did you think? How can we improve it? Any suggestions? They're asking me?? Suddenly I am participating in an executive meeting. They see me as an individual who has something remotely interesting to bring to the table. This is pretty cool.

My boss tells me that there is a "Days of Our Lives" promo shoot we're going to help out with on Monday. We get to transport stars in golf carts, get their lunches, bring them for touch-ups, do anything we can to make this hectic process easier. I've never been more excited. You mean I get to see Bo and Hope in real life?! John Black?? SAMI?! The interns look at me as if I'm a suburban housewife who spends her afternoons glued to the television, deriving guilty pleasure from the dramatic, albeit outrageous, events that transpire in Salem. Hey, I actually grew up watching "Days of Our Lives" when I was in elementary school... don't judge me. I can't wait for work on Monday.

I'm an intern. I do grunt work. I love every minute of it. I've only been at the job for three days, but I can't deny the excitement, talent and passion that buzzes around the entire NBCU studios every single moment. You can just feel them wrapping their arms around you. Each person has a job to fulfill, but its all for the greater good of presenting television programs that are the products of some crazy idea one person had one day. We strive to make creativity a reality. And that's pretty darn cool. But not as cool as sneaking into the back entrance of Universal Studios.

*Oh. And one last thing. I'm superduperuper thankful for my friends who have made this intense transition easier to handle. My "dad" who drove all the way from Loma to pick me up from LAX, to the amazing Junie unni, with whom I plan on trying hole-in-the-wall LA restaurants once a week. Cheers to happy hearts and full tummies :)