Learning to Fly

In the final moments of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, a plane bound for home takes our heroes across the sky. With their defeat of a great evil, their journey is ending. As I boarded my flight from Phoenix, AZ last week, with the song of their departure in my ears, I knew that mine was just beginning.

If you had asked me even a few months ago what I thought I would be doing after graduating from college, I would have responded with an unsure answer about somehow finding a job (emphasis on "somehow"). I felt as though I were Indiana Jones facing his leap of faith: the path was right in front of me, but I couldn't see it. Right before the beginning of the my last semester, I began scouring the internet for job opportunities. The very first one I came across was a posting for a technical writing internship at Southwest Airlines. Thus, I began the process of tailoring my résumé. Over the course of the next few months, I applied to a wide array of other openings, almost forgetting each application that I submitted.

To my surprise, I got a call back from Southwest, and two interviews and three months later, I was offered the internship. I accepted the offer immediately. To say I was excited would have been an understatement. Knowing that had immediate plans after graduation, I took the opportunity to focus on doing well in my last semester. After finishing up my internship for Austin College after the holidays, I dove headfirst into my new position.

In truth, I'm still excited. I've always been fascinated with air travel, and joining Southwest has only caused that interest to grow. I'm now aware of aspects of flying I hadn't dreamed of before. Additionally, I have the privilege of working with a fantastic department and doing real, tangible work.

Utilizing my intern benefits, I traveled to Phoenix for a day to visit grandparents. Normally, such a trip would require hours of driving or weeks of planning. This time, catching a flight to Arizona had never been easier. Having the freedom to take a short trip halfway across the country was an eye-opening experience. Staring out at the sky from a coveted window seat, I'm amazed now and again about the vastness of the world. Something tells me that it'll never get old.

My first flight as a Southwest intern was an important milestone for me. It was truly a marker of the end of my undergraduate years. A significant part of me will miss the times I had in college: they were some of the most fun years of my life so far. Even so, I'm looking forward with much enthusiasm towards a bright future. The next chapter of my life has taken off.