I'm fighting off a horrible cold, IM basketball feels like it has literally taken up my entire life (no surprise there) and I have way too much homework that I'm obviously putting off. Gag.
But…I'm not going to talk about that, I still have to tell about my Michigan experience!
So Day 2.
Day 2 involved us getting up ridiculously early to get a shower in before there was a line of girls to use the little locker room showers. I was supposed to help out in the AM with the conference. At these deals, they have the students help out with some of the duties, and we randomly get selected to help out at meal times, to keep sessions going, registration, whatever they need. I was volun-told to do "Towel service". What the heck? Do I hand out towels to people? Am I doing laundry?? Oh joy. Whatever it was I had to be up BEFORE showers were open, naturally. So ready to go by 6am. Ok cool. Anyone that knows me knows well that I do not 'do' mornings. Mornings are meant for sleep.
But I get up, sneak a shower in since it's not technically open yet and report to the front desk for "Towel Service". The girl there looks at me like I'm insane. "Ummm..we just put a pile of towels by the door and have a hamper for the used ones. We don't have a person do it."
Score! But wait, you mean to tell me I didn't have to wake up at the ungodly hour of 5am in order to do this "volunteer" job that was so necessary??
Whatever.
We bounce from the rec and head to the building where the actual conference is taking place. It's snowing and it's typical Michigan-esque weather. Flipping freezing. Not business casual wear but that's what were in. Ever try wearing flats in the snow? Don't. Frost bite will occur. Thank goodness tall boots are in.
We spend the day attending various sessions, learning about other universities and how they run programs, etc. And I went to a bunch that I think I can actually take what was offered and then use it for SIU, I already have prepped a few ideas to pitch to the BossMan. And everyone is networking like CRAZZYYYY. People asking about jobs for those 2nd year GAs who are done after this semester, the senior undergrads asking about new openings for a GAship at schools, etc. It's a political game. Yeah we like sports and recreation. But oh man, it is full of shmoozing, shaking hands, oh you know so-n-so, I do too, oh he goes to such-n-such that's a good program, oh she goes to whatcha-ma-callit and there in a decent program…blah blah.
I should be a pro. I was a flipping political science major at UC Davis. I can talk to people. I can be social. But I hate it. I don't know how to do it on this level. It's a dance and I am all too aware that I have 2 left feet and am getting left behind. But I tried though. I talked to people who we would like to apply for the new opening in IMs. I talked to people who weren't interested too. I handed out my business card. I introduced my director to people I had met at tournaments. I went to info sessions about how to develop professionally. I asked questions, I answered questions.
It is such an exhausting job. If you have ever seen Toy Story, where Barbie comes on at the end and she's smiley and happy and waving bye and then she thinks no one is watching and goes "Oh my gosh my cheeks hurt from smiling so much." That was so me. Yeah smiling too much is definitely a thing.
The best thing about that whole day was getting to talk to my own SIU staff and getting to see the guys from the tournaments I went to last semester. The great thing about it is that we don't miss a beat we say hi, hug, ask how it's going and the problems that we all have dealt with in this field and the ups of it all too. And now that I have been here for a little bit, I'm slowly starting to recognize more and more people and I think they are starting to recognize me too. I knew one person in this region before moving out here and that's only because we randomly somehow met at the national conference in Las Vegas. We had even gotten drinks together at Vegas as a little celebration for me that I had got a job offer but get this, that wasn't the job I'm at now. Oops. But I got to talk to her again and she's moving and shaking things and I hope that my resume can one day be half as long as hers. She was nice enough to introduce me to even more people and I'm hoping that I'm no longer a random Cali girl that know one sees. That's the way to get a job after all is said and done. It's not what you know, it's who you know and the more cards I can collect, the better I'll be off right? Here's to hoping so.
That night we split up into different groups for dinner. We were in the first group that got to visit the University of Michigan's facilities. No not the rec, their athletic facilities. Yep. The Big House.
It's so big I couldn't get a photo of it all.
And they let us onto the field!
The Tunnel!
Snowy and FREEZING but so worth it!
And in my excitement to get out on the field I ran a little fast and well…I ended up eating it on the field of the Big House. I'm so graceful, it's a wonder I don't end up in the hospital more. So now I have a bruise on my hip from it (that's kinda cool right?) and I was covered in Michigan snow (that's kinda cool right??). No, Marissa. It's not that cool, you're a klutz.
Still happy even through the snow and the pain! You can't tell but I'm SOAKED on my left side. (That was a Big Blue bruise. haha see what I did there??)
Yeah we did it wrong…like any of us actually play football though(guilty).
A requirement of being a GA…be weird. And laugh. A lot.
And they let us into the locker room too. There's so many M's all over. Not complaining. M's my fav naturally and so if I walk around, it's kinda like I own the place. Little tributes to Marissa all over the city. I can hang.
M stands for Marissa not Michigan, obvi. (I almost stepped on it, and made the tour guide have a heart attack.)
We went to the basketball stadium too, Crisler Arena. We didn't get to see the court but it's a pretty majestic (m adjectives are a must) place with a indoor fountain and waterfall. To say Michigan is into themselves is needless to say. Still cool though.
Then we went to dinner at this tiny little pub in down town Ann Arbor. It was too much fun. Why? We weren't sitting with anyone new, just our little group of SIU people and no one seemed to want to join us but that was fine, we had a blast! I don't think I had ever laughed so hard for so long in a really really long time. The other GAs and even pro staff were just cracking jokes, and letting loose. We bought round after round and we soon became the obnoxiously loud group tucked away in a corner. But it was so cool to just laugh with colleagues and supervisors. Our supervisors are funny as hell! They're just as silly and sarcastic, even if they have legit jobs and are "professional". They can hang! The giggling never stopped. And I came to love my job so much more.
We ended up back in our lovely ancient rec center, back in the gym, on the ground. I was so tired but couldn't get comfy enough. Ugh. I know I complain a lot but I never want to sleep on a gym floor again.
I'll talk about our last day in the next post. Promise I'm almost done!
To be continued!
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