First day of classes.

So I'm currently sitting next to what used to be the ASUN bookstore on campus. It's odd, because I'm literally sitting next to nothing. They've closed off the old staircase that used to lead to the second floor (which now houses the freaky geniuses AKA Davidson Academy students on campus.

It's a nice place to sit when you don't want to be surrounded by people and noise.

I feel like that little kid who protested the summer ending on the first day of school. You know: "But Mommy, I don't want to go to school." And the immediate response is, "But Jessica, you have to."

But who really has to? Who needs a degree these days, anyway?

Sigh.

Classes for today:
- Economics
- American literature
- Media ethics

Classes for tomorrow:
- Advanced reporting
- Sightsinging

Other classes in general
- Spanish online
- Ballroom dancing

On the bright side, I've learned my house is a five-minute walk from the old student union, where my first class of the day on Mondays and Wednesdays is.

Cleaning off the desk.

It's my last full-time weekday here at the RGJ. I'm still covering the state fair tomorrow, but I'll be too busy to clean my desk.

Where did the summer go? I have to admit I'm kinda relieved that the 8-hour shift thing is almost over - I've been pulling double duty here and at the Sagebrush and worked for a combined total of 17 hours on Tuesday. But it's still weird to think about.

I just took the drug test to get hired onto the temp team here (and as a sidenote, it must be so much easier being a man and taking a drug test because at least you can aim).

I've more convinced now that this is what I want to do with my life, even if I'm reaching the brink of sanity this week. I'm lucky to have gotten this internship. I hadn't meant to stay in Reno (or Nevada, for that matter) when I started searching for a job last October, but that's how it worked out, and I've had a blast. I've had dozens of bylines, I've met hundreds of people - hell, I even had my aura read. I've put so much effort into this because I've wanted to prove myself. And I feel that for the most part, I have.

So I guess what it all comes down to is...well, thank you, RGJ, for my crazy summer. Thank you for the long hours and the interesting editors, the horses and hot dogs, the fellow interns and the new friends. I know it's not over between us - and I can honestly say that I'm glad it's not.

Writing VII.

- Mom wants hero's welcome for son
- UNR quake scientists to meet public
- Spanish Springs considers land-use change
- Hot enough for you? Temps flirt with record
- Residents unhappy with new median

Things about Jessica's life that make it like a romantic comedy sans romance

- Living in non-air conditioned house with three other girls
- Token gay friend (the Will to my Grace)
- Token best friend who joins you for ice cream and rants at 3 a.m.
- Other token best friend that you ponder about life with over the phone
- Wishing for my own Mr. Darcy while watching several different versions of Pride and Prejudice
- Working two jobs/being a workaholic who's too busy for romance anyway
- Being hit on at the place where you get your oil changed
- Falling for guys who: string you along for a while, aren't as smart as you once thought, refuse to grow up, don't realize you're interested/don't live near you anyway so it'd never work out, are gay
- Not realizing what you had until it was long gone and someone else's
- Working in the media field (c'mon, everyone in those movies are journalists or PR flacks or advertisers, and I have no idea why)
- Crazy mother
- Understanding father who you talk to for hours unless you're mad at each other
- Sibling who doesn't get it because he's younger but he listens anyway
- Coffee addictions (mainly Starbucks)
- Random happenings that include breaking into one's own house, showing up at the wrong karaoke bar, reading in the park and realizing you're surrounded by couples
- Shoes and shopping
- Completely OCD about future, even though I know I can't control it
- Preferring Macs to PCs
- Backup life plans include teaching or some sort of venture into the performing arts

*list will be updated as more reasons pop up throughout the day

Countdowns.

End of RGJ internship - five days
Sagebrush freshman issue - one day
First Sagebrush issue after that - seven days
20th birthday - 14 days
Heading to Vegas for APME convention - 20 days
Giants game I desperately want to see - 33 days
Baby cousin's christening where I will be the godmother/UNLV game I am going to miss - 35 days
First internship application for next summer due - 53 days
Nevada Day off/more stuff due - 69 days
General election day - 73 days
Thanksgiving - 96 days
Finals - 110 days
Christmas - 124 days

Where does the time go?

Writing VII and the internship paper.

- Reno wild horse expo comes as mustangs threatened
- Reno officials christen fire truck
- Big Carson freeway bridge on schedule
- New citizens vote with help from state group
- Therapy program pairs horses, children
- Magazine puts local girl in spotlight
- Hot cars share stage with hot dogs
- Stars and stripes adorns shining 1957 Chevrolet
- Washoe primary turnout could be lowest in decades

If I include today, 10 days left. Time just seems to have flown on by this summer.

Last week, I had to turn in a paper to the j-school on "what I learned during my summer internship." I took it in a very literal sense. And here it is for your reading enjoyment.

It’s been a busy summer. Ever since I walked through the doors at the Reno Gazette-Journal in May and had my press pass created by human resources, I’ve learned a lot about this field.

I learned how students built an eco-friendly house from scratch in the course of one year. I learned how people will drive from Verdi or stop in the middle of their vacation to listen to John McCain speak at the Boys and Girls Club. I learned how the Native Americans care about what’s going to happen with this election. I learned how one doctor uses his Harvard medical degree to prescribe alternative medicines to people who dislike the pharmaceutical companies.

I learned how one man made the decision to quit the Marines and become a teacher at Sage Ridge School – and was happy with that decision. I learned how one nondenominational church wanted to affect the community around them for the better by starting a kindergarten program. I learned parents are willing to pay a lot of money so their kids can attend a science summer camp instead of sitting around the house watch TV all day.

I learned that even schools that only have a few students still need renovations. I learned that once you’ve written enough education articles, you start getting solicitations from people about writing stories. I learned how Abraham Lincoln and Florence Nightingale influenced others during the Civil War era – through a children’s play. I learned how the University of Nevada, Reno engineering students made their concrete canoe float when their only goal was to beat the University of California, Berkley.

I learned another university student decided there wasn’t enough positive reinforcement for young girls out there, so she started a princess story time program to show girls that it’s not all about Disney. I learned that cicadas come out in Nevada every four to seven years, unlike the ones in the Midwest that appear every 17 years. I learned that a lot of people play volleyball in Reno each year. I learned that the green trend is going, and people out there want to bank on it.

I learned regular people really appreciate the arts, especially when it’s free. I learned that there are 20 places outside of Reno that I can drive to for a day on one tank of gas. I learned that some people are willing to run from Alaska to Peru in order to show and create unity among Native America tribes. I learned there was a Nixon, Nev. (though I didn’t learn why it was named Nixon). I learned that you can create your own paradise in your backyard if you have enough money. I learned that 100 degrees in Reno is rare, so it needs a story to be written about it.

I learned that when you have an assignment at 5:30 a.m., you better set more than one alarm clock. I learned that someone else out there besides Alex Newman received an A in Jake Highton’s advanced reporting class. I learned that cowboys are media-weary because of the portrayals they’re given. I learned offroading in suburban vehicles isn’t recommended. I learned wild horses only travel in small harems of four or five. I learned why cowboys need their hats out in the Nevada sun.

I learned that wildfires in California can cause air warnings in Reno. I learned that a lot of people may go to the river during the summer, but just as many worry about their safety while they are there. I learned that teen driving programs are more useful when you actually have the teen behind the wheel, not behind the desk. I learned the interview part during the Miss Nevada contest is a joke (at least onstage).

I learned some protestors will do anything to mask their identity, from dressing up like V from “V for Vendetta” to dressing up like Uncle Same (even if they’re running for office). I learned a lot of people want Mitt Romney to get the vice-presidential nod from McCain. I learned that arsons are an unusual crime, especially when there are 18 of them in two weeks. I learned that wild horses are kept in a 5-acre ranch after they’ve been captured. I’ve learned some art, even pieces entitled “Meat for Wild Men,” will fetch $9 million dollars.

I learned a mother will always love her son and can be very appreciative of what you do for her son, even if it’s just a simple story. I’ve learned tornados can happen in Nevada. I’ve learned there’s a guarded door on the third floor of St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center so people won’t steal babies. I learned that you can be very talented at something, even at the age of 10. I learned that more people care about wild horses than you would ever guess. I learned that even some of our city councilmen are trying to be eco-friendly by arriving at events on their bicycles.

Like I said, it’s been a productive summer – and it’s not over yet. I have until Aug. 22 before my internship with the RGJ is over. I will learn at least another paragraph of things by then. But what matters is that each of these things I learned have taught me the most important thing.

I learned that, come what may in the journalism business, this is what I want to do with my life. I learned that everyone has a story tell – you’ve just got to ask them.

100 reasons why I love being a journalist (idea stolen from Clay)

It's a slow-ish day for me. I did my assignment for the morning. I've prepared for my assignment tomorrow. I'm still thinking of a couple of enterprise pieces I can work on before this comes to an end (14 work days left). And someone called for me, but didn't leave a message.

So, in honor of this field, and also to help my brain get going on the internship paper that's due Friday, here's why I do what I do (in the context of what has happened this summer).

As noted in the title, this was not my original idea. Clay, RGJ photo intern, did it first. Gotta give credit where it's due, but since he's the photog, I've got to do it from the notebook person's perspective.

1) Walking into the office 15 minutes after you're supposed to be there, and someone else is wandering in too. Both of you are holding Starbucks cups, and she says, "Looks like we had the same idea this morning."
2) Getting your own and desk and computer and making a mess of it.
3) Endless office supplies of notebooks and pens.
4) Cutting out clips, even if your byline's not on them because it doesn't matter.
5) Having a mother appreciate your story.
6) Having a fiancee appreciate your story.
7) Cutting in front of everyone when getting into a presidential event, even if the Secret Service people make you go through security five times because you need to keep walking in and out.
8) Finding out your story's tomorrow's CP, so you better not screw it up.
9) Getting stuck in traffic on your first day while coming back from your first assignment, because it's raining and people in Nevada don't know how to drive in the rain, realizing you're probably going to miss deadline, and pushing yourself (and your car) so you can make sure that doesn't happen.
10) Finding out that the gruff night editor thinks you're decent.
11) Working in a darkened newsroom because no one wants to turn on the lights.
12) Getting a good mid-internship evaluation.
13) Learning that you've gotten better since you were 15 and had your first byline, but you've still got a long ways to go.
14) Finding events to cover thanks to Facebook.
15) Navigating the computer system on your own because no one explained it.
16) Chatting with other people who work in different parts of the newspaper, and seeing how it comes together on a larger scale that requires you to meet deadline.
17) Food and water at monthly meetings.
18) Standing around with the senior reporter so he can smoke a cigarette and explain to you the background of a story.
19) Talking over the top of the little wall to the person next to you about random things.
20) Press passes.
21) Realizing that everyone watches/listens to YouTube videos, so you can't feel too bad.
22) Greeting the newsroom manager each morning like she's an old friend.
23) Seeing your story on the front page, above the fold.
24) Hearing people talking about your story at Starbucks.
25) Seeing that your enterprise story on a particular subject printed on the same day as The New York Times/Washington Post/NPR, then contacting those reporters to say you enjoyed their pieces, and they say you did good too.
26) Free copies of the newspaper every day.
27) Seeing how people do have hope for the future of this business, whether it's during a meeting or while you're interviewing the executive editor.
28) Filling in as a night/weekend reporter.
29) Having weekends off.
30) Not having weekends off.
31) Getting messages on the board just for you.
32) "Reno Gazette-Journal, this is Jessica."
33) Not having to pay for the $10 Miss Nevada program because you're press.
24) Trying to get better at narrative writing.
25) Free ice cream because the publisher felt like it.
26) It's OK that you're Twittering at work, because your boss is twittering too.
27) There's (usually) something to do. You just have to ask different editors.
28) Coffee.
29) Getting to tour construction projects.
30) Waking up before the crack of dawn for an assignment.
31) Driving everywhere.
33) Listening to NPR in the car while you're on your way to an assignment.
34) Discussing the pros and cons of the local NPR station's format change with one of your editors.
35) Having the photo staff moan when you wander in with an assignment, because of what you did yesterday.
36) Meeting other reporters from different places.
37) Simply doing your job.
38) Learning how the other half lives because you needed to interview them at their house.
39) Interviewing children under the age of 5.
40) People expressing surprise when you say you work here, and you say your a reporter.
41) Comparing internship experiences with other people.
42) Driving down a billion different streets to figure out the best and fastest way to the office.
43) Getting press packets.
44) Learning how to localize an issue.
45) Even if it is the Dark Side, realizing the PR people can help.
46) Finding the story in the first place.
47) Tracking down sources.
48) Talking with other reporters and editors on how else a story can be done.
49) Getting out of the office.
50) Seeing your editor on MySpace, checking out one of his favorite bands.
51) Having your stuff picked up by AP.
52) Writing 40-inch stories and then a sidebar, and being told, "It's the CP. Don't worry about the length."
53) Trying to use what little Spanish you know to communicate with someone.
54) Wild horses.
55) Walking along with a parade because you're covering it.
56) Going down to the river because you're writing a story about it.
57) Understanding both sides of the story.
58) Talking with the AP reporter and seeing how disgruntled they are to be at the event you're covering too.
59) Meeting Geraldine Ferraro (even if you didn't like her very much).
60) Chatting with a kid who you know is going places.
61) Memorizing the number to the local weather station because you've called that often.
62) Making mistakes, then fixing them.
63) Punching the gas in a car that's not yours, because the director of a program insisted that you couldn't write properly about it unless you'd done it yourself.
64) Meeting a Brazilian race car driver.
65) Hoping that someone eats it at the beauty pageant and meeting the sweet parents whose daughter you wrote a profile on months ago.
66) Wearing jeans and flip flops to work.
67) Experiencing the journalism adrenaline rush.
68) Being satisfied with how it all turned out.
69) Hearing the bell twice a day for the news meeting.
70) "She's a trooper this week."
71) Having access to online digital archives.
72) Pitching story ideas, and then getting the go-ahead to do them.
73) Watching a play because it's part of your job.
74) It's not about talent - it's about persistence.
75) Someone else does agree that Anderson Cooper is amazing.
76) Warnings about energy drinks, then the sigh and the "But I understand."
77) Eating at your desk.
78) Getting people to open up to you.
79) Discovering that there are different kinds of reporting styles.
80) Offroading in vehicles meant for suburban streets.
81) Coming up with conspiracy theories on why sources don't call back.
82) Agonizing over the words because you don't feel like your telling the story right.
83) Nothing is ever the same on a day-to-day basis.
84) Google Maps is God.
85) Figuring out what are proper shoes to wear as a reporter, since they need to be nice but comfortable to walk in.
86) Seeing parents bring the cutest little kids into the newsroom.
87) The comment wars your story starts.
88) Hearing someone else describe exactly what you're thinking: "Stupid hourglass of doom."
89) Thinking that maybe broadcast isn't THAT bad.
90) Finding out that your time spent here was more productive than someone else's internship.
91) Someone else is paying for your gas.
92) Meeting the people who've been working in this industry for forever, and talking with them about their experiences.
93) Making a boring assignment into an interesting story.
94) Everyone started out where you are. You might make it after all.
95) Having the questions come out as naturally as a conversation.
96) The little things.
97) Explaining that yes, despite the daily hustle and the stress and the long hours, you really do want to do this with your life.
98) Being unsure of what comes next.
99) Recognizing a good quote when you hear one.
100) Experiencing something you never may have otherwise.

If the world's size was based on Olympic medals...

It would look like this, according to The New York Times.

And yes, that is my computer screen. Yes, those are the little tabs I keep open on my computer all day long.

In other news, it turns out my story on the Iraq blogger was picked up by the AP as the Nevada story of the week. My editor told me. I thought that was pretty cool.

Stuff to do by 2012.

1) Learn Spanish.
2) Learn how to play the piano (better).
3) Write a novel.
4) Be in two places at once.
5) Drive cross country.
6) Build something.
7) Create a puzzle (like, a lot of pieces).
8) Audition for Broadway.
9) Learn how to play the guitar.
10) Go to Europe for a summer.
11) Go on a cruise.
12) Stand another a waterfall.
13) Go bungee jumping.
14) Go sky diving.
15) Go parasailing.
16) Volunteer somewhere.
17) Climb a mountain.
18) Learn how to snowboard.
19) Learn how to ski.
20) Build a house.
21) Go to England and kiss one of the guards in front of Buckingham Palace (at least pretend to for funny picture).
22) Go to Canada.
23) Go horseback riding.
24) Go to Alaska and meet an Eskimo.
25) Go to Hawaii and lei'd.
26) Graduate from college.
27) Learn how to drive a stick shift.
28) Do the D-Day kiss in Times Square.
29) Go to the Strip on New Year's.
30) Get a tattoo.
31) Sing at a wedding.
32) Get published in a magazine.
33) Ride in a gondola.
34) Drink coffee in the original Starbucks.
35) Spend a week in Disneyworld.
36) Go to the top of the Empire State Building.

Above list was compiled the week my grandmother died, when I had nothing else to do in the house but wait and wait and wait. I figure, life is too short, so do what you can now.

Writing VI.

It's Monday again. Three weeks until school starts.
Ugh.

- Small group protests against McCain
- Sparks crowd confident of McCain's leadership
- Reno boy wins MLB competition in New York
- Reno fire officials ask public vigilance after series of arsons
- Wild horses wait as fate is decided

Am working on another wild horse story today.

I should become a wild horse reporter, and that should be my only specialty. Then I can write a book about the history of wild horses, get published, make The New York Times bestseller list, invest in a few key stocks (when we're out of a recession, of course), become rich and then never have to worry about my journalist's pay again.

Ha. It could happen.