NABA

Today is all about catch up.  I'm just sitting at NABA reflecting back on everything we've been doing and thinking about what I like most in this industry.  Everyone keeps asking us what we want to do, where we want to live, and what part of the industry do we like best.  And up until now I've always been pretty undecided on all of these questions.  This trip already has paid for itself.  It has given all of us such a greater insight to so many different aspects of the retail life after college.

Even though I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do, I have always leaned towards being a buyer.  I'm not to sure the exact reason; I'm really good at math and the job description always seemed to be interesting and fun to me.  After being here in Milano for about three weeks, I'm not prepared to totally take being a buyer off the table, but I have some other thoughts in mind as well.  I realized how much I love the PR side of the industry as well.  Which is something I have never even considered at home.  Everything about it seems so fast pace, a lot of work for sure, but work I would love to do.  Instead of just working my way up the corporate ladder to hold a position as a buyer, I now think I want to work my way "around" the corporate ladder and see where I end up.  I would still like to hold a buyer position one day.  But I don't mind if it takes me a while to get there.  I want to do so many other things as well.  And I definitely want to live here in Milano for at least a brief chapter of my life.  I feel as if I fit in here and I truly do love this city. It took a week or so to adjust and get used to all of the differences between here and the States, but now that I have adjusted there isn't any other place I would rather be.

I'm learning so much and am so grateful (tired, but grateful) for all of the opportunities that have come my way.  How many students my age can say they have witnessed a Vogue fashion shoot or even seen a real runway show.  It's just incredible.  I would have to say that as to date my favorite thing about this trip is that I am not only learning so much about the industry, but also about myself.  This trip is giving me direction for my life, and that is something I would have never gotten spending the summer in Connecticut.