An Adventure in Southern California!

Hello from sunny Los Angeles!

First things first:
Yes, Los Angeles....and no I haven't seen the dreaded USC quite yet though I am sure it is an inevitability sooner or later. And, if for some strange and dangerous reason, anyone needs a reminder as to why Notre Dame is still one of the best places to go to school...

Now! As to why I am in LA, that's a good question to ask. I can quite honestly say that I had no plans to come to LA until....oh a week and a half before I left. And why did I decide to do such a thing? Well a certain back-up quarterback had an internship, but was told by Brian Kelly if he didn't get his butt in gear and train for the summer he wouldn't be given any sort of shot at playing (for which I am grateful, but kinda a bummer for him) WHICH means a plea for anyone interested in taking his place and I applied! After some massive praying and some HUGE love by Professor Schmid, I was lucky enough to be picked for the internship.

Here is the description of the internship:
The ISTAT Foundation is a foundation made up of Aerospace companies and their senior executives has put together an Internship to follow the development of the MD80(aircraft) P to F conversion program which includes the design engineering and FAA interface. This will be from concept to design at the first company the intern will visit in California. The second company also located in Ca. has been tasked with the development of the SSID's for the MD80 program and will test damage tolerance analysis, fracture control, failure analysis, supplemental inspection programs and fleet structural integrity programs. The third stop will be at a company in Miami Florida where the intern will see firsthand how the design efforts of the first two companies are transformed into physical parts and then fitted onto the MD80.

So here I am! I have a little studio apartment near a Westfield Mall, a movie theater..and a Trader Joes! Haha, there are actually a whole bunch of things close by. It means it's a little further to the two places that I will be working, but it's a great location and the drive is a cinch.
New little home, 'living room'
View out the window:
I have a Murphy bed! (If you don't know what that is, it's a bed that folds up against the wall, I'm partially pulling it down)
Adorable little kitchen:

And to add to it, a noble steed! Er, rather a flamboyant reject from pimp my ride is my companion for the summer :D I have to say though, I am becoming quite fond of it. Aka I'm totally getting attached. The photo completely does not do it's true color justice.
Although its battery did die momentarily this morning, buuut we survived. The maintenance guy came to save the day with a neat little gizmo that jumped it. I'd only done it with another car before so I was impressed.

I got in on Sunday, was exhausted so went to see Sex and the City 2 (unimpressed, though I liked the scene with Miley Cyrus) and crashed. Monday, did some grocery shopping and had lunch with Mr. Convey, who has been helping arrange things for me, at the Cheesecake Factory with his wife. It was really good, and they were overwhelmingly nice and insisted I pick a piece of cheesecake to take home with me. I can assure you, none of that went to waste! It was such a nice gesture, like a little taste of home! :)
Tuesday was my first day, the guy who was essentially put in charge of me actually didn't realize I was coming until that morning, but they found things for me to do! I was productive and it was a good first day. Today (Wednesday) I had to learn how to use the new version of Pro/E which was a talk and a half, but the guy who's cubicle is across from mine was very nice and helped me through it. Overall things have been going well, I'm excited to start exploring this weekend!