The Argonaut

Issue date: 9/27/07 Section: News

Melissa Coleman on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York last summer.

The idea behind internships is in order to end up on the top, you have to start at the bottom. Fortunately, for me, the "bottom" happened to be a major magazine publication in the middle of Manhattan.

For two months, I would be working at The Knot, a wedding magazine for future brides. And as many girls would agree, it doesn't get much better than getting paid to research and write about Vera Wang wedding gowns, the new hairstyles for spring, and the hottest honeymoon destinations (all of which I had been voluntarily researching since the age of 5).

The Knot was located in the trendy SOHO district and looked much like one would expect a publication office to look like: People constantly running around, computers frozen on the latest cover shots and prints posted all over the place like wallpaper.
It started out slow, with my main duties being to conduct research for other writer's articles, organizing past editions, and going through the hundreds of reader's wedding photo submissions (which is about as exciting as looking at a stranger's vacation photos).

However, once I became familiar with the magazine and the publishing process, my responsibilities nearly doubled. I was being asked to assist at photo shoots, attend editorial meetings, and research and write my own articles to be published.

On top of all this action happening at work, I was also amid the action happening within the city.

I lived at the NYU apartments, in the heart of Manhattan. I became a pro on the subways, a fixture in the shopping district, and a "short-term" New Yorker.

There were Yankee games, top restaurants, Sex and the City cupcakes, comedy clubs, and the Macy's 4th of July firework show; all of which made the internship much more amazing.

"They say life's what happens when you're busy making other plans. But sometimes in New York, life is what happens when you're waiting for a table," said Carrie Bradshaw in an episode of Sex and the City.

From the moment you step into the city, you will see just what this famous New York gal means. With a city that moves as fast as a heartbeat, opportunities can abound from anywhere, something I was able to experience first-hand.

New York. The one place where being at the "bottom" sure feels a lot like being at the "top."

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