Let me start off by saying Microsoft is just as awesome as it might sound. Besides funding my road trip, (yay relocation), and conveniently putting me within walking distance of my work (in a mansion of an apartment), we also have dozens of opportunities each week to not only enrich our CS knowledge but also network with other MS employees. Every day of the week there is some info session, app development workshop, hackathon, social event, or even salsa dancing lesson that interns are invited to attend.
In addition to everything MS has to offer, my list is overflowing with things I want to do in and around Seattle. In our first few days, they sent us a list of 99 fun things to do in Seattle complete with links and info about each. Needless to say i would be stoked to do all 99.
One of the greatest parts of working is that after work you can do what you want. There is no lingering homework, project, or paper to bog down a beautiful sunny weekend. Though hours of sun are few and far between here in Seattle, I have managed to have more than my share of fun.
Free Swag to Date: laptop case, coffee mugs, water bottles, tumbler, headphones, badge, prime card, food constantly, DRINKS ALL DAY
Weekend 1: I spent time at the Seattle Center, exploring Pike’s Place, the Experience Music Project, going to the top of the Needle, and accidentally landing in the middle of a Folk Festival.
Weekend 2: My new roommate, Kelly, and I mostly spent time moving in the rest of our stuff. But, we did make it to the Aquarium and the grand opening of the LeMay: America’s Car Museum. The car museum was unreal!! It featured cars back to 1906 and everything up until now.
During the next week, MS took a group of interns to go kayaking off Alkai beach and then out to dinner. Raining and freezing cold, it was still awesome. Later that week we went to a Windows 8 app making info session and also had Ladies night which included manicures, wine, and plenty of tech talk.
Weekend 3: Besides an afternoon at the gun range and dinner with a group of BOEING friends from USC. I also went to SUMMER JAM FEST!! We went to see Wiz, B.O.B, Rick Ross, Tyga, and lots more play in an all day concert at the Gorge. The Gorge is basically a concert area thrown in the middle of this gorgeous scenery of canyons around a river. 2 hours away and unbelievable wind chill but so worth it.
Salsa lessons on Monday was so fun I think I shall start going every week. This week I also got to meet one of my coworkers wife who also works in the Xbox department as a developer. It was sweet talking to a woman programmer and hearing about her experiences at MS. Continuing with the wife theme, we had lunch with one of my mentors and his wife and hopefully we will be getting cooking lessons from her soon!
Weekend 4: On Friday MS took us to the Mariners vs. Giants game, which although we lost, was plenty entertaining… especially given someone was tackled and arrested for getting onto the field (not a MS employee). Then Saturday we went to the Fremont Fair which was very entertaining. I don’t think I can legally post pictures but you can Bing it if you want to know more. We concluded the weekend with an 8 mile hike up Mt Si and a long nap!
The next week was when I stopped taking notes of everything fun we did, so forgive me for combining them into one epic list:
Fox trot lessons, Creole cooking class, electric boat scavenger hunt, a few flying trapeze classes, weekly breakdance lessons, a trip to Kerry Park, Olympic sculpture garden, watching the Matrix with live music (directed by the composer himself) at Seattle Symphony, an Argosy cruise of Lake Union and Lake Washington, an awesome visit from my parents, a day at the wooden boat fair, a night hike up Mt Si to see the sunrise from the top of the world, hike to Bridal Veil Falls, 4th of july lounging at the beach then Gas Works with 50,000 other ppl for fireworks, a weekend in Dallas, an outdoor movie in the park, a 10 hour day full of puzzles, a day volunteering to help preserve the Puget Sound and a sneak preview of the new batman… AND I still have another month left.
Since I have basically abandoned the use of my facebook… this post should make up for the lack of status/ photo updates all summer. 🙂 Anywho, Microsoft is awesome and I could definitely see myself returning if I had the opportunity! Next blog will be a little but more about the CSCI part of my internship and feel free to comment/email 🙂
