I had always been, if nothing else, a girl who loves a plan. Thinking about all the steps at once was overwhelming and terrifying, but just taking the next step was simple enough. I immediately pulled up my work calendar. I scrolled ahead to the first empty weeks I could find—still a good six months away—and I blocked off an entire month with the suitably vague but firm “Alisha Out of the Office.” February 2020 felt like a lifetime away, but at least it was a start.
Somehow, just knowing that “Out of Office” was in my calendar was the thing I needed to take the next step: actually finding an internship. Broadway was the dream—and I had a solid connection—but the more I thought seriously about some of the other jobs I’d considered before, like in art and marine biology, the wider my search became. I tackled the task with my signature gusto and borderline unhealthy Excel obsession, creating an “internship relationship management” spreadsheet. One row at a time, I populated the list with my hopes and dreams alongside details of people I pulled off of LinkedIn. I included former co-workers, passing acquaintances from college, friends’ cousins (and their dads), and exes and their new partners. I was not picky. Anyone who could help me get my foot in the door made it onto the list.
