Stuff We All Get

This time next week I'll be prepping to leave the Big Apple for good; as great as it's been to live in and explore and experience the city, which could very well be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I'm very much ready to go home to Richmond. It'll be great to not have to do my laundry in the bathtub or make a meal out of dry Frosted Mini Wheats and a beer that someone left in my refrigerator. Interning with GSUSA has by far been the best part of the summer, and it's super nerdy, but I looked forward to going to work every morning, and really enjoyed being at the office. Slowly but surely I'm turning into a "career woman," whatever that means. It's sort of a shame that the workload got heavy/fun/exciting right when I have to depart, but what can you do? Anyways, over the past nine weeks I've accumulated some great swag:

- Shrink Your Carbon Footprint! miniature wall calendar with eco-friendly tips

- EPA mad libs

- two lip glosses and a lipstick (in super chic colors, might I add) from this service in education blah blah conference I attended on behalf of Jodi

- football-shaped stress ball from same conference

- super cute pink polka-dotted tote bag

- GS cookie pencil

- GS Ccokie pen

- GS badge about saving the world or making a difference or something. Can't recall.

- two pins about service and leadership

- a pedometer and a hand-cranked flashlight, both of which I gave to Jodi because her toddler will probably get more enjoyment out of it than I will

- GS keychain flashlight (awesome!!!!!)

- Post-It Notes with the spectacular new GS branding, which I am obsessed with and have loved using on all documents, presentations, etc. So sharp looking!

And, to save the best for last:

My very own box of GS cookies! One of my favorite kinds, as well (there are two separate bakers/vendors, and the East Coast vendors call these cookies "All Abouts," which have GS values on them instead "thank you" in various languages). People kept asking me if I would get free cookies as a GS intern, or if I'd be designing/marketing/selling the cookies as part of my job, at which point I'd get huffy and point out that GIRL SCOUTS IS NOT JUST ABOUT COOKIES. WE ARE MORE THAN CUTE GIRLS IN SASHES PEDDLING BAKED GOODS. WE ARE STRONG WOMEN. Turns out strong women lurve GS cookies though, because it wasn't too long that these were on my desk before people started popping into my cubicle and demanding to know where I got them. Apparently there's a room at GSUSA HQ that contains all the cookies sent for quality control, and it's "kept under lock and key, more guarded than any of the technology here," and "no one knows where it is" because it's the "best kept secret in the building." I just kind of stared wide-eyed at my coworker, nibbling on a Thanks-A-Lot and clutching to the box for dear life. I'm just trying to get to Mordor, Gollum Scouts. The experience left me with this song squarely lodged in my head, and I found myself humming (okay, JAMMING to) it every time I sampled the forbidden fruit...cookie:

Looking for my goodies? Keep on looking, 'cause they stay in the jar. Box.