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9. Maybe We Can See the World
Together
I’m twitchy with a fifty-fifty blend of anxiety and excitement
as I head to the kitchen for breakfast. I have my book bag with
me as usual, but today it’s stuffed to the breaking point with
my clothes and toiletries for Rome. I’m leaving Sawyer here
because there won’t be any internet at our inn. I’ll have my
dinky block phone, and Horcrux Nine. As I’m climbing the
stairs to leave for class, Pilot comes into view, heading toward
the kitchen.
“Rome for the weekend, French Watermelon!” he yells
without pausing to look back. I jog up the steps, beaming.
As promised, Professor Blackstairs’s class begins with another
postcard.
January 14, 2011
Mom and Dad,
I haven’t told you this yet, but after class
today, I’m interviewing for a job at a
magazine! It’s only an internship, but an
internship can lead to a paid job. I know
you think my obsession with reading and
stories is silly, but I don’t agree. I know
you want me to let
this go, but I can’t. I
hope you give me the chance to prove you
wrong. I think I can do this.
XO,
Shane
I slip the London Eye postcard into my bag next to the
London Bridge from Wednesday. Class is wonderful again. We
talk about writing suspense, and then we take the last hour to
tackle a suspenseful short story of our own. I write about a
nanny who’s attacked unsuspectedly by her employer.
When we’re dismissed, I run off to catch the Tube to
Covent Garden for my interview. My legs nervously jiggle up
and down as I watch the stops blur through the windows.
I’m a couple minutes early when I step up to the tall white
building matching the address for
Packed!
The first level is a
coffee shop, which makes things a little confusing. I wander
around the side of the structure until I find another door. This
one is outfitted with a buzzer and a little silver plaque above it
that reads
PACKED! FOR TRAVEL!
It’s on the second floor. I reach
up and press the button.
“Hello?” a voice asks through the speaker.
“Hi. I’m Shane Primaveri. Here for an interview?”
A loud buzz makes me jump back a foot. The door in front
of me unlatches. I pull it open and ascend the stairs. At the top
of the steps is a white door with a frosted circular window
decorated with the
Packed! For Travel!
logo.
I let loose a practically inaudible
whoa
as I step inside the
office. A smile itches at my lips. The room is shiny, white, and
modern. The walls are lined with gorgeous poster-sized
photographs of cities all around the world. My eyes quickly
locate New York among them. A pang of pride runs through
me. I bring my attention to the half-moon silvery-white
receptionist desk before me. A pale, tiny, twenty-something
woman with freckles and a strawberry-blond bob looks up at
me.
“Hello!” She has a heavy Irish accent.
“Hi! I’m Shane Primaveri. I’m here for an interview with
Wendy.” I shuffle my feet together.
The receptionist introduces herself as Tracey. I take a seat
in a modern-looking silver chair adjacent to the door while
Tracey goes to fetch Wendy. I watch as she scurries across the
floor to the opposite wall and carefully opens a glass door to
what must be Wendy’s office. The center of the open space is
littered with silver desks, big high-def computer monitors, and
youngish employees. Tracey turns toward me, and I quickly
drop my gaze back to my lap.
“Shane?”
I look up again to find a tall woman with long, straight,
dark hair and golden-brown skin. She’s wearing high-waisted
black slacks and an orange blazer. She looks like a model.
“Hi!” I jump out of my seat as the woman extends her arm
for a handshake.
“Hi, I’m Wendy! I run things around here. Great to meet
you. Let’s talk!”
I follow Wendy into her office. She has an enormous, sleek
glass desk. I timidly seat myself in one of the two silver chairs
in front of it. A whole corner of the desk is covered with tiny
trinket versions of iconic landmarks: a pyramid, the Eiffel
Tower, the Colosseum, the Statue of Liberty, the London Eye.
“Give me a little rundown about you, Shane. We’re excited
to hopefully have you interning here these next few months.”
I press my hands against my knees, forcing them into
stillness. “Um, well, I, I’m studying abroad, and I’m doing the
writing program. I love reading, writing, telling stories. I’d
love to work as a writer someday. And I have some interest in
photography … Um, I have a blog! I post my pieces there
sometimes, and I’m turning it into a study-abroad blog for
these next few months.”
“That’s great!” She smiles at me. It makes me feel better. I
grin back. “Well, here at
Packed!
we’re currently working on
expanding our online repertoire. I don’t know if you’ve
checked out our website—”
“I have! I love it!”
She laughs. “Then you’ve seen our city guides.”
I have. They have travel guides for cities all over the
world, the best places to stay, the best tourist spots to hit,
where to eat, where to go out. It’s great.
“So, we’re working on expanding that series and adding
some more exotic places. We’re also always looking to add
new series and points of view. Maybe as a final project here,
you could even do a piece for us? We can work together on
A
Guide to Studying Abroad in London
? I think study abroad
guides could bring in a whole new demographic.”
I choke on air for a second. Me? Do a piece? For their real-
life magazine? It’s a struggle not to gasp. “I … I’d love that.
That sounds amazing!”
“Good!” She smiles at me again. “Have you done much
traveling?”
“Um, not yet. Well, I traveled here, but I want to travel
more. I’m actually going to Rome this weekend,” I blurt
excitedly.
“Fantastic! You’re going to love it!” She shrugs
enthusiastically, while still managing to look sophisticated.
“We’re a laid-back group here. We all love traveling, so if you
ever want any recommendations or tips, don’t hesitate to talk
to us. While you’re here, I hope you learn a lot! Tracey will be
your go-to gal for questions, and she’ll introduce you to the
staff on your first day. We’re looking forward to having you.”
“Thank you so much!”
She stands and shakes my hand again. That was it? I’m
going to work at a travel magazine!
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