What a strange time to be in the US!
My internship in the US began on February 10th. At that time, Covid-19 had already become quite serious in Asia. The first month and a half working in Chicago were absolutely amazing. In the beginning, I was quite nervous about starting a new job in a foreign country with little previous experience working in the architectural industry. Fortunately, the stress on my should was lifted on the first day as I was greeted warmly by all my colleagues. Despite being busy, my colleagues happily took time off work just to help me set up, show me around, and gave me plenty of time to ease into the position. I was overwhelmed by their kindness and support.
As the cases of coronavirus continue to increase, we began to work from home. I was very impressed by how quickly a remote-in system was put in place, as well as figure out ways to efficiently communicate amongst ourselves and with the clients. And of course, the Friday office happy hour continues to run virtually along with trivia games. I felt very lucky to have started the job before shelter-in-place was implemented, and even more lucky to have these colleagues who are so supportive throughout this challenging time. I truly look forward to the time when we can return to the ‘normal’ way of living and finally began my exploration in Chicago.
