Hillary's First Day

I was definitely that 6th-grade girl who mapped out where all her classes were prior to the first day of school. Rather than risk the chance of getting lost in Hall A in search of Earth Science with Mr. Ponstein, I went into the school a week before classes started and walked the halls to ensure I knew exactly how to get from Social Studies to the cafeteria to P.E. It's a preparation thing, an assurance that in circumstances of novelty and uncertainty, you'll be okay and ready. First day reflections at Play convince me that one can only be so prepared. I mean I actually read and finished "Blink" in about 3 days and studied up on the Red papers and searched the corners of the website. But it wasn't until I actually walked through the routine (or perhaps non-routine) of the day, saw the faces of the teammates, sat in on a client visit, got some advice from Christine, and absorbed the knowledge pouring from Jennifer that I started to get what Play is about and what I need to do in order to be successful (and this is only day one!). I'm so thrilled to be a part of this ensemble of talented people and eager to get to know each of them both professionally and personally. I have a feeling these next few weeks are going to be insightful, challenging, spontaneous, and filled with tons of new information. But what excites me is the unknown and the fact that I get to be myself and have fun and grow and think deeply. Yes, the map of preparation can be helpful, but often forgetting to bring that map can provide telling experiences, unexpected insights, and sometimes even a yummy chocolate trifle dessert meant to say, "welcome."