Life in the Twin Cities

I am at the mid point of my internship at Ecolab. On the work front, I scheduled a couple of mid point check-ins with my manager to ensure that we are all on the same page. The response has been very encouraging and the team is very excited to see the final presentation.

That said, I think the highlight of the week was getting a chance to tour the Twin Cities. HR organized a half-day tour for the interns, and for me, it was a great way to get a sense of the place, and ultimately decide if this is somewhere I can live in and consider a long-term career. We started the tour at Summit Avenue at downtown Saint Paul, a street known for its historical Victorian-style buildings. The architecture of the houses, churches and schools were breathtaking. It is rare to find old buildings that are so well preserved in today’s day and age – it almost felt like I was momentarily transported back in time.

We also drove to a couple of lakes: Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun to name a few. People were out and about, and everywhere you could see Minnesotans jogging around the lakes, kayaking or simply lying out in the sun to enjoy the outdoors. If you are a nature love like I am, Minnesota is definitely a place to consider doing a summer internship. Borrowing the words of our tour guide, despite how brutal winter is, summer is so gorgeous that it compensates for the cold weather. Indeed, there is a reason why Minnesota is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”.

We ended the tour at Minnehaha Falls, which unfortunately, was the number one attraction in Minnesota until the Mall of America came along. I can’t deny the benefits of tax-free shopping and having an indoor amusement park, but personally, I would prefer the falls any day.

Well, that’s all for now. I am heading out to enjoy some sun, before calling it an early night. Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day. The interns are taking the day off to participate in Habitat for Humanity. Time to roll up our sleeves and get some work done!