... as an intern at the Met

While huffing and puffing up the steps to its entrance each morning might be a thigh-burner, I reasoned the workout would be worth it. All day, every day for an entire summer, I would roam the museum halls and stare at beautiful things. Glamorous visions of myself in "The Thomas Crown Affair," "A Night at the Museum" and my favorite childhood book, "From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler," floated through my head. Recalling cheerful middle school memories of field trips to the museum, I wholeheartedly anticipated a great summer.

Distracted by dreams of sleepovers in the Temple of Dendur, however, I failed to review what exactly the job entailed. Needless to say, I almost keeled over upon arriving at orientation on June 9 to discover that I was the first of the interns to give a Highlights Tour to the public, which I had to design, research and memorize in 12 days. Nor was I aware of how much time we, as interns, would spend together. For the first two weeks, we spent every day with each other, weaving in and out of the museum's underground tunnels. We bounced from The Met's rooftop Jeff Koons exhibit, through Treasures of the Royal Court, into the exclusive staff cafeteria. Orientation was summer camp for art geeks: There were forced bonding exercises, scholarly discussions and heated debates about the worthiness of Impressionism.

But in the end, I grew to (mildly) like giving tours, and I made what I know will be lifelong friends. Eventually, each hour-long tour would pass with a blink of an eye. I would cram the night before and wake up with a stomach of jitters, fearing I'd introduce myself to a group of strangers and proceed to stand there, bright red and speechless. Quite similarly to how I take tests, it seemed I would black out during each tour and somehow transform into someone who actually knows what she's talking about. As for the other interns, I am eternally grateful to have been surrounded by so many talented and respectable people. Yes, I was surprised, but I was challenged and stimulated, and I hope I am a better person because of it. (And no, I never successfully stole a painting).