A Day in the Life of a Digital Media Intern + Blogger
It was around this time last year that I shared a very similar post: A Day in the Life of a Marketing Intern/Blogger. I was waking up every morning, going for an early run, and then spending most of the day in our garage-converted office with my dad and his start-up. I learned a lot, got free coffee every day (because I just walked into the kitchen, lol), and it prepped me for what I would take on this summer.
Since just after Memorial Day, I’ve been working for a local news agency in the digital media department as an intern. I’m there to help socialize the stories that run on the radio, the website, and our local news channel. In addition to that, I have a few projects that are specific to me. Thank goodness for my blogging and social media knowledge – it’s really coming in handy!
I love it. I love where I work. I love the people. I love that we work around what is going on around the country and the world. Some days are slow, but when breaking news happens – it’s exhilarating.
Mainly, I really love having a routine – as odd as it sounds. I’m total Type-A and that’s no secret, so getting to nail down a solid day-plan for myself has been great.
Today I’ll take you through a typical day for me this summer. Then I’d love to hear what your summer days look like!
Wake up – 6 a.m.
It’s early, but I’ve gotten used to it. I love my mornings and consider it my “me” time. In a couple hours, I’ll be typing vigorously and running around in heels, so I’ll sacrifice hitting snooze for some self-care.
The first thing I do. The FIRST thing – every day…is make hot lemon water. It wakes up my body, my metabolism, and my digestive system.
While, I sip I turn on the news, and also scroll through the news updates on Twitter. I know that when I get to my job, these will be the stories everyone is talking about, writing about, and even podcasting about, so I’ve got to stay up-to-date. I try not to “work” right now since I’m off the clock, but if I stumble across an article or story that interests me and I want to come back to, I’ll e-mail it to myself to look through at work.
Work out – 7 a.m.
I’ve been moving my body every day Monday-Friday and taking Saturdays off. (I like to do the brunch cycle class at Cycle Bar on Sundays.)
I don’t have a gym that I go to at the moment, so I do one of three things: run outside, do an at-home workout, or go to a class. There’s a great trail near me where I can do a couple miles. If I’m working out at-home, I run a lap around the block to warm-up and then do body-weight workouts that I find on @rocamoon’s Instagram page. If I go to a class, it’s either Defy Pilates or Pure Barre.
Shower and change – 8 a.m.
You know, because no one wants me sweaty in the office and my running shorts won’t cut it. I shared my internship capsule wardrobe recently, so I’ll pick something from there, lay it out on my bed, and then head to the shower. I keep my hair and makeup really simple. Either a high bun or ponytail for my hair because it’s so long and hot, and then I’ll just use a few items from my minimal make-up bag.
I’m really into the look that is clean, fresh skin, a touch of mascara, and then a bold lip.
Make a good breakfast – 8:30ish
Some days I don’t break for lunch until 1, so I really need something that will hold me.
I’m an intuitive eater, so I just go with whatever sounds good. Usually it’s eggs. I either scramble them with some spinach or kale or I fry them. Either way, I like to sprinkle turmeric on there as a good anti-inflammatory agent. Some days I have coffee, some days I don’t. But when I do, it’s just with a dash of almond milk. Occasionally, I’ll make one of my crazy (healthy and delicious) smoothie concoctions. If you want to see more breakfasts of mine, follow @cristinawashere_food on Instagram.
Personal blogging time/Get Packed Up – 9 a.m.
I always keep my work bag packed and ready to go. I shared on this Instagram post what I carry in it!
I also pack my lunch (or at least prep all the ingredients) the night before, so I’ll grab that from the fridge now (and maybe a Lara Bar or Go Macro too if lunch is small) and pack that in a reusable canvas bag. I have a couple from francesca’s that I love to use, wash, and re-use.
If I’m completely ready to go (dressed, lunch packed, water bottle filled) then I’ll get on my laptop for a bit and check emails, write to-dos for myself, answer blog comments, or work on a blog post. I do more of this after work, but if there’s time in the morning, I like to use it because that’s when my brain works best!
For writing work to-do’s, I’ve been using THIS planner. It’s blank, blank, and blank!
Start work – 10 a.m.
I work 20 hours a week and I can move around my hours if needed, but typically I work from about 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
When I first get to work, that’s when I tend to be the busiest. The rest of the news team and digital team has already been there for an hour or so, and they are working on updating the website with the latest stories. There’s always something happening in the world – most recently (unfortunately) with terror attacks abroad. It’s sad that something so terrible keeps me busy, but hopefully the news will take a better turn soon. There will always be something to write about!
I help post stories and post them on social media, like I previously mentioned. I also work on my special projects! For the first hour, I go through my emails, the company Twitter feed for news, keep an eye on news (online and on one of the 4 TV’s we have in the room I work in – each on a different news channel!), and I also read other online editorials.
My projects are targeted towards millennials/centennials and are largely about pop-culture, so I like to check Bustle, Refinery29, Real Simple, and The Everygirl for articles that may help me create better content.
Lunch break – 12:30 pm
I don’t always take lunch at exactly 12:30, but I do always bring my lunch. For one, there’s nothing really around the office for food and I also just prefer to save money and stick to healthy options.
I take my lunch out to my car to eat it because IT IS FREEZING IN THE OFFICE. I sit in my car without even turning it on and just crack the windows. It’s literally 95 degrees out, but I’m so cold so I don’t mind.
I usually bring some kind of protein and tons of veggies in a glass Tupperware bowl. I make homemade mayo-free tuna salad or turmeric grilled chicken for protein and then do my maple carrots and grilled veggies (zucchini, squash, kale, bell peppers, etc.) for veggies.
Finish up the day’s tasks – 1 to 2 p.m.
I continue whatever I’m working on, and towards the last 10 minutes I’m there, I make note of what I need to do the next day in my BLANK planner, plug meetings and other appointments into my Google Calendar, etc.
And let me just pause for a second and mention how I like this planner for scheduling work to-do’s and meetings. BLAH BLAH BLAH.
Head home for more WERK – 2 p.m.
Even though I clock out, I stay tuned in. I listen to our local radio station for news updates and I have my company’s tweet notifications turned on. I also still check my e-mail and all that good stuff. Not while I’m driving home of course 🙂 But once I get home!
If it’s a Monday, I meal prep when I get home for about an hour or so. I bake carrots, kale, and potatoes. I may even make a healthy dessert for the week. I make tuna salad if I need some, boil some eggs to add to my lunch bowls, and wash and chop veggies.
Then I work. (Or if it’s not a Monday…I don’t have any meals to make, so I just get to work.) Sometimes I sit at my desk, and sometimes it’s one of those days where I need to work from the couch or the living room rug while watching Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce.
I work on my personal blog here: create content, answer e-mails, edit pictures, find inspiration on my favorite editorial sites, etc. I also have a good snack. I love coconut yogurt with fruit and chia seeds or some carrots dipped in almond butter.
Start prepping dinner – 5:30 p.m.
Most days, I eat dinner at home. Cam eats with me most nights, and if you’ve read our posts from when I was in Fayetteville for two weeks, we keep it simple with paleo-based meals. Protein and veggies! (When I go out to eat, I have a little more variety with tacos, flat breads, big salads, fish, etc.)
For example, last night we made our own turkey taco bowls. Cam seasoned some lean ground turkey with cumin, oregano, paprika, and cilantro and cooked that up while I cut and sauteed an array of veggies. Then we just put everything in a bowl, added some lime juice and avocado, and called it dinner!
Eat dinner and talk about our day – 6:30 p.m. ish
If Cam’s joining me for dinner, it just depends on when he gets here 🙂 I love dinners with him!
Evening walk – 7:30 p.m.
We’ve gotten in the habit of going for an evening walk. After looking at screens all day and sitting indoors, it’s a nice break to unplug and just unwind while also getting a little exercise and helping our digestive systems 🙂
Chill time – 8:00 p.m.
I try to stay off my phone around this time. I charge my laptop, but sometimes I will pull out my phone to scroll Tumblr. It really is soothing and inspiring for me to just look at pictures! However, most days I try to read a real book. It’s a good break from the screen and it’s good for the soul. I’ll also have tea or hot lemon water at this time, and if Cameron’s over, the TV is usually set to “Forged in Fire”.
Bed – 9:30 ish
I’m not even gonna make any grandma jokes because you know – IT’S COOL TO GO TO BED EARLY. I have to get up early and I am absolutely pooped by this time, I can barely keep my eyes open.
So there you have it, a day in my life… as of now. Ha!
What’s a typical summer day like for you?
X,
Cristina
