In short

It's been a while, and a lot has been going on. Just a few snapshots:

Work. I wrapped it up last Wednesday, and it has been a good experience. Met amazing people, made valuable contacts, learned a bit more, and had many opportunities to observe how nonprofits are managed around here, which in many ways seems fundamentally different from the way it is done back home. I've streamlined my questions for my thesis a little, and I am ready to go when I get home. I was spoiled rotten with a tasty Japanese farewell lunch and a Starbucks mug with the NY skyline on it, courtesy of David, the cool program director.

Meetings. One of the great results of my time at Babson and the internship is the fact that I kept meeting people who were interested in performance measurement in nonprofits (my thesis topic) and were willing to share what they know. This morning, I had the chance to meet with Michael Caslin, who teaches a course on Social Entrepreneurship at Babson this semester and works for NFTE, an amazing organization committed to teaching entrepreneurship to disadvantaged youth. I had 20 minutes to get as much as possible out of him, which was tricky, but worth it. I have a few more interesting meetings coming up before I leave the Big Apple on the 19th.

Pia. Her visit significantly raised my museum, opera and concert quota, and I think I have become a bit of a culture buff under her supervision. However, it was the fact that we could meet for coffee or lunch any time we wanted and have quality conversations that was the real treat. After having had an ocean between us for two years, it felt really good to have her around for five weeks. Her, Colin, Bill and I made a fabulous team and had a ton of fun together - these times will be missed! We said goodbye with a suitably Bavarian Weisswurst brunch at Zum Schneider.



Classy. On a whim, Colin and I joined Bill for the Frick Ball last Thursday. The museum was festively decorated, we were served shrimps and champaign by the water fountain and wandered around among the Rembrandts, Bellinis and Holbeins in our tuxedos and evening robes. My H&M and Cairo bazaar combo was not nearly as classy as the designer robes of the other female guests, but it's the attitude that counts, isn't it? Here's the official account - don't take it too seriously.

Now I have a little less than two weeks left to wander around, read, think, see people and wrap up the six months in the land of hot dogs and oversized milk cartons.
They will be well spent.