Welcome to According to Plan, Madison Oberg's weekly blog about her experience being a fall intern for BRAVO!. We love our intern blogs and hope you enjoy following Madison!
Week 11
November 9 - November 13, 2015
It doesn’t seem possible, but we’re done with our final BRAVO! event of the season! These last few months have flown, and I cannot believe it’s almost time to pack up and head back to Portland for the holidays!
Last week’s gala was our third event with Whitman-Walker Health, and I really came to know and enjoy this client over the course of the semester. This night was particularly special, as I felt like I’d played a bigger role in the planning of this celebration. From the autumnal floral arrangements to the dessert reception offerings, it was really rewarding to see every detail become a reality. The National Building Museum’s transformation was incredible, as the design elements we’d selected brought Whitman-Walker’s brand and the story of its impact on real people to life. Shout out to Lacey for making this all happen! My favorite moment of the evening was when the Afro Blue Jazz Ensemble invited the audience to join them in singing the final chorus of “Lean on Me.” The entire room of over 300 Whitman-Walker staff, clients, sponsors, honorees and other special guests laughed, clapped, danced and enjoyed their time together. Witnessing their joy made all of the hard work and planning worthwhile!
After months of planning events for clients—plus managing my own life day to day—it was a great treat to take a break from it all and visit one of my very best friends Kate in Cambridge, Massachusetts this weekend. We spent the majority of our high school year’s planning things together: Birthday and holiday parties for our friend group, retreats and tours for our choir, school dances and other functions for our organizations… we did it all. Four years later we are still just as close, and I knew I was in for a great time when she sent me our “WEEKEND OF FUN” itinerary prior to arrival. I loved letting someone else make the plans, as we hung with her roommates at their favorite bar, attended the traditional Hasting Pudding drag show (and talked our way into their after party), explored Harvard’s incredible campus, and worshipped at her church before a final goodbye brunch. I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend of reconnecting, reminiscing and chatting about the future. It was just what I needed to help me get through the rest of the semester!
There’s still a lot to be done before move out on December 12. It’s going to be a busy three weeks of finals and fun, and I’m so looking forward to Christmas!