July 27, 2013

Learning So Much?

July 27, 2013/ Lexi Cotcamp

You wouldn't believe me if I tried to explain how many times I've tried to write this blog post in the past few weeks.

During the commute to work, over lunch, while in bed. Despite my best intentions to share my summer via blogging, I've been failing miserably. I love looking back and reading my old posts but have been struggling to write. Why?

I certainly have no shortage of things to share. From crazy adventures in San Francisco to intriguing tidbits from Google, I've been wholly immersing myself in new experiences this summer. Rather than blogging about my every move and meal, I have found myself much more apt to simply live life and see where it takes me.

Homegirl say WHAT? Yes, I promise the "normal me" hasn't been abducted by aliens.

I'm living in the moment and learning so much at the same time. I miss blogging as a form of a reflection, but I've been lucky enough this summer to find friends with whom I can discuss the nitty gritty at the end of the day. On that note, how about we catch up? You thought I'd never ask.

Especially these past few weeks, I've been a busy bee at work, as "crunch time" approaches for my project. Now that I've thought through most of the idea/planning/brainstorming/organizing phases, I'm working on building the platform I've set out to create. I can't say a bunch on this, but I can tell you that there's a host of other amazing things coming out of Google right now.

Like Project Loon!

Project Loon seeks to provide balloon-powered internet for everyone. Curious about the deets? Read more here!

Outside of work, I've spent my free time...

Checkin' out AT&T park and going to a Giants' game. Lesson learned: AT&T park has temperatures similar to that of Antarctica. I bet penguins would make great baseball players.

Seeing Ed Sheeran & Sara Bareilles LIVE in Golden Gate Park...fo free! Does it get any better? Yep, when there's chocolate chip cookie sandwiches involved....

Celebrating National Pride Day the only way San Francisco knows how....with over-the-top parading and festival love. Repping Google with shirts and balloons and singing loudly and unquestionably out-of-tune while dancing with the crowds. Drag queens optional but highly recommended.

Exploring the wonders of Santa Cruz. Eating delicious Mexican food, soakin' up the sun, and being reunited with my beloved Pacific Ocean.

Taking a trip to Lake Tahoe for the 4th of July. Takung pictures like the 21st centurites that we are. Hiking like the adventurers we always wanted to be. Trying jetskiing for the first time...then wishing I could jet ski every day for the rest of my life. Because I am a thrill seeker who just can't say no to moving a little bit faster. Getting bronzy tan....MAAAAAAD bonkers tan.

Hiking through Muir Woods and taking in the majesty of Northern California's famed Redwoods. Talk about dirt, trees, life, nature, life. Repeat.

Wandering through Sonoma County & Napa Valley. Spending copious amounts of time laughing, taking more pictures, learning all things culinary, and of course, making fun of one another. Eating croque monsieurs like we're California royalty and watching acrobatics in the park.

Hearing Dr. Henry Kissinger speak for an exclusive Google talk on foreign policy. You know, NBD. #casual. Thinking about how every foreign service school student at Georgetown would want me to take a picture for their international-relations-loving souls.

Hanging out with Mother dearest in Marin County. Consuming cheese x100,000. Cruising through the farmers' markets like it was our very own nirvana. Hiking around Point Reyes, home of some really darn good bleu cheese.

Trying Google Glass {which was pretty darn awesome!}. It's borderline mindblowing that an entire computer can fit into that tiny tab!

Seeing Justin Timberlake & Jay-Z live in San Francisco for their Legends of Summer tour. For those wondering: we did indeed bring sexy back. Rest easy tonight.

And finally, hanging out with these lovely people. Doing breakfast food and doing it big in Lower Haight. Chillin' like villains, and being young and {just a litte} reckless because what is life without a few risks? Casually known as the Breakfast Club. Or intern buds. Or the coolest kids on the block. Or my best friends.

I wish I had the devotion to blog a bit more so as to share these experiences in a bit more detail. But perhaps most importantly, I'm happy and thriving. I can't even begin to describe how much I've learned this summer--not just in an academic or intellectual sense, but rather a far greater scope of growing up. Life lessons are in no shortage, and good or bad, I've found that I'm learning so much about myself as both a persona and professional.

I'm thankful to Google for showing me how to innovate and iterate; I'm eternally grateful to the friends I've met here for challenging my views and piquing thoughts where they may have otherwise remained absent.

Oh my dear, summer 2013. You have a knack for reminding me that sometimes learning goes far beyond education.

June 27, 2013

Golden State of Mind

June 27, 2013/ Lexi Cotcamp

Andddd we're back!

Where did we leave off? Ahh yes, the reminder that this is a summer of new things and experiences, of growing into myself and making new space for uncharted territory. That means discoveries not only in personal and professional growth but also other areas as well.

Particularly food.

[skip this, if you're not interested in my personal ramblings of becoming un-vegetarian]

This summer and my time at Google has been a completely different experience in a few ways. The beginning of summer 2013 marks the first time I've (intentionally) eaten meat in 4+ years. I became a pescatarian/vegetarian/sometimes vegan somewhere down the road in high school and wasn't unhappy in the least about my choice to do so. But upon deciding to study abroad in France this Fall, I began to think more about the situation. Renowned for its cuisine, France is historically known to consider meat a cultural and culinary staple. With this, I had a brief and fleeting thought: what if I started eating meat again?

In some ways, it would be practical, as it would be less of a hassle for both my host family and me personally in France. It would defray worries that I'd be missing out on a huge part of French life, and it would be an interesting way to try something new. Based on insights from past students, I decided it would be far easier to eat a balanced diet (i.e. more than bread + cheese). Above all, I remembered that my decision to stop eating meat was just that--my decision. It was a personal choice that was right for me for a variety of different reasons. And I promised myself that if I ever started wanting/craving meat again, I would eat it.

So gradually and somewhat cautiously, I started reintroducing meat into my diet upon arriving at Google, while keeping in mind my own commitment to health, ethics, and sustainability. To be honest, it's been beyond easy at Google, where I'm able to just take a tiny piece of meat alongside other food at meals. On top of being extremely well-prepared in a culinary sense, the meat is typically locally raised and oftentimes organic. My thoughts? The experiment has been interesting, but I still don't crave meat. I have to remind myself to eat it, and I still have a hard time stomaching really fatty/greasy meets (lamb, corned beef, bacon, prosciutto, pepperoni, etc.). Poultry has been a bit easier, but still--I don't crave it. Nonetheless, the food I've tried has been wonderful.

Like this sunny side egg and spicy carnitas with marinated cabbage as a savory breakfast entree. But honestly, my favorite meals have still looked more like this:

Giant bowls of fruit + granola + etc.

I've only just begun exploring San Francisco, but I'm already smitten with what I have encountered. There's so much to learn and so much to see, and despite having lived in California most of my life, San Francisco is still unmapped. Unlike many of my other trips to big cities on the East Coast, my travels and San Francisco have been all spontaneity. Now more than ever, I'm learning just how much I can enjoy myself when I let life run its course. This doesn't mean being stupid or completely forsaking plans--it simply means knowing that things will work out the way they should.

I'm still figuring out San Francisco's different neighborhoods, but I've explored a modest amount with the other interns. A few weekends ago, we decided to go to the North Beach Festival (arguably the best festival in SF), which is a part of series of neighborhood street festivals held throughout the summer. The festival contained tons and tons of booths selling everything from chili covered garlic fries to antique hair combs, in addition to live music and overall merriment.

We ended up eating at Giordano Bros. From the street, we noticed a sign that claimed an "all in one" sandwich. Intrigued, we walked in and spontaneously opted to eat lunch there. I was skeptical. REAL skeptical. In my head, I whined, wondering how cheese, meat, a fried egg, french fries, and coleslaw ALL stacked between two slices of bread could possibly be appetizing much less edible.

But to my shock, it blew. my. mind.

Excuse me? Fo realz.

Later on, we ended up finding our way to Washington Square Park and enjoying the rare glimpses of San Francisco sun. Believe me when I say that I was clinging to that pictured cappuccino for dear life (and warmth) while we were parked in the park. Weather or not (hehe), it was a lovely day--filled with silly conversations and midday naps. The little things.

After finishing our coffee (...and naps) at the park, the group of us Googlers decided to head down to Fisherman's Wharf for dinner. If my body thought the park was cold, it certainly did not appreciate that I chose to wear only a light cotton dress. 60 degrees minus 15 degree wind chill = bad news bears.

As for this weekend, I'd love to share what I'm doing! Except I have no idea what I'm doing. And that, my friends, is the beauty of letting life take you on its very own wild ride.

Stories a'plenty. Shenanigans in abundance. Smiles all around.

Oh, and Summer, you have an open invitation to stay.

June 07, 2013

The Internship: Week 1 as a (Real) Google Intern

June 07, 2013/ Lexi Cotcamp

Please note that all viewpoints and anecdotes are purely my own and are not to be interpreted as that of the official company in any sense. So that whole schtick about a blog post yesterday? Yeah, not a thing. But hey, I'm here now, and that's all that matters, right?

Bueno.

On Tuesday, I officially started at Google as a BOLD Intern. To break it down for ya'll, Google offers a few different types of internships for students: undergraduate engineering internships, grad student internships, and an undergraduate program called the "BOLD." (This stands for Building Opportunities for Leadership & Development). Essentially, this internship program focuses on the sales, general, and administrative side of the company, rather than just the engineering/computer science part with which most people typically associate with Google. To be an intern in the BOLD program, you don't have to be a business major, but there are many who are.

While my official start date was on Tuesday, I spent the first few days in an extremely comprehensive orientation, instead of starting work right off the bat. We discussed everything from company protocol to outlines of our individual projects to the basics of being a Noogler, or "New-Googler." As I've mentioned before, I can't go into detail regarding the specifics of what we learned, as Google has a very strict policy on confidentiality. I know that a lot of people raise an eyebrow when they hear this, but in my opinion, it's pretty logical. Google's mission is "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." For the company to do that successfully, it must gain the trust of its users and consequently, maintain an appropriate level of both privacy and security. As an employee, I'm loyal to this mission and wouldn't want to do anything to jeopardize its execution :)

Done with housekeeping? Onwards!

Day 1

I meant to take a picture of me heading out the door on Day 1, but by the time I got my butt packed and ready to go, there wasn't much time. Plus, I could just envision roommate soulmate H's groans if she knew I had dropped everything to take a blog picture.

I rode the GBus (shuttles provided by Google) to work and arrived a few minutes prior to 9 a.m. and headed straight to the designated building for check-in. Upon receiving my nametag and getting my security badge, I began "Noogler Orientation." We crunched through a few hours of technicalities, with a few breaks for coffee + snaxxx in the micro kitchen. What's a micro-kitchen, you may ask? Well, a micro-kitchen is Google's answer to a company mandate that says food must be within ~150 ft of employees at all times. Pretty cool, right? This provides employees with plenty of refreshments throughout the day and allows for what Google calls "casual collisions" between two or more employees. These collisions are essentially spontaneous conversations that foster creativity and bursts of innovation through interaction with other Googlers.

Around noon, we took our lunch break, with some people splitting up to go to different cafés. I made my way to a cafe with a few friends, which specializes in Asian food. Offerings included fresh crab sushi handrolls, maki rolls, wasabi seared albacore, pho, ramen, and a few different kinds of vegetables.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon in a second part of orientation with our BOLD team. To wrap up the first day, we were then paired in teams for a campus-wide scavenger hunt. In addition to learning more about the Googleplex, we ended up with our fair share of silly pictures and stories. Post-wrap up and dinner, I made my way to the GBus with the rest of returns and headed home for the night. We kept things low-key, in preparation for...

Day 2

Orientation continued to Day 2 but was this time focused especially on the BOLD program. We spent a majority of the time going over the specifics of what we should expect with regards to our teams, logging hours, project management, and workflow exercises. Again, this was pretty in depth, so I'll spare you the nitty gritty details! The day concluded with a BOLD program mixer and dinner at a nearby café.

Day 3

Of all the days, Day 3 was by far the biggest whirlwind. We finished our BOLD orientation with a "dos and do nots" in the workplace, along with a Q&A session with a panel of Googlers. We spent a lot of time discussing the more detailed aspects of the workplace, including diversity groups like Women@Google. We visited a café on main campus for lunch and shortly thereafter, our team managers met us for the end of orientation. All interns individually spent some time getting acquainted with their managers. Since I met with my manager on Monday, I was already acquainted with my team, but I really enjoyed getting to spend more time with them.. From there, the interns reunited to get our Noogler beanies (COOLEST HAT EVER) prior to TGIF. TGIF?

Yep! Well, Thank Goodness It's Friday (TGIF)....on a Thursday. In essence, TGIF is a chance for Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin to address the entire company on the topical issues of the week. It's a great showing of both corporate transparency and light-hearted celebration for the end of the week, and honestly, it may have been one of my favorite parts of orientation. I found myself filled with a rather inexplicable sense of content at this gathering. Sitting five feet away from two of the most brilliant men in the tech world, I felt both incredibly humbled and honored. And proud--but not of myself. I felt an overwhelming sense of pride in the company whose values are strikingly like to my own. Proud to be a part of something that awe-inspiring.

Last but not least though, we (the interns) hopped on a shuttle for one last event of the day--The Internship! Well, the movie I mean. Dressed appropriately in our Noogler hats, backpacks, and shirts, we attended a screening of The Internship starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. The movie was entertainingly ironic, if nothing else, as a real-life intern.

(security guard took the photo...)

Based on my experience thus far, I would say the actual environment is NOT competitive in a cutthroat sense whatsoever, contrary to what the movie depicts. In nearly every instance I've encountered, it's been almost the opposite. There has been an overwhelming atmosphere of collaboration and positivity. It's true that you don't need a suit to be serious. Call it constructive, or just call it Googley. :)

And finally...

Day 4 - TODAY!

Today was the first day that interns spent in full with their managers. My day included an early morning video conference with my host and then a variety of research in preparation for my project. I met with a few of my other team members and spent plenty of time familiarizing myself with both the people and place of my office. Since I arrived at work pretty early, I caught an earlier shuttle home. I haven't slept much the past few nights thanks to an awkward combination of adrenaline + exhaustion, so I'm dealing with a slight cold now. In true Friday style, I'm relaxing at 'home' in San Jose and listening to a good dose of Youth Lagoon. Straight chillin', if you will. In other breaking news: as of five seconds ago, I've decided that I'm voting my couch Sexiest Man Alive of 2013.

I'm not 100% sure what the weekend will bring, and I'm rather enjoying not knowing. That's totally unlike me. And also totally welcome right now. :)

Next week, I hit the ground running on my project. Background research, focus groups, storyboarding, and corresponding with a multitude of different Google teams make the bare agenda, but as for the rest?

Well, I'll just have to Google it.

June 03, 2013

Google: Day 0

June 03, 2013/ Lexi Cotcamp

Hey there friends :) I arrived at my housing for the summer last night. It's beautiful to say the least! More suburban than I expected, but the awesome people make up for it.

So I don't technically begin orientation/work at Google until tomorrow, but I'm meeting with my boss (and the rest of the work team) for a quick lunch today at the Google campus.

The things I've realized thus far:

The people are AWESOME. Literally, I haven't met a single person yet who isn't amazingly kind / funny / down-to-earth / crazy brilliant. Last night, I met some of the interns who have already been here for a few weeks, and this morning, I met a grad student who has background in both electrical engineering / computer science. Crazy smart, no?
Google food is a big deal. Okay okay, so I kinda already knew this, being that I'm a foodie. But everyone talks about in conversation. Most people eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Google. That's not including unlimiteeeeeeeeeed snaxxxxxx. Yeah, you heard me unlimiteeeeeeeeeed snaxxxxxx. I'll likely try out these mystical noms tomorrow, but ya never know about today...?
East Coast transporation rocks. Seriously, DC Metro, I love you. NY Subway, you rock my socks. Santa Clara Transportation Authority, you have big shoes to fill. Though the GBus (cushy seats and free WiFi) was pretty jazzy!
I was excited to put on "real people" clothes this morning. I have been living in yoga clothes / bathing suits for the past 2 weeks. Thank god for the reentrance of blazers and flats.
I'm dying to explore San Francisco. Help a sistah out?

Also, I got my first peek at Google swag!!

Official new Googler (Noogler) orientation kicks off tomorrow. For now, I'm off to lunch to meet the team. Wish me luck!

May 29, 2013

Shifting Gears & Recipe: The Best Easy Basic Vinaigrette

May 29, 2013/ Lexi Cotcamp

Can you tell my summerhas a back-to-the-basics theme thus far? While I've done my fair share of cooking at home, my meals have all been marked by a thorough sense of simplicity. Smoothies and cereal for breakfast, avocado-hummus sandwiches and kale salads for lunch, and whatever is on the family menu for dinner.

And iced coffee. Oh my lanta, yes the iced coffee.

Honestly, I'd been mulling over posting for the past few days, but I found myself tickled with an odd realization. I haven't really been in the mood to post all my daily food. Sure, doing a day-in-the-life post from time to time is fun, but I've been faced with dwindling motivation to post a scrupulous description of what I eat daily. (Heck, ya'll know what that looks like! It means a whole lot of salad and sweet potatoes.)

But actually.

This realization has led me to avoid blogging to some degree here. I miss it, but I honestly don't miss taking a picture of every, single thing I eat. In addition to being somewhat boring, it's made me come to see just how much people will use what is posted on blogs as a standard for comparison. As much as I personally believe in healthy living, I hate the idea that people may have looked at my blog and thought of me as a food snob or someone who is "holier than thou" because of the way I eat. This couldn't be farther from the truth.

So where does this leave me?

LATAH SKATERS.

(...just kidding.)

With less than a week until I leave for Google and just about three months until I leave for France, I have plenty to share. My own crazy recipes to post for the enjoyment of family, friends, and the world. A shizz ton of andom musings to share. And a few choice pictures.

Food is a huge part of my life, so that won't be going away anytime soon. We'll just be shifting gears a bit. Going back-to-the-basics and kickin' it like it's 1987. Googling it and seeing just where that search takes me. Getting French and funky.

You know--the usual.

Okay, enough blabbering. Let's salad.

I'll be first to say that I'm not a huge fan of salad dressing. I like the taste of vegetables, and shamelessly masking their natural flavor with some mayo-based concoction often seems like heresy to me. That being said, if the dressing compliments the salad rather than overtaking it, I can be skeptically convinced. It doesn't happen super frequently, but every now and then, I find a fave or too.

Enter the world's best easy basic vinaigrette. Tangy like the tango I'm currently having with bright yellow nail polish. Complimentary like a dash of iced coffee + milk. And basic, like the relationship I'm currently having with wearing bathing suits like it's my uniform. (Isn't it?)

This vinaigrette rocks my world, and I'd be willing to bet it'll rock yours too. I've used this dressing or a variation of it on countless lunches and dinners for the past week.

It can be used on just about any salad or as a marinade. And most importantly, it can be made, eaten, and stored...all while shamelessly sandy in a bikini.

In other words, basically essential.

The Best Basic Easy Vinaigrette

This isn't just salad dressing. It's a kitchen staple on steroids. There's no wonky ingredients or instructions. It's versatile and flexible, yet wonderfully complex. And all ya need is a jar! Does it get any better? Only if bathing suits are involved...

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried itlian seasoning - may also use fres (basil, oregano, rosemary - any combo will do)
1 tsp Dijon msutard
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp water

Place all dressing ingredients in a medium-sized jar. SHAKE!!! Shake like you mean it. And do a little booty shakin' while you're at it. Use on salads, fish, pasta salad, etc.

I love the white wine vinegar here, but I understand that not everyone has it. You can use fresh lemon juice (great!), red wine vinegar, or another light vinegar, but use white wine if you get a chance! Balsamic may be subbed as well, but it will change the dressing accordingly. Also feel free to use fresh herbs if you're feeling funky fresh. :)

Back soons with more basics. Stay snazzy, ya hear? :)

May 19, 2013

Recipe: Basic Green Smoothie

May 19, 2013/ Lexi Cotcamp

Happy Sunday, world :)

I'm headed off to swim at the local pool and chat with T, so I'm just poppin' in briefly to say hi. In the true spirit of brevity, I also have a quick recipe to share!