Something New

My little bro and his girlfriend spent their spring break with us a couple of weeks ago.  Due to the Africa trip and some other stuff going on this year, I wasn't able to take much vacation time, so their visit is one big sleepless blur to me.

We saw the sights, walked around, ate a lot, and generally caught up on all things college.  He's a computer science major and is about to enter his last semester of school.  This summer is the key time for him to get an internship; in all the past summers, he was too inexperienced, and in future summers he'll be graduated and frantically looking for a job, so now's the time.

Consequently, I mostly saw the top of this head while he checked his phone for email responses from companies, telling him whether or not he was accepted for a summer internship:

This is what his face looks like.

And there was nothing.  He applied for about a zillion back in the fall, he's doing his part and regularly checking up on the status of all of them, but nothing.

The night they left to drive back home, we all left the house together (G&I were on our way to London).  My bro asked if he could use our computer to check his email one last time before they hit the road.  Lo and behold:  he was one of 10 students chosen nation-wide for a summer internship with NASA in California!  He's going to study computer science and engineering on some of their real-world projects!  They are paying for his airfare, housing, expenses and they're even providing a stipend (I was like, remember your sister who loves you.  Remember me when you're rich.).

The relief was visible on his face - all his features changed for a moment and he was able to breath.  And I got to witness it!  Blessing!  The message doesn't often make it through my sarcastic demeanor, but I'm super proud of him.  Even though I call him a "nashole" and even though I mean it.

Here's to something new.