Stephanie's on Newbury

Today was the last day for several of the other interns, and to celebrate the end of their internships and bring a close to the summer, we went out to lunch for one last time at Stephanie’s on Newbury.

I had seen Stephanie's on Newbury numerous times in the past while strolling around Copley, but I had never eaten there. Whenever I would walk by, the place was always packed. There would be a waiting line spilling out onto the street, and from my brief glimpses at the dishes of patrons eating out on the patio, the food seemed decent. All of these things would seemingly signfy to a hungry diner that this might be a good place to stop for a bite. But I guess something about it screamed "tourist trap," preventing me from ever actually trying the place.

Well, it turns out my initial suspicions were right. For my order, I chose the grilled chicken breast sandwich. It was served on an onion roll and topped with melted cheddar, garlicky tomato, field greens, roasted red peppers, and basil mayonnaise. A handful of Cape Cod potato chips were served on the side. The description sounds nice, but the sandwich was like any other chicken sandwich and was highly forgettable. Over-priced I might add as well.

But I could not have cared less about my sandwich because after all, it was the last time during this summer to spend some time with the interns all together. I suppose it was somewhat bittersweet for them. On the bright side, they no longer have to wake up at god-forsaken hours in the morning to make it in on time for work. Nor do they have to endure the drudgery and often monotony of the daily 9 to 5.

But I’m sure there are things they will miss as well. Things like the humorous emails sent among us on all kinds of random subjects ranging from hobos, thinkgeek.com, crushes on co-workers, and Liberty’s bathrooms. Or maybe it’ll be the discussions over lunch that they’ll miss. Like the light-hearted ones about hippos and tax on “clothing,” the serious ones about racial stereotypes and the famine crisis in Niger, or maybe the silly ones about Simba and breast implants.

For me, seeing them leave was just…well, bitter. I hate a lot of aspects about my job this summer, but the one thing that’s made it all worthwhile is having met the other interns. I’m sure I’ll have a few more jobs in the future that I dislike, but if my co-workers are anything like the interns I’ve met this summer, I'm positive I’ll be just fine.

I’ve really had a great summer…a great year in general so far actually. I’ve traveled to the other side of the world, learned about a new culture, and seen all kinds of distant, exotic lands. They have all been wonderful experiences. But above all, I am most fortunate for having been able to share them with great people. This summer working at Liberty has been no different.

But alas, all good things must come to an end. I never did like final goodbyes or farewells very much. I don’t think I was very good at them either. But that’s why this time was easy. It was not a good-bye – it was just a see-you-later.