There is a lyric in a musical that I love that has consistently been stuck in my head every summer for the last 5 years during this crazy transition period between end of August and early September. “Where do you go when it’s over? What do you do when you’ve come to the last day of summer?” The song lyrics are pensive, contemplating how to come to terms with an era coming to a close. Is it an ending, or the start of a new beginning? This song always came to me every summer on the last day of work at the railway museum I worked at throughout my undergrad, and it came back to me today as I enter my last day at Banting House, the museum I have called home for the past year. The end of summer means the end of my internship which means I will have a Master’s degree soon, and for the first time since I was 5, I will not be going back to school in September. It is difficult to reconcile that this is officially my last day, but with accepting that it is, what DO I do now that I’ve come to the last day of summer?
On this last day of my internship, I think I will start by reflecting. I started working at Banting House last September as part of my Graduate Student Assistantship. Back then, I was only working 10 hours a week on top of my classes. I learned the ins and outs of Banting House pretty quickly, and made close connections with the amazing volunteers that make running the museum possible. In stepping into my role as the summer intern, I learned and got to experience so much that I am grateful for. From collections management, to public interpretation, social media management, and programming, I have so many tools in my museum work belt that I will use in my career. I don’t know exactly what will be next, but Banting House will always be a big part of my story, and I am absolutely honoured to have worked at a place with so much heart, both from the history that is shared, and from the people who share it. If it’s my last day at Banting House, I want to shout out all the people who made my experience there every day spectacular! Thank you to Anne, Terry, Jeanne, Cathy, Elizabeth, Duke, Raghd, Brittany, Anneke, Nadia, Rachel, Bahareh, Tashayla, Patricia, Gavin, Finn, Sergio, Tony, Karen and everyone else at Banting House who make everyday so enjoyable! And most importantly, thank you to Grant for an amazing summer working at your side! It was a pleasure to work with and learn from you, and I will always cherish this incredible year I spent at Banting House.
So I guess that’s it! I may be back occasionally to volunteer as I wade through the job market, but I have officially completed my internship, my Master’s degree is incoming, and it’s time to begin something new. I am excited for what lies ahead, but I will never forget the memories and friends I made along the way. Bring on the real world!