My brain is trying to wrap my head around what I’ve just done. I’ve written a lot of emails in my life, but few have sent extreme chills through my spine. I’ve rarely cried after pressing “Send.” But this time…this time was definitely different.

I can’t keep it quiet any longer…I GOT A JOB! And not only did I get a job, I got my DREAM JOB. And not only did I get my dream job, I just ACCEPTED my dream job!

So, what is this dream job you may ask? Well, it’s quite a long story, actually…but let me take you back to Spring 2010, when it all started. During my spring semester junior year, I studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark through the Danish Institute of Study Abroad (DIS). The program is one of the most well-known study abroad programs in Europe, and has around 650 American university students enroll each semester. I was part of the Psychology and Child Development sub-program, along with about 75 other students. While a student there, I learned about an internship program where DIS hires former students to be the program assistant for each of the different sub-programs. The intern is kind of like the “face” of the program in general: whenever I needed anything or had an issue or question, I talked to the current intern. And as time went on, I become more and more interested in the role that the intern played in the organization – what did she do exactly? Did she like it? Is this a possible job for me in the future? Naturally, I wanted these questions answered, so I took the time to sit down with the current intern and ask her about her job. She gave me a lot of insight into what the awesome parts of the job and some of the challenges, but overall it was obvious that she enjoyed it. I put all of this information in the back of my mind.

Then, a young woman named Jen led one of our study tours, but none of us knew her (normally, the intern and/or our class professors led the tours). Turns out she was an intern a couple years ago, met and fell in love with a Dane, and moved to Denmark permanently. (It’s certainly not uncommon for Americans to fall in love with Danes, or want to live in Denmark…what’s not to love?) Even though I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with her while we were frolicking (I mean…studying) on our study tour, Jen and I ended up having a 4-hour coffee date when we got back to Copenhagen. We talked about everything from her experience as an intern at DIS to horseback riding. And once again, I stored all of this information in the back of my mind. Something was telling me I would need it later.

By the end of the semester, I had expressed interest in the internship to the current director of the Psychology/Child Development program, who I met with periodically because I was my class representative. Because this was her last semester as the director, she introduced me to the future director of the program, who was currently working in another department. It was a brief meeting, but it was just enough to get my name and face out there. Yet another experience to save for future note.

Come May 2010, it was time to leave Denmark and return to the good ol’ US of A. I certainly missed Denmark a lot, but I thought that it would just take some time to get back into the American swing of things. But even as time passed, the idea of applying for this internship never left my mind. I checked the DIS website frequently, looking for updates about the application. I read the current student’s blogs, reminiscing about keeping my own abroad blog. So, when the application was due in mid-January, I went for it and applied. I kind of thought it was a long-shot, but I figured why not?

One morning last week, I woke up to find an email on my phone requesting a phone interview for the position! WOW! We scheduled the interview for two days later. And suddenly everything is coming together: all of those conversations I had and people I met now mattered. And here’s the kicker: Jen, the former intern, actually works full-time for DIS in the Psychology/Child Development department and totally remembered me. Major points, and I couldn’t have even seen it coming. I also reminded the director that we had briefly met in the spring, and told her about my conversations with the current intern about learning more about the job. Everything in the interview went incredibly well (and lasted an hour and a half!)

And, in the end, I got the job. While I certainly felt like I was a perfect match for the organization, the offer did come as a slight shock. The most surprising part for me, though, was how much networking I did without even knowing it, and how much it mattered. Note to self and others: everyone who you meet is bound to be able to help you in some way. You are networking and meeting important people, even when you don’t know it.

I don’t have a champagne glass in my hand or anything, but here’s a toast to having a job after senior year. It will be a huge adventure.