Just when I thought I could relax for a while, I realized. It’s almost Thanksgiving. Which means applications. Applications for internships, to be precise. And while last year I managed to slack off until April and still be fortunate enough to get hired on at the Company, I wouldn’t bet on lightning striking me twice.

Granted, the Company has asked me to come back again this coming summer. Though this is certainly something I am happy about, and something I may take advantage of, there are a few concerns I have with going back. Surprisingly enough to me, the conventional Silicon Valley wisdom is to get as many varied internships as possible during college, in startups, big companies, small but established firms, you name it. A varied resume is a  good one. At least that’s what I heard from many, many of my coworkers. On top of that seemingly relentless anthem of self-improvement and exploration is an addendum: If you want to move up in your career, never stay at a company for more than three years unless you’re exactly where you want to be.

See, to me, as a Midwesterner, that advice seemed odd. Every time I heard it, I kind of cringed a little inside. Whatever happened to loyalty? Back home, employees were rewarded for loyalty to a company, not for constant self-promotion. Moving around all the time could be seen as a lack of loyalty- something bad. Maybe it’s the culture, but doing too much of either seems like a risk.

My decision to apply elsewhere is not out of disloyalty, however. I truly value varied experiences, and the chance to work somewhere new, outside of California, is a tempting one.  Besides Silicon Valley corporations, I’ve looked at Johnson Controls, Northwestern Mutual (which is supposedly one of the best companies to work for, period), and Harley-Davidson. What do those three companies have in common?

They’re all in my hometown.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, y’all.

It feels weird, looking homeward after I swore up and down that I would never want to go back to the Midwest. But in the name of variation, I’m thinking that maybe going back home wouldn’t be such a bad career move. These companies are old and established. Surely they’ve been doing something right! And though the Company I worked for last summer was old for Silicon Valley (read: 25 years or so), these firms are even older. Maybe I can learn something valuable from them, something I wouldn’t ever see at a startup or fledgling empire like Google.

I left this girl back home 🙁

And, besides, I miss my cats.