Hello from sunny Los Altos! I am an intern on the Backend Data & Compute team. I’m also a rising senior at Harvard, studying computer science with a minor in Global Health and Health Policy and an intense interest in advocating for women in computer science. But that’s all irrelevant because I’m writing to talk about something totally different—being a New Yorker in California. In fact, I’ve never identified so strongly as a New Yorker as I have so far this summer.
Well, kind of. I grew up in New Jersey and my family moved into the city after I started college. Growing up next to what seemed like a hub of the world definitely colored my experiences. For one, I walk really fast. On a scale of 1 to Flash, my average pace is somewhere in between a New Yorker and a New Yorker trying to catch the subway. Secondly, I am accustomed to one kind of trash can: definitely black and rusty, usually overflowing, and sometimes guarded by speckled raccoons. Needless to say, the ‘landfill’, ‘compostable’, and ‘recycling’ system I now confront around the Box office confounds me. (I’m aware that I am a spectacle as I waver between the three buckets while holding the deceptively compostable plate and utensils.) 
One of the first times I became conscious of my New York-ness was on the first day I arrived in California. I had settled in and realized I needed to pick up toiletries and snacks at the Walgreens nearby. With just my phone and keys, I stroll over in the breezy beautiful weather (more on that later) and pick out a couple of things in a basket. When I get to the lone register, the cashier is middle-aged, balding, and in a hurry. He scans my items, prompts for my card, slaps the receipt on the counter, and walks off into the depths of the store. I am motionless for three whole seconds before I realize he is not coming back. There are no plastic bags in sight. There is no one else around me. I finally regain my brain. I scoop my shampoo and conditioner and granola bars and stuff into my arms and hobble back home. That was one of the tougher ways I learned a lesson about California: always bring other bags when doing your groceries.
Another, more long-term discovery is the amazing weather! One of my goals this summer is to run the SF half marathon and training in Palo Alto has been the dream. The weather is rainless and in the breezy 70s. Every day. One downside is there are quite a lot of other creatures sharing your run. Last weekend, I was running in a nature preserve that had signs posted that it was a mountain lion habitat area. While I didn’t see any mountain lions, I did 1) meet a lady riding on a horse on trail and 2) nearly step on a coiled, camouflaged snake (I sprinted for ten minutes after that and got my fastest time of that run.)
Most of my runs, thankfully, are not as adventure-filled. The running community at Box is active and welcoming, with a contingent running the same half marathon I am in a month. I usually run in the morning with one of my colleagues Cédric. He is a program manager and a project manager. He is also a much faster and more experienced runner than I am. He has run multiple half marathons and marathons. On every run, I learn something new about runner's nutrition or gear.
These runs are a great way to kick-off my day's learning, which is a huge theme of each day at Box. I’ve been lucky enough to join the Messaging sub-team at a time when their size has doubled, so there’s a strong focus on learning about the Action LogFramework (ALF) and general architecture of Messaging for everyone new on the team, not just the interns. I’ve also had the opportunity to reach out to other teams to learn about their projects, especially those related to my minor in Global health and Health Policy.
As the rest of the summer continues, I hope to continue these learnings — both as a New York transplant and as an engineer — and take advantage of my first summer in Silicon Valley!
