First Days at Nautica

Yesterday I started my internship at Nautica. I woke up too early (at 6:45 to be exact), got ready too early (by 7:15), got on the F train too early (7:50), got to work too early (8:05), so I meandered around the front of the building deciding how best bide my time before entering the nondescript building. I was very excited, very nervous, and was so jittery I didn’t need coffee.

I finally entered the building at 8:30 and greeted the security officer who was to check that my name was on “the list” so that I could proceed up to the 7^th floor. When he checked the list, I was not on it. Panic flooded my system. Had I read my directions wrong? Did I miss a crucial email? No, no, no. I had to be on the list. I called 2 weeks ago to confirm the location! The security guard looked me over, and decided I was not threatening, and let me go up anyway (something I found out later was very rare). I pressed the silver button for the 7^th floor. The elevator doors opened to a glass door, with a large silver Nautica logo behind it, and a young happy girl sitting behind a high walnut colored receptionist desk. She clicked a button, and the door clicked, indicating I was allowed to enter. She looked at me curiously, and I hastily said “My name is Kerrie, I’m Ileen Santiago’s intern… did I come to right place?” She looked at me blankly for a beat and quickly said, “Oh right, yes, um, she forgot to tell me to put you on the list. Come have a seat with me” I was startled by the invitation to sit with her behind the desk. But quickly recovered and went and sat at the chair next to her. She was incredibly friendly, her name is Josie. She informed me that Ileen had “been very busy preparing for the Short Sale”. I nodded my head and smiled as if I understood what a short sale was. She called Ileen on her cell phone and talked for a few minutes. She said I may be filling in for her a few times, so she showed me how to answer the phones and transfer extensions. Ileen called her back and told her to tell me that she would have a driver pick me up and take me to the large storeroom which is down town. I was stunned at this offer, and went outside to be picked up. I was looking for an older Asian man with white hair in a black car named Charlie. Charlie was so sweet. He hopped out of the drivers seat, motioned for me to get in the back of the car, and handed me a bottle of water. I had never been in such a nice car before; though I was in the back seat, I had 2 feet of space in front of my knees. He informed me that he was the driver for the President of Nautica. I thought to myself “well, I could get used to having a driver pick me up and take me to work every day… too bad it’s just today!” When we arrived to our destination, he jumped out of the car and opened the door for me, he told me that I should go up to the 11^th floor. I thanked him, and walked through the doors of another nondescript building (which is just a few blocks away from my dorm.)

There was another security guard behind a desk, but he just nodded at me as I walked by. I pressed a brass button this time to go to the 11^th floor. I used the new white pass card that Josie gave me to go through the glass doors, and through another door. When I opened the door, the room seemed to be in chaos. Large boxes were stacked five high, luggage and bags were laid around in large piles, and racks of clothes lined the walls. As I was taking this all in, a slender, caramel skinned woman said “hey sweetie, you must be Kerrie, I’m Ileen” She had a big, friendly smile, and I immediately knew that I would like working with her. She introduced me to the various people around the room who were sorting through the boxes. She explained to me what a short sale is. Every year Nautica and Kipling (another company within VF Corp) hold a “Short Sale” which is when all of the left over goods in the warehouse from the last year are sent to this large show room to be sold at super low prices (An $89 Kipling Messenger bag might be sold for $15). The sale goes on for 5 days. Generally all of the goods are sold by the end. I gawk at this, as there are 70 boxes stacked in the room. She told me that they’ve been getting 50 boxes a day for a week and sorting them. I’m handed a box cutter, and I get to work.

Today, I walked to the storeroom, and got started sorting. At the beginning of the day I was slightly overwhelmed at the boxes flooding through the freight elevator door. By the end of the day everything looked almost complete. The transformation was very rewarding.

I’ve been taking lunches at small place called Food Depot that is around the corner from the store room. Something I’ve noticed about the city, are that large grocery stores are few and far between. Everyone seems to buy their food from these small specialty food stores. Some have flowers and mangos and avocados and all the produce you need. Others have junk food and sodas. And many of these, such as Food Depot, have a hot bar where you can get food by the pound. I am beginning to like this method of grocery shopping. It forces you to explore a few blocks to find what you need, rather than wonder through a large grocery store.