Because L.H. asked...

One of my classmates called me out for slacking off and not blogging, so I am back, and making a new effort to write more often. The first year of LFM is so busy that blogging ends up pretty far down on a list of things to do. Now that I am on my internship, I should have more time to write about what it is like to be in LFM.

For my internship, I am working at Harley-Davidson in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (http://www.harley-davidson.com). Harley-Davidson is one of the partner companies of LFM, and they have hosted 7 internships in the past 8 years. I will be working in their Advanced Manufacturing group, preparing models they can use to develop and implement their international manufacturing strategy. For a company that is an American icon, it is exciting to see how the love of American freedom can extend to people around the world. As many Harley-Davidson employees tell me, it is the only company in the world where its customers tattoo the company logo on their bodies - that is customer satisfaction!

And Harley-Davidson knows how to treat its interns. They are allowing me to take their Rider's Edge rider training class, in the hopes that I will become a rider, like many company employees.

This year is Harley-Davidson's 105th anniversary, and there will be a huge celebration in Milwaukee at the end of August. Thousands of Harley riders will be meeting in 105 points throughout the U.S. and will ride into town to celebrate the long history of Harley-Davidson and the great community of H.O.G. members. And for those who have not heard, Harley-Davidson just opened a museum in Milwaukee, filled with memorabilia and motorcycles dating back as far as "Serial Number One" from 1903. Instead of a ribbon-cutting, they cut a drive chain with a blow torch, in true Harley-Davidson style!


Milwaukee is a great place to spend the summer. Every weekend, there is some type of festival in town, with great food and live music. The largest is Summerfest, which is a 10-11 day music festival held at Henry Maier Festival Park, on the shores of Lake Michigan. The park is a great place to hold a festival - plenty of seating and 12 stages of music to enjoy. This year, I attended a couple of days of Summerfest, and enjoyed the great acts, sunny weather, and free Miller Lite (thanks to my new friends, the Miller Brewing Company interns!).

I also attended Bastille Days, the French festival in Cathedral Square, and enjoyed the crepes, French music, and street performers. Coming up soon are Festa Italiana, German Fest, and many others. There is more than enough to keep any LFM entertained all summer long.

Although I miss my fellow LFM classmates, I do enjoy leaving work at 5:00 and having the rest of the day to do what I want. And the LFM email list is still active, with people emailing out about their internships, travels, and new homes in locations across the U.S and in Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, Mexico, and Canada. For my LFM friends who find their way to my blog, I hope you are having a great time, and I look forward to reading about it over email, or at our Midstream Review in September!