Working for a big company* is going to be different. FedEx came today with a shiny red box; I opened it and was flooded with glossy paperwork, a window cling, and a USB stick with snazzy videos on it featuring employees from... it seemed like every continent except Antarctica. There's an actual orientation to go to. There are departments. I'm scratching my chin and going "Oh! This must be what it feels like to have... infrastructure!"

It will be different! This is going to be an awesome learning experience.

It does not, however, prevent me from having to repeatedly explain to my family what exactly I am doing, though I think my dad's accepted the "if they're on the NYSE, they must be ok" argument. ("But then how do they make money?" "Support, dad." "You mean to say there are more crazy people like you who make things for them for free?" "Sure, and sometimes they pay us too." "And they sell the software?" "No, it's... <insert libre/gratis explanation here>." "But then how do they make money?")

One of my goals this summer is to be able to explain open-source business models and what I do to my parents. If I can do that, I can explain it to anyone.

*I realize that Red Hat is not exactly massive compared to, say, IBM, but when the largest office you've ever worked in had 75 people, it's definitely a "hello! minnow, meet extremely large pond!" moment.