Week 10: Reflections

I have exactly one day left here in DC. And it is with great satisfaction that I prepare for my departure. I came here with a very limited idea of what I wanted for myself in the future. After nearly three months of feeling my way around the city, I’m leaving with so much more direction and certainty about exactly where it is I’m going in life and I think that’s monumental. I’ve learned some of the most invaluable lessons on the importance of professionalism and personal growth. As I pack up to leave, and go back home, I feel as though I’m embarking on a new journey in adulthood, and I’m so looking forward to everything it has to bring. I’m confident that I made the right choice in interning with The Washington Center, and given the chance to do it all over again I would make only minor changes, as the organization has definitely played an integral role in helping to equip me with some of the necessary tools to realize my career goals. For that I am forever grateful.

If I had to pick out the single most important lesson learned through this experience it would probably have to be one that was echoed in nearly every single speech I have heard since I got here; and that's the importance of being open to wherever life may lead. I have heard so many people say that when they were twenty-something they knew exactly what they wanted to do with their life, but because they walking through open doors as they came along, these people have been able to put themselves in good positions doing things they love. Had they been narrow-minded and inflexible they could have very well missed their chances. Success isn’t always the first place you would think to look, and there is something to be learned in every situation, because no matter what nobody knows everything there is to know. So take a second and think about what it is you may stand to benefit even when circumstances aren’t ideal.

In conclusion, goodbye for now, DC, and hello to a new adult world… Here I come!

Week 9: What I wish I'd known

This is my ninth week here in Washington, DC and time has gone by so fast, it’s really unbelievable. There are so many opportunities for many unique experiences but it seems to me that sometimes you have to know where to look. Constantly I find myself learning about things and places and wishing I had known that place was there in the beginning. So I thought it would be cool if for the next to last week of my blog I blogged about some things I wish I had known about the first week I was here. There are also some things that are unique to the city, so given the chance to come here you should take advantage of them.

1. One of the best things about being in DC is its proximity to other cities. Surprisingly it’s really easy to find cheap bus tickets to great place like Philadelphia, Boston and New York. I’m really excited as this weekend I’m headed to New York on a bus line called Tony Coach, and I only paid like thirty bucks for round trip tickets. On websites like megabus.com you can even tickets as cheap as $5.

2. I’ve been here since the beginning of June and it was just a couple of weeks ago that I realized that this place called Au Bon Pain has half-off baked goods after five o’clock. It’s like carb lovers' heaven, there are pastries, brownies and literally every baked treat imaginable. They make an awesome “confetti cookie,” which is my personal favorite but if you’re looking for something a little more healthy they also have some great bagels and breads. Locals actually call it “ABP;” apparently DC doesn’t have enough government acronyms, restaurants have to have abbreviations too. Getting half price pastries is actually pretty competitive downtown, but it seems there is one on almost every corner. There are seriously like four in very close walking to distance to where I work.

3. The National Mall of course is here in the Nation’s capital. It’s normally just like a huge yard with the Capitol building and the Washington Monument on either side. This summer there have been festivals on it. In the beginning of July there was the Folk Life Festival. There were people everywhere with song and dance from various countries around the world. I went the day after Fourth of July and they had tons of venders with ethnic foods and drinks to try. Of course it was million degrees outside but the mall is right in the middle of the Smithsonian museums, so when I was ready to take a break my friends and I cooled off in the Natural History Museum while we checked out the hope diamond all for free.

4. Conferences are a great idea to participate in while here in the city, and there is certainly an abundance of them. I get an email inviting me to conference every other day. There are conferences for young people, old people, liberals, conservatives, or those interested in globalization policies. You name it—somebody in DC will hold a conference for it. Pick the ones that you’re interested in and they are normally really informative and enlightening. Not only you will feel smarter, but they usually have food for participants, which is a lifesaver for those of us living on an “intern budget.” Not only do they feed you, but they are a great way to network. Join “listservs” to stay in the loop of these kinds of events.

Again these are just a few things I wish I had known more about in the beginning. Hope someone finds them helpful.