Farewell D.C.

Leaving D.C. was one of the saddest experiences I have ever gone through. Leaving people that you have become so close with and will never see again on a daily basis is very unsettling. Leaving a city that you have fallen in love with and a life that is so different and exciting is disheartening. Leaving is a part of life.

What have I taken back to Massachusetts with me are the important things: friends, experience, connections, a taste of adult life, and tons of pictures of the George Washington Monument. I do not know how I have changed, but I know something is different about me. Seeing and feeling something that is much larger than yourself will inevitably do that to you.

When I first got home, I felt like I was back on Thanksgiving break, just waiting to go back to the airport and fly back to see my roommates and friends. That feeling did not go away for a few days, and still lingers around somewhere in my head. I miss my apartment, and my coordinators, and walking into the Wilson Center, and even the dysfunctional Metro. I also missed my home, and now realize that D.C. would not have been the experience it was if no end ever came.

Now that I am home, I get to talk to everyone on facebook, AIM, and Gmail, which is good enough for now. We are already picking out dates to go visit people and I think some of the girls are sending out Christmas cards. My Russian studies have kicked off and I get to sit around the house waiting for my internship to start in Boston.

This has been quite an experience. Take advantage of everything while you are here. If you are on the fence about coming, just do it. Every minute is worth your time. If you have even half the experience that I had, then you are still ahead of the game. Just trust me on all this.

I wish I could write sappier things to make all of you cry or really relate to what is going on, but you will not know until you are leaving. Then you can come back and maybe you will shed some tears while reading this, but until then, I am still here to answer any questions.

Good luck and enjoy!

Timmy V.

Winding Down

Surprisingly enough, I have a very busy last week ahead of me, but my second to last week here couldn’t have been better. My favorite experience the entire semester was going ice skating in the sculpture garden with some friends during a snow flurry. It was one of those perfect winter wonderland moments that everyone just keeps smiling about two hours after it happened. The only downfall was a ring of cuts around my left ankle but watching people fall more than I did made up for it.

Other than that, I spent most of my time writing papers and working on my portfolio, which ended up being a lot longer that I anticipated. Mine was about 60 pages, and took a while to piece together. Once again, stay on top of your work when you get here. It can get very stressful when you get back from Thanksgiving break and you have finals and portfolios and everything due all of a sudden. I still have to write a 15-25 page paper for my school that I have yet to start.
The other thing that I suggest for you to do is make your close friends get Gmail accounts. They are great for chatting and they are a great way to keep in touch. Plus, the program is awesome. I am pretty sure I have talked about this before, but it is worth bringing up again.

I am now getting ready to say goodbye to my new friends. It is going to be difficult, as I have been around all of them all day every day, and we are all really close. We are going to go out to a bunch of restaurants and really plan to enjoy our last week here. As corny as it sounds, we are like a little family. I am going to miss that a lot, but I am sure I will have something like that in Russia. Hopefully.

I really need to get back to my paper writing though. Keep the comments and questions coming!

Until Next Time…

Timmy V

A Week at Home

Surprisingly enough, the airports were not crowded at all. I took the train right into Ronald Reagan Airport and flew right to Logan without any problems, and since I didn’t have to wait very long for any trains, the ride from Grosvenor took no more than 35 minutes (Grosvenor is where I live). As I flew into Boston, I saw shipyards, old houses, rusted water towers, and pouring rain. It was nice to be home.

Over the week my parents had me get all my visa application stuff ready for Russia, and kept me busy with chores around the house and helping with Thanksgiving preparations. I was ready to get back to Washington and my “lazy” apartment routines after four errands. Once we all sat down for dinner and I met up with some friends later for drinks and dinner for a birthday celebration, I began to relax and moved back into the very familiar settings that I had left behind for a few months. I don’t know how close you are with your friends at home, but when I see mine it doesn’t feel like much time has passed, and yet we quickly accept the changes we have all undergone while being separated.

The mall was packed full of people, and it took 10 minutes to find a parking space, but we ended up getting some good deals on some warm clothes for Russia. My favorite present this year is one of those hats with the furry sides that cover your ears. I wore it all around until my mom finally took it away and wrapped it. For some reason she still puts “To: Tim From: Santa” on all the presents, though it isn’t even December. Some traditions are hard to break.

Tragically, terrorists attacked several hotels in India and killed close to 200 people and injured hundreds more. My parents had actually traveled to India and stayed in many of those hotels. They quickly cancelled their travel plans for January which took them right to Mumbai. India is one of my mother’s favorite countries to visit, but she said it just isn’t safe right now to travel there.

Other travel plans include them visiting me in Moscow and St. Petersburg over my Spring Break, which will be pretty exciting since my mom will finally be able to see the Ballet and all the massive palaces and museums.

My dog Lincoln really missed me and bothered me the entire week, and got really excited when a full grown deer (a doe?) was walking around our front yard and then went into our neighbor’s backyard to eat out of their garden. I took about 30 pictures, but most of them were blurry. Matt, my brother, threw an apple out for it, but it just ran away instead of eating it.

All in all, Thanksgiving was a success. I ate until I couldn’t move and realized how much I missed homemade food. Now I have two weeks to finish all of my papers and spend time with my friends. Hopefully it goes by slowly so I can enjoy it!

Until next time…

Timmy V.

Time Moves Quickly

I don’t know how November snuck up on us and flew by, but it did. Most people, including myself, are flying home for Thanksgiving. I feel a bit conflicted. I miss my family and friends dearly, but I want to spend as much time as possible with my new friends here in D.C. How do you talk to people from home about not wanting to see them? It gets awkward really fast. The only thing that trumps leaving my new friends behind for a short period is the idea of home cooked meals for 5-6 days straight, and seeing my dog Lincoln who recently turned 7 (Happy Birthday Link!). He is a chocolate lab if you were wondering.

I guess I am being a bit whiney, and that going home is probably going to be a lot of fun, but it just happens to be what I am thinking about right now. Other than that, work has really piled up, and like most college students, procrastination is deeply embedded in my work ethic (not entirely true since I am almost done with my portfolio). With the fear of becoming a broken record, I want to stress just one more time how vital it is to keep up with your work!

So what have I been up to lately? I recently lobbied Congress for the Israeli Palestinian Peace Process in Senator Kerry’s office. I met with a legislative consultant and stressed the issue that I have been learning about all semester, which is the freezing of settlement expansion and a resolution based on the 1967 borders. It was really cool. The guy took us very seriously and it was an excellent networking experience. I highly recommend getting involved with this civic engagement group. Andrea Barron, who runs the program, is very passionate about the subject, and teaches you quite a bit. You are required to do a civic engagement project, so you might as well do one through TWC that is worthwhile and engaging.

The free LSAT class that TWC allotted to us interns was great. Our instructor is an LSAT expert and I didn’t even mind that the class went over the two hour time limit. I have it this week again, and though I feel really geeky as I say this, I am really excited to go back on a Friday night to learn how to take a test.

Other than those two things, it has been the usual. The routine hasn’t changed much, and I am still in love with my internship here at the Woodrow Wilson Center. I am definitively going to apply here if I don’t go straight to law school. The other thing I have been looking into is getting an internship on the Hill with a congressperson or senator for the summer. Unfortunately, most of them are unpaid, and there is no way my parents are going to put me up in an apartment for an unpaid internship. Oh, well.

I hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving holiday, and I will be writing to everyone from Burlington, Massachusetts next week! It is going to be a good one!

Until after turkey day…

Timmy V

A Lot of International Food

This week I have eaten sushi for the first time, and had a meal at an Ethiopian restaurant in Georgetown. I really enjoyed both types of food, and highly recommend them. If you can get past the idea of raw fish, then you will really enjoy it. I suggest either the California rolls or the dragon rolls at Raku which is at Dupont circle (take the Q street exit). The Ethiopian place can get a little pricey, but it is definitively worth it. The best part about the food is that they give you this strange bread and all the food is on one big plate and you use the bread to pick stuff up. It was really cool.

The city has calmed down substantially since the election, but the G20 meeting was in town and they changed some of the Metro regulations for a short time. I haven’t read any reports on what happened, but I am sure that they are going to change regulations and fiscal policies and will try anything to fix this disaster. Lets hope they can fix it sooner rather than later.

This week at the Wilson Center has been really busy. Now that I have been really trained, especially with the events, they have me doing a lot of the setting up, summarizing, and even more research. It is a lot of work, but it is worth it, especially if I decide to go and work there after undergrad. It is still an option if I don’t want to go straight to law school. The thing I am trying to decide is whether I want to work for a year, or just go straight to school. I am basically putting off the inevitable if I take work off for a year. I am going to ask around and see what other people have done.

I have slightly procrastinated on my portfolio/class work/home institution work. If you think you won’t get any busier when the internship is winding down, think again. I am in a good position for getting everything done, but I am under a little pressure. Keep up with your portfolio! Start papers early! That is probably the best advice I can give you. I know you will want to hang out with your new friends, but you need to make time for your future as well!

Oh, and if you have as good of an as experience as I am, I would not push for a long Thanksgiving break. I am really regretting the fact that I made arrangements to be home for a longer time while some of my friends are still in the city.

I have to get back to work!

Until next time…

Timmy V

The Week America Elected its First African American President

November 4th, 2008. I truly thought I would be awake until 3 am waiting for CNN to predict the next president. D.C. youth spilled out of their apartments and flooded the streets around the White House and on U Street. Laughter, tears, and cheering inundated news stations around the world. People across the planet saw Barack Hussein Obama as the necessary change the world needed, and celebrated accordingly. The Facebook news feed went crazy with congratulations from one side and negative rhetoric from the other.

McCain’s concession speech was honorable and could not have been more appropriate. If he had been as level-headed and what I call the “real McCain” during the entire election instead of so negative and rash, I truly think the election might have been different.

I waited patiently to hear Obama speak for the first time as president-elect, and I realized as he walked onto the stage that something truly did change in this country. His message is for change, but more importantly, he stressed unification. I wasn’t one of those people crying, but it was a very emotional moment in American History. To be in D.C. during this time was truly something that I will appreciate for the rest of my life.

I couldn’t stop smiling the next day, but I was also sad that I had to find something new to obsess over everyday. The transition period is really interesting now, but it doesn’t have that same charge that the election did.

Anyway, it felt like Christmas on November 5th; people were drinking mimosas, and the world started to like us again. I hope the Republicans can salvage what is left of their splintered party and find a way to bolster leadership and growth, but until then I am going to enjoy a Democratically run government. It’s about time we get in there and clean up this mess.

Until next time…

Timmy V

The Halfway Point

The halfway point is a good time to start reflecting on this experience, which is a necessary part of personal growth and looking to the future, but also of trying to cement the always changing memories of our past. Yesterday I walked from the elevator on the tenth floor to my apartment, and thought about move-in day and how worried I was to open the door and meet my new roommates for the first time. I have come a long way. Now when I get out of the elevator I am barely thinking of anything at all, except maybe getting my dress shoes off so I can relax. I finally felt, or realized, that the friends I have made in such a short amount of time were going to be leaving me, and I leaving them, to go back to our regular lives all across the country and world. I may never see many of these people again, but at the very least it gives me an excuse to visit Texas, Kansas, Maine, South Jersey, Vermont, Peru, and a host of other places.

By the time you read this, it will already be November, which means I have less than two months left here. Every day seems to be moving a bit faster and I constantly feel like time is running out. If you come to DC, you will know what I am talking about when you get to this point.

I have really come to love this city. I have expressed that before, but it is the kind of love and comfort that comes when you are so used to something that you don’t feel like you are away from home, rather you feel adjusted and don’t think about where you came from twice in the same day. It really comes down to how much your internship, class, and home life absorbs your time, which is more than substantial.

How hard will it be to go back to student life? I don’t know the answer, but I think going back to a less than forty hour work week will be fine by me. However, I do find myself a little lost at home when I am not doing something productive, so I started playing Sudoku, which supposedly helps activate your pre-frontal cortex. I guess that it a good thing?

A great part about interning in DC, and especially at the Woodrow Wilson Center, is that you will constantly be learning about a broad range of things. On any given day I could go to an event on the economy, move on to globalization and then finish up with a bitter slice of Russia/Georgia conflict. If you are worried about losing out on your education by only taking one class, then definitely look for a position at a research institute. You will learn a lot, and most likely meet tons of members of Congress and professionals from around the world. I work with a bunch of them.

Where does this leave my future and personal growth? I am going to leave this place with experience that will only benefit me for the rest of my life. You’d be surprised at how much hands-on knowledge you can attain in a few months time. It has opened up paths and doorways that had not existed beforehand. Ultimately, it has set me on track for a more positive and fulfilling future, and this is only half-way!

As I prepare for my next great adventure, Russia, I will take all my new experiences and friends with me in my email address book and try to stay as good of a friend as I can. After all, I will probably be working with most of these people again in ten years time if I am lucky!

I hope this has given some food for thought, and until next time…

-Timmy V

Sometimes Things Happen and You Just Know

This week I got to see George Washington University and sit in on a criminal justice law class. The topics that day were intoxication and insanity. It was not what I expected after I had left, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the class and the overall feeling of the discussion. That’s when It hit me. I want to be a lawyer. I am going to be a lawyer. Maybe I won’t go to GWU, but at the very least, I know the track that I want to be on. That is pretty extraordinary if you think about it. How many people say they want to be a lawyer and you wonder if they really are going to end up being one? I’d wager that happens to you every time you talk to someone under the age of 20.

What does that mean for the future? LSAT classes, applying to schools, and then three more years of education at $40,000 a year is what it means for the future. But, just like undergrad, if you work hard you are guaranteed to go places and be successful. Someone told me that law school changes how you think, read, and write, which is also unique to the profession. Also, or so they said on the tour, specialization is really a personal choice, but you can take any classes you are interested in. That might be a GWU thing, but it makes it useful when you get out of law school and you start job hunting. Oh, and the average starting salary out of law school is over $100,000. That is just an added bonus.

TWC provided all the information for the law tours, is giving two free LSAT classes, and just really helped me out here. I couldn’t do all this in Boston. Going on tours is a big part of applying to colleges, and I don’t know if I would have come here just to visit GWU if I were back at home up north. Just make sure you check your email everyday so that you don’t miss out on these opportunities. Also, don’t just read them, respond quickly. The only reason I was one out of the 8 who got to sit in on the class was because I responded right when I got it. I cannot stress that enough. Answer all your emails and phone calls!!

The other big thing this week was my first trek into Israeli Palestinian politics for my civic engagement group. My group had to focus on Jerusalem and the three different viewpoints (Israeli, American, and Palestinian). GMail is crucial when you have to email a bunch of people to get things together. GMail is just cool in general so you should just get an account.

Anyway, getting people together to write a paper is not easy. It takes a lot of effort, especially because everyone is really busy down here, but it is worth it if you study up on the issue. The group, overall, is working towards a two-state solution and, as previously stated, we will all be lobbying our state senators and congress people.

Well, to keep it short and sweet, I will leave all of my avid readers here until next time. Enjoy the week…

-Timmy V

Going on Holiday

Last holiday weekend, a few friends and myself rented a car and drive down past Richmond, Virginia for a weekend at the lake. My friend’s boss was nice enough to invite us down, and I got to swim in the middle of October which was a first for me. Joel, my roommate from Texas, refused to go in the water a second time, and it was real cloudy out, so you can imagine how cold the water was. It was nice to be out of the city and in the country, and not to mention, in a car. Also, they owned this really cool dog, which is a mix between and Australian shepherd and a Labrador, named Luke. It was jumping right off the boat half the time.

As Monday was a national holiday, I didn’t have work! The Woodrow Wilson Center is a government institution, so we get all the national holidays off. No Monday programming was required either; instead of getting some work done, I slept in and relaxed all day. I paid for that later on when work quickly piled up at work with research and events on the current status of the United States Electrical grid and on the Foreign Service. The Electrical Grid Keynote speaker was Former Governor Pataki of New York. For the Foreign Service event, I had to setup all the water glasses, and power points, and publications/handouts; basically I did all the internship work. The scholarly part was taking notes and then writing the summary for the event. They keep me busy at the center. I learned recently that the president of El Salvador will be here in November, which is pretty exciting.

On Monday, besides being lazy, I did go out and take some random pictures. Enjoy.

Capital from the GW Monument

WWII and Lincoln Memorials

The middle of the semester is really a stressful week for most interns. People are adjusting to the cold, we have a our program requirements, class requirements, work everyday, making food, cleaning, etc, etc…The list is quite extensive. Don’t think you will be just hanging out in the apartment all day if you are an intern here!

I Began work with the Israeli Palestinian Two State Solution civic engagement project, which will likely be an option when you are an intern as well. It is a great way to become involved with a worthy cause and to learn about a new subject. I highly recommend doing at least this type of volunteering, if not more. You can help people and strengthen your resume: a win, win situation.

At this point in the internship, I have really settled in to a nice rhythm and schedule. Everything just seems to go with the flow now. Some advice: get a good job over the summer that pays well! Cities are not cheap! I used to hate spending money, but I have found lately that you just get used to spending it all the time. It really isn’t a good habit to get into. The weather has finally cooled off, hopefully permanently. It is nice to see the leaves change colors and to have cold fresh air in the morning. I thought it was never going to cool off here. Until next time…

-Timmy V

The Week the Dow Jones Dropped Below 9000

This week at work, the primary focus, believe it or not, was on economic crises in the past thirty years. This job has been a real crash course in domestic and international finance, especially due to my inadequate knowledge of economics in general, but I am learning very quickly. I cannot tell if I enjoy reading the news everyday and seeing the government doing all that it can to keep the world afloat, or if I just want to hide my money under the mattress. This is the best time to start buying stocks, good stocks, which will bounce back though. I realize that I have gone from saying I have little economic knowledge to giving stock advice. I suggest looking at some Warren Buffet quotes if you really want some good advice for personal finance.

Last Monday, Congressman James Clyburn, came and presented at the Department of the Interior. As a very important member of Congress, and especially during such a turbulent time, it amazes me that he could fit time into his schedule to talk to a group of interns. You really have to be made of something else to be a politician, especially with big time politics in D.C. His speech was the usual uplifting nonpartisan message that most think that young people want to hear as we try to make our way in the world. While I wish it was a bit more emotional, he did pinpoint something that has bothered me for quite a while, which is how politicians react to questions. They do not answer them, rather they respond to them. Think about that for a minute. Do you ever feel that they adequately answer any question? Just watch any debate if you are wondering what I am talking about.

Over the weekend, I visited Theodore Roosevelt Island and Arlington National Cemetery. Both are great spots to see some really interesting stuff. When you are in a city for so long, you start to miss nature a little bit, or at least you want to breathe in some fresh air and not be surrounded by buildings. If you find yourself feeling like that when you are here, definitely go visit Theodore Roosevelt Island (off of Rosslyn Metro stop). It is an island, and I guess a national park? The monument in the middle is Theodore Roosevelt and worth the visit just for that. The Arlington Cemetery has a few cool things; take the time to walk around and see the Eternal Flame and the Changing of the Guard which happens every hour. Great views of D.C. too.

Over the weekend I also went to visit a Russian Orthodox cathedral, which was a lot smaller than I though it would be, but really, really, cool. The artwork and feel of the place was something else I tell you. Then I went to the Eastern Market which was full of people as usual, but it’s nice to go and get free samples of fresh produce and eat at the restaurants around there. Some restaurant suggestions are Bread and Chocolate, Cosi’s, and Corner Bakery.

Well, to avoid being too boring and long-winded, I will cut it off here.

Timmy V

A Breaking Point?

I privately predicted to myself that by the beginning of October, being away from home for so long might result in a bit of homesickness, but this is not the case. I am at home in the city, but it is more in terms of constantly having to make food and then clean it up. It is quite irritating. The other day I called my Mum and Nana and told them I loved them and that I appreciate everything they do that makes life run smoothly on an entirely different level. Don’t get me wrong, I help out around the house, but I have never been relied upon or expected to cook full course meals and then clean them up on a daily basis. What have I learned from all this? Appreciation, some patience, and some tips on living with roommates.

For food, which if you are really interested in this program, you will have three roommates and no meal plan, and you will definitely need a course of action. What my roommates and I do is called a common fund for food (my own scheme). Every Sunday we all take $20-$25 each, go to the market, and pool those funds towards all the groceries for that week. So you are looking at a budget ranging from $80-$100. Any extra money goes into the common fund to be used during the week or for next week. Now, this works perfectly, but you have to make sure that everyone eats in proportion to what they pay. My other prediction was that any fight roommates got into would be about food or cleanliness. So far, that is all we have fought about; or me being a jerk, but that’s beside the point. And this does not mean that you cannot buy things just for yourself. Also, just go ahead and buy the cleaning supplies. It gets smelly real fast if you don’t.

Our Common Fund Envelope

Now do not be scared, this is all good news. The solutions are there, but I had to go through trial and error so I could give you my pearls of wisdom. It essentially comes down to thinking about your roommates and the consequences of your actions, or in other words, being respectful. Also, take the time to sit down at the beginning and go over whatever documents your RA’s give you. I know they will sound really lame, but they help more than you know. Just wait until your first fight comes about if you don’t. Bad news bears.

In other news, the International Affairs program got to visit the Turkish Embassy this week, which was a hike, but well worth it. We were provided with free raspberry flavored water which was a shock to my central nervous system with my first sip. It was like expecting milk and drinking orange juice. Not cool, dude. The presenters knew what they were talking about and gave their views about Turkey and its rich history. The presenter had no problem talking about very controversial issues, and Turkey has its fair share, so it was well worth it to listen closely. Go to the events when you are here, not because it is a requirement, but because they really are good opportunities for you to learn and broaden your interests.

The city is buzzing with the upcoming Vice Presidential debate between Palin and Biden. Since this is my blog, I have no problem saying that Palin is most likely going to look like a fool. If you haven’t watched her real interviews and the SNL spoofs, I suggest you do. Good stuff. But we will see, because Biden doesn’t exactly have the best track record either when it comes to debates. As the election gets closer, it is finally hitting me that I can vote in my first presidential election, and it will be the nation’s capital.

Speaking of the Capitol, I got to go there this week to meet with my State Representative and sit down to ask direct questions. This is a part of the program that everyone not only gets to be involved with, but is required to do. As a state citizen of Massachusetts I can go in there anyway, but the chances of sitting down with a senator or state rep is slim to none. This is a great place to utilize those business cards, especially since you can talk to legislative assistants and the interns which will give FREE tours of the capitol. The capitol is massive and one of my favorite buildings/tours.

This is getting a bit long, so I am going to cut it off here, but please continue to read and please start commenting, especially in terms of questions of future interns or my bashing of Palin.

-Timmy V

Right in the Mix of Things…

This week I began to learn Russian using Rosetta Stone, started “All the King’s Men” by Robert Warren Penn, and threw up at work and had to go home, which I could have done without. I am studying abroad next semester in St. Petersburg if you are wondering why I am learning Russian. This Monday TWC had us attend our civic engagement workshops and our separate programs. Also, my class got to take a field trip to IFPRI, or the International Food Policy Research Institution. Interesting, and really informative. It is nice to know that all these places exist and are more than willing to hire young professionals like ourselves, or to let anyone utilize their documents and archives.

While the economic crisis is unfolding, my boss, who worked for the Clinton administration as a financial advisor, talks everyday about the economy and will randomly break out into different languages. I have heard him talk in at least ten so far. My coordinators and I are constantly asking him questions about banks, golden parachutes, and all this other stuff. The President of Afghanistan was also at the Woodrow Wilson Center for an hour long meeting. The Secret Service was everywhere. When do you get a chance to meet, or even see, a foreign president and important international figure?

At the On the Hill event, “Rethinking the Grid” Lester Brown, really famous, talked about the environment and essentially what our world needs to do to ensure that civilization itself survives the human footprint. Essentially, if by 2020 we do not curb our CO2 emissions, the effects of climate change will cost more to fix than it will to change our ways and our grid. Wind and solar power is where it’s at. I plan on devoting my life to environmental law, so I got really into this briefing. One figure states that the world would have to spend 12 trillion to fix the grid to utilize alternative energy. I asked Lester Brown after how much we would spend if we didn’t spend the 12 trillion. He essentially told me that it would be a whole lot more than 12 trillion and that’s if we even get the chance to do it. So while some are a bit gloomier about the climate, I try to be optimistic.

Before I go on an environmental tangent, I am going to stop myself and talk a bit more about the city. The weather is evening out and I am beginning to find the better restaurants. Also, I no longer have to look to see which train to get on, which means I am an honorary city guy now. People can ask me questions about the lines or stops and I can answer no problem. This city has some real strange people on the trains. Why is everyone so unhappy all the time when they are on the trains? Also, the escalefter’s on the weekends are beginning to bother me.

Some noteworthy places to visit are the Old Post Office Pavilion, which provides a good view (about 10 miles visibility) of the city, and Ben’s Chili Bowl. The post office is sweet and I am going to include some pictures in this blog just in case you don’t get a chance to go. If you do go, look at the Ronald Reagan Building, and you can see where I work from up on high. Ben’s Chili Bowl has really good food and is one of those places that you can only see or go to here, so it’s worth checking out.

Well everyone, until next time, here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

Timmy V

City Living

As I adapt to living in D.C., I'm finding out a few things. Do not wear flip flops when visiting the National Mall; my right foot still doesn’t feel the same. The weather in this place doesn’t know what it wants to be--southern or northern--and therefore it is hard to know if you need an umbrella or a pair of shorts. Always bring an umbrella just in case. Bring your business cards with you wherever you go. I have not been carrying them on my person and every time I want to give it to someone I regret not having them. They are a big part of networking. Another great part of this city is simply always having something to do, and like I have said before, it is mostly free. You would think the security would be insane here, but anyone really can just walk into the Capitol building, though a small security checkpoint and then just see where all the congress people are working.

When I first got here and saw my syllabus for the International Affairs Program, I really thought I would have absolutely no free time. I mean I don’t watch television anymore, but I prefer actually being out in the world watching and meeting professionals. I have plenty of free time and most of it is spent walking around museums, which is a very big shift from the college setting, in which the weekends consist of, well, the usual. My other concern was not learning as much, in an academic way, as I would have had at college. I couldn’t have been more wrong; I am learning just as much, if not more, from the various briefings and events that my coordinator (really just my boss though she refuses to recognize that) sends me to. Last Tuesday I got to go to an event on the Hill, which means at one of the buildings near the Capitol where members of Congress work, and I got to meet a congressman from Alabama. It was all about the education and school reform and how No Child Left Behind is failing, or so that was the debate.

Time is literally flying by. When you are busy all the time, you don’t even realize that you have been away from home for weeks. Now that I think about it, I haven’t been homesick once. Did anyone else know you could get a roundtrip bus ticket from New York City to D.C. for 35 dollars? My roommate's friend came down for the weekend like it was nothing.

Starting next week I will enter into my civic engagement service, which related to the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Essentially, it is meeting every Saturday to help, as an American citizen, with lobbying for the creation of two separate states. I will be going to the Hill and meeting with members of Congress who are experts on the issue. Also, TWC sets up meetings with your states representatives so I might be meeting Senators John Kerry and Ted Kennedy. I will most likely be bringing my business card for that event.

Well, until next week, keep reading and go buy some stocks while they are cheap and the market is down. Now’s the time to buy!

Timmy V

Here We Go

This week, being the first full work week at the internship, has finally setup a feeling of normalcy and routine. The big news for this blog is Sarah Palin and the hurricanes really messing up people’s lives (neither of which I am very happy about to be completely honest; if you saw her interview then you know why). Other things, more along the lines of my life, done this week include visiting the Pentagon Memorial, which was an interesting way to spend September 11th and one that I recommend seeing just for the mere fact that they designed really well. Actually, I enjoy this city so much I pretty much decided that I am coming back to live here for a year or to go to graduate school in the area. Interesting, eh?

If any of you get a chance, definitely go to the Federal Triangle food court in the Ronald Reagan Building. Best General Tso’s chicken you will ever eat. Making food for every meal has certainly not gotten any easier, especially now that the roommates get back at different times. But I digress, because I downloaded about 25 Christian power anthems and I listen to them everyday now. Understand that I am not really that religious, but they are pretty good songs if you give them a chance; tons of good imagery. Another sweet music program is Pandora, which is essentially a radio station that only plays music that you like.

Besides life in the city, the internship is going really well. The great part about my job is that I do research on things that I would not normally read about, so it forces me to learn about subjects like the Caucuses, United States and foreign education systems, wind as an alternative energy and the electrical power grid. I also get to visit the offices of the Capitol Building off of the Capitol South Metro stop. I never knew you could just walk into a congressperson’s office. Oh, and the beast of a printer in the office can pretty much launch someone into space.

During the week I got to attend an education seminar and helped with the Wilson Center on the Hill “Russia Georgia Conflict: What Happened and Future Implications for U.S. Foreign Policy.” Now I am writing the summary for the report which will be published by the Wilson Center for the other workers and those who attended the conference to see, which is never a bad thing, unless I really mess up.

On Wednesdays I am in the Population, Gender, and the Environment class, which keeps me awake and engaged for three hours, even after an eight-hour work day. This just goes to show how intelligent and good my professor is, as I am sure it is true with other classes.

Here are some pictures from my camera that you may or may not find interesting.

Heck Yeah Massachusetts

Abe

Korean War Memorial

We went to the house that Lincoln died in

Elephant's butt in the Natural History Museum

Dinosaur

Hope you are all enjoying yourself, and like I said feel free to facebook or email if you need anything, though I am not entirely sure what you would need from me.

Timmy V

My First Few Adventures

It is hard to write a blog without sounding really corny, so I am going to attempt to make this as painless as possible for all of you to read. I suppose talking a little bit about me first is in order. I am from Burlington, Massachusetts, which is about 25 minutes outside of Boston. I was born and raised in Massachusetts, but my accent isn’t too obnoxious (pak ya ca, maket, havad, etc…). I am a political science and international relations student at Stonehill College, which is also in Massachusetts. If you want to know why I am in D.C., I’ll send you my Learning Objective Statement (the first Washington Center assignment, which lays out your goals for the semester) as an attachment and you can glance over that. Feel free to facebook me if you want.

My internship at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars is really interesting. Essentially I do research for my boss, who is a freaking genius, and then he writes books and sets up conferences about United States education, energy policies, and anything that has to do with globalization. The Center has tons of programs so I get to sit in on different seminars and meetings. On the second day they had a huge presentation about the crisis in Somalia, and a few experts from around the world flew in just to talk for an hour and a half. Next week they already have one on the Russia-Georgia conflict. Everyone talks about politics all day and they are all pretty much concerned and wholeheartedly devoted to their jobs. Can’t give names for security reasons and such, but I’m sure it’s the same for many D.C. interns.

Any readers out there participating in the fall semester with me? How are you all enjoying the city? If you guys have been to Boston, you know that it isn’t easy to get around. I feel like I have lived here for months, simply because it is so easy to get around. It’s nice to be surrounded by people who have similar interests and to be in a city with such a massive amount of history and culture (even better that most of it is free as well). Every street is a different picture to upload to a new album. Here are some of my roommate’s greatest pictures to date; my mom bought me a plum camera for some reason, so I had to get a black one shipped to me, but it hasn’t come yet. Yes I realize how trivial and uninteresting that story was. Just a warning, he likes to take pictures of people taking pictures or just people themselves when they aren’t looking.

Lincoln Memorial from the WWII Memorial

On the Bridge going to the Jefferson Memorial

George Washington Monument while lying down

Some lady taking a picture of the White House

Feel free to comment on these mind-blowing works of art. My roommates are all from Texas and they are a bit strange. Especially the one who took these pictures. I couldn’t ask for better people to live with. Hey guys, sorry about that. Is everyone enjoying themselves here? Anyone want to live here again? Who is everyone voting for and why?

Until next time…

Timmy V