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