Week Two: About Setbacks and Success

Success! Today I found Starbucks. Now, I don’t even really drink coffee, and this apartment complex provides a variety of flavors of coffee every morning, however this event is still fairly significant for me. Today was the first time I took off all on my own to do some exploring. I found a variety of cute shopping stores and interesting exotic places to eat. I must admit I was a little intimidated but now I feel relieved. I was able to conquer it with a ridiculous limp as well… this weekend I broke my foot on an escalator in the Metro! I broke three metatarsals in my right foot. OUCH! If I can hobble around the city and get around with ease then there is nothing for anyone else to worry about.

Wow is it hot! Today it was 96 degrees with ridiculous humidity. My internship advisor Wendie emailed me the uniform schedule about a month before I came down here. She wrote that it was going to be hot and humid down here. I never conjured up this type of uncomfortable weather! To add to the heat I am shuffling around in this cast/walking boot. As I began to walk around today with my injury I noticed something pretty profound… The people in Washington DC and Arlington are extremely nice and accommodating. If you are coming from a small town and are worried about the hustle and bustle of a city, or fear that fast paced urban atmosphere, there is one important thing to remember- most of the people here are also from small towns. This is a huge melting pot of characters. It is different from New York City where I have spent much of my time. The people there seem to be a tad bit jaded [no offense New Yorkers]. That’s something I have not encountered in Washington DC.

My internship is going very well. Despite my initial doubts about the placement process they nailed my interests precisely. If you are interested in global affairs and relations with the Middle East I would highly recommend you apply for this particular internship. Sometimes I feel as though I should be paying them to work there. I am able to sit in on discussions between experts regarding topics that I have only read about in class. It is an absolute pleasure. This week for work we had a reception at the Willard; an extremely historic and picturesque place. It is known for many things among Lincoln’s ten day stay and features the Thomas Jefferson Suite which is 2200 square feet! We also have plans to visit the Pentagon, go on a tour of Washington DC, and visit Capitol Hill. With an internship like this who needs to plan tourist trips? Hopefully my leg will improve and I will be able to make it for the excursions.

I had planned on posting photos from a variety of sites that I had visited this weekend but with the accident the only pictures I would have been able to take would have been at the hospital and me sleeping in my bed. Personally I did not think those would be as interesting. So I will cross my fingers for this weekend, otherwise you’re getting the sleeping photos. haha