My Summer in DC
I can remember the call I received after applying to intern in DC for the second time. As a Freshman I knew it was a stretch, but I really hoped that year would be different. I was about to step in the shower when I received a call from a DC number. This was it, I thought. To make a long story short, it wasn’t the call I wanted it to be. As I sat in the shower for 45 minutes, I had great time to think about what had just happened. All I knew is that I would be back, I wanted to be in DC. In case you haven’t figured it out, I did spend my summer in DC. A real plot twist, I know.
The way Alicia Keys and Frank Sinatra sing about New York make it this mystical land that seems euphoric. In all honesty, I hated New York. But DC makes the feel the way I wanted to feel about NYC. It was the shining city upon the hill that I always wanted it to be. It was like being in love with a girl you met online and her being everything and more than you expected. I had been to DC twice before, but you never get to see a city until you live there.
Whilst I was there, the thought occurred that I wanted to go home - multiple times. It was hard for me to appreciate what the city was, and what it meant to me while I was still there. I remember sitting around talking to Beau, one of my buddies I met during my internship, and just wanting to be in Fayetteville, AR again. We both felt that way for a good period of time, mainly the product of physical, emotional, and financial exhaustion. The final week it started to hit me. As I would stand outside my apt on 9th street, I would sit and take in some of my final mornings in the nation’s capital. I remember one morning was a bit cooler than it had been, and the sky was dancing with precipitation. I could do nothing but sit and observe in awe of the city that had given, and taken, so much. After you live somewhere for three months, you get very attached. It all came full circle for me. The town I had wanted to leave so much 3 weeks earlier felt like the place I could spend the rest of my life. It started to feel like home. Even though I would choose a different place to live, I wanted to sit and marinate in that moment eternally.
I could hop in here and give some logistical clarification. I interned for two members of the Arkansas delegation: one Representative and one Senator. I had interned in the Rep’s district office, so I roughly knew what to expect. During my time, I would give tours of the capitol, answer constituent phone calls, sift through mail, do legislative research, and do general office work. We did have to do some of the refilling the coffee machine and the crappy work, but it was not bad at all. I would commute on the metro daily, which is such a luxury by the way. Being able to get across a large city in 20 minutes is very convenient and I can’t wait until Fayetteville installs one.
The thing I miss the most about DC is the people. I left some people I love behind in that city. I met some people I would come to love in that city. Some of the people in that town are blood sucking vampires who would kill your family just for a 5k raise. Others are some of the most wonderful and devoted people on this planet. It is not the easiest city to survive in, but it means something to live there. Everyone in DC is united by the fact they live in the fastest city in the world, where one piece of legislation can turn the entire town upside down. I miss hanging out with all of the female interns, but I really like who I was in the city. I felt like I belonged and had these wild aspirations. Nothing would make me happier than going on walks with some of my newest companions.
I also learned how to party this summer. I don’t drink, never have, and I might never. But, I am always down for a good time. From bar to bar, I was hopping and stopping. I would judge places based on their Cherry Sprites (shoutout Takoda in Navy Yard) and would actively dissuade the group from going to a place that did not offer my drink of choice. Drinking is the main pastime in the district and with no restaurant open past midnight, alcohol was the only midnight snack available at times. I had to learn, and learn quickly, how to keep myself entertained at these establishments. I also learned I like two kinds of bars - party bars and casual bars. I either want my eardrums to be blasted or it feel like a coffee shop that just so happens to have alcohol on hand. I can’t stand anywhere in the middle. I want to talk, or I want to party all night long to Justin Timberlake - no in-between.
I would also like to make the point that some members of Congress are good people. I walked away with much greater respect for some, and some I wouldn’t trust with my dog. You can tell a lot about a person based on how they treat those who are below them on the social ladder. As a member, if you don’t even speak to your interns or acknowledge their existence - what does that say about you? Some interns I know only saw their members once to take a photo to post on social media. Once. If in any other job, besides politics, you only saw your boss once - it would be a serious red flag.
We had a lobbyist come speak to us, and of course, it was a lobbyist. But they stated, “Sometimes perception is more important than reality.” And as much as I hate to admit it, they were right. The entire world runs on narratives. We do it in our daily lives. I might not be the best candidate for the job, but I am going to say the right things to appear as such. Just keep this in mind as you explore the world and see how many times you notice it.
I have really thought about the way I wanted to wrap up this post. I am glad I waited two months after coming home to write this because my answer is very different now. It was the best summer of my life. I was able to do so many things that are unimaginable in small-town Arkansas. I was able to see Hamilton live, go to a real musical festival, I was able to see the most famous politicians in the world in person. All of those experiences were great, but pale in comparison to the way DC made me feel. It was a place where everyone from across the country and world comes to make a difference. It may be youthful naivety or the sleep deprivation, but I love who I was in the district. It wasn’t euphoric or some divine calling, but it made me feel like I could be somebody. Like I mattered. In a city of 700,000 people - I felt like the one who could make it. I am very thankful for everyone who made this summer what it was. It truly was the best summer of my life, and I can’t wait to return. Thank you, DC, for everything and everyone you have given me. A piece of my heart will always be in Eastern Market.