A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two cities

As I stepped off of the airplane with my Mom, Dad, and Brother, I was immediately greeted with the sights and sounds of Regan International Airport.  The hustle and bustle of congressmen, businesswomen, and any other type of “worker bee” in a suit gave me my first impressions of Washington D.C.  At the time, I was 14 years old, and had no intentions of caring about what any of these people in suits did.  I was in Washington with my family to see the monuments, eat street hot dogs, and gaze at life-size replicas of dinosaurs.  Everyday, we would get up, pack the backpacks with water, maps, and metro cards and head off to the Foggy Bottom Metro Station, Fodor’s travel guide for Washington D.C. in hand.  Yes, we were the stereotypical tourists in Washington D.C.  I loved every second of it.  I loved seeing the monuments and the places where important events happened.  I loved seeing majestic buildings full of powerful people.  I loved the atmosphere of Washington D.C. 

            From my first time in Washington, I knew I loved the city, but never thought I would be working there one day.  After my first week comes to a close working on “The Hill,” I have come to realize that Washington is “A Tale of Two Cities.”  When I begin to think about it, Washington provides two very different experiences for two very different audiences.  These two experiences coincide beautifully, and it astonishes me everyday that the most powerful people in the country are walking amongst the tourists of the world on the same sidewalks.  The people that produce the laws for citizens of this country are eating in the same restaurants as the law-abiding citizens!  Now that I am one of the “worker bees” buzzing around the city in my power suit, I have come to realize that, although the business world and tourist world in Washington are quite separate from each other, they can intermingle as well.  I always catch myself walking outside of the United States Capitol, staring in amazement.  I cannot walk down the street without taking a picture of the setting sun behind the Washington Monument.  Even though I am working very hard, I still admire the two different types of city Washington is. 

             I am so excited to finally be interning in D.C.  It has been a dream of mine for a long time.  The other Fellows here with me are some of the most intriguing, kind, and passionate people I have met in my time at Ohio State.  They are full of life, energy, and friendship.  I already feel that we have a tight friendship, and I cannot wait to see what other adventures we have here in D.C.  Although it has only been a week, Washington D.C. is definitely a “Tale of Two Cities.”

---Drew Calabro