Sweating, Exploring, and Interning in DC

Channeling my love of traveling, I shushed my nerves, quieted my disgust for expensive cabs, and hung out at Starbucks until I could pick up my WISH keys. After getting settled into my apartment, I realized that the other interns would be starting their jobs, and I would still be in the application process. Roommate-less, I became a total recluse for most of the first week and watched season after season of Dexter. Best show ever.

After finalizing my internship, I still had a week before starting, so I got a jump on my exploring. A full year of not seeing my lovely best friend from Baltimore had gone by, so we reunited in Georgetown. Boy-oh-boy did I get a taste of DC’s swamp-like climate that day. We enjoyed a delicious Indian lunch, and then strolled the charming streets of Georgetown. Being a college town, it was refreshingly reminiscent of OSU. We climbed the “exorcist steps,” which were the actual steps that the priest fell down in The Exorcist. Fun fact.

The school is absolutely gorgeous; I’m definitely going to consider it for grad or law school. There are old buildings covered in ivy, fountains, flowers, and a creepy graveyard, which make for an interesting juxtaposition of past, present; living, and deceased.

After a week of relaxing and enjoying DC without worrying about work or school, it was back to reality when I had to start my job and write a paper. My organization, Citizens for Global Solutions, is an amazing place. It’s ten dedicated staff members and six wide-eyed interns crammed into a tiny, teal townhouse. As I explained in my internship presentation, the office culture is truly one of a kind. Dress code is lax; we can wear jeans and a T-shirt if we so choose. We had a cookout within the first couple weeks of my internship, where we played volleyball and all levels of the staff hierarchy shared laughs over beer and hamburgers (vegetables on a bun, in my case).

The best office culture story, however, is when the Outreach Director, Anu, hosted the CEO and me in her office for a quick meeting. We walked in and she was blasting “All the Single Ladies” by Beyoncé. I assumed she would turn it down to have a formal conversation with the head of the organization, but Beyoncé sang her heart out while we discussed serious outreach strategies, CEO seemingly unfazed by the situation. Classic.

Stay tuned for more adventures, chaps!

Fries