A huge WAIP thank you

As I walked to work this morning, two women stopped me and asked me directions to a hotel. I said, "That's on 2nd Street NW, right? Just ahead that way and turn right". They thanked me and went on their way. I watched the women walk towards their destination, and in that moment that I realized how familiar and comfortable I have become in Washington over the past 10 weeks. It's funny how quickly you can become accustomed to a new way of life in a new, exciting city. I have my routine; I know my schedule; I understand how to get around.

I continued my walk to work, passing the Capitol, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress...and I asked myself how many times I took that walk for granted. When I first arrived in Washington in March, I swore up and down that I would never grow tired, never stop appreciating the sites and sounds that surround me. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I followed through on that promise. As I felt my familiarity with the city grow over the quarter, so too did my complacency. How many times did I walk past a landmark and not pay attention to it? How many museums, tours, sites did I not visit? Had I truly spent my time wisely here? Although we have done a lot of cool things this spring, I feel as if there is still so much left to do in Washington - which is one of the many reasons I have come to adore this place. There is never a shortage of things to do, see, experience.

The Washington Academic Internship Program has been extraordinary, and I would recommend the program to anyone at Ohio State. I am so grateful to everyone involved -- the John Glenn school, Chris Adams, Dr. Kolson, Mike McCandlish, the Federal Reserve (my internship), and so many others that make WAIP possible. These past ten weeks have taught me so much about so much, and I head back to Ohio knowing more about the world, the nation, the city, and myself. I certainly have mixed feelings about leaving. While I am excited to see my friends on campus and my family back home, at the same time I am utterly saddened that I will no longer be living in DC. If I could offer one piece of advice to future fellows, it's this: do not let the time go by. While it will help that subsequent classes will have 15 weeks as opposed to 10 (yay semester conversion!), I think temptation will still exist to lose the sense of curiosity that fills us all when we first come to DC. Don't lose that interest in the city, and take advantage of every opportunity to experience our nation's capital. It makes the WAIP program that much more rewarding!