Birthday Wishes and Home Sickness

Phew! This was quite a week. And I must say that it feels a little different to be 21. This does not mean I am a different person than I was before this week, but rather I have more responsibilities and I have the ability to experience more. To my surprise, it was not difficult to transition from a week in Miami to D.C.

My week (or must I say the week of all TWC students) began with our civic engagement workshops. The civic engagement is one of the things I was looking forward to. These workshops allow students to get involved with a cause or issue that interests them. I chose to engage in the Obama campaign. The workshop gained a huge turnout, which confirms my belief that Obama is popular amongst young voters. The wonderful selection of speakers consist of Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA), Betsey, a representative for the Obama campaign group in Arlington, and Erika, an MTV representative covering the campaign. After the workshop I was thrilled to campaign in Virginia, which remains a swing state.

I made an effort to keep in touch with all of the people I met at the conference. It is one thing to take a business card and another to actually make use of it. Since I took a hefty amount of pictures I made sure to send people pictures, because who would not like to have memories of an event.

On September 24, I celebrated the birthday that many people look forward to, my 21st. It was different having a birthday away from close friends and family in California. The days surrounding my birthday only made me a bit homesick. My roommates noticed and planned a little surprise party, and although I did ruin the surprise by being home earlier than expected, I was still surprised! With some new friends and a beautiful cake I was very happy.

Me and my birthday cake!

Sunflowers that were given to me reminded me of California

Since the Metro closes at 12am on a Wednesday it was not the greatest idea to go out that night, especially since I start work at 9am the next day. Therefore on Friday, some friends and I decided to go to Kramers, at Dupont Circle, for dinner. This place was not only a restaurant, it was a bookstore, a bar and on some days had live music. The food was amazing and it was nice to have conversations and laughs throughout the dinner tables. Although it was pouring rain outside, some of us decided to go dancing. We ended up going to Andalu, a lounge/club in Dupont Circle. The night was complete after a long night of great food, pictures, music and dancing!

Group picture before heading out to Kramers

Me and my roommate at Kramers

Me and some friends at the dinner table

50 pictures later :)

Looking forward to the semester

It has only been a few weeks and I feel like I am getting used to the fast paced life of DC. Try walking slowly one morning and you will observe the swift walking, almost running motion of those around you. This is especially true during the morning commute. A typical morning commute consists of grabbing a free newspaper, running down the escalator to catch the metro, finding a position to keep balance (since you almost never get a seat), feeling obligated not to speak, and when you reach your stop being surrounded by others rushing past you and running to enter the metro. This is definitely a different experience in comparison to the laid back California.

I am having a great experience with The Washington Center programming so far. I am currently in the Intercultural Communication course and am looking forward to a semester with our professor’s teaching style. The course emphasizes discussions, which I believe is more productive for such a small group. The class allows me to stay updated on current events, especially international and globalization issues. In addition to the course the most exciting part I was looking forward to was the internship!

Like many people I was mostly nervous before I started the internship. During orientation this was a popular subject to discuss. I was able to find three other students who were at the same internship placement as me. It feels more relaxing when you have someone to share your questions and concerns with.

I have been at my internship with the Foundation for Democracy in Africa for two weeks now and I am proud to say that I am enjoying my work and am looking forward to growing in the organization. When starting the internship I was surprised with the staff and intern ratio. Currently at FDA’s Washington office there are three main staff members and four interns. This is something I compared with other students in The Washington Center. My curiosity led to the conclusion that Washington, DC relies heavily on interns. Many smaller organizations, especially non-profits give great responsibility to interns. Knowing this was comforting because I really want to show ownership of my work and play an integral role in the organization.

Me and my fellow intern in front of Suite 305, The Foundation for Democracy in Africa

The Foundation for Democracy in Africa (FDA) has taken Washington Center interns before and is familiar with the schedule and requirements. In fact, all four of their interns this fall are from the Washington Center. It is really great to work with other Washington Center interns because we all share the same schedule and really learn from one another. The FDA focuses on creating programming to educate leaders, organizations and a general audience on issues effecting democracy in Africa, more specifically, HIV/AIDs, economy/trade, and orphan children.

Among other responsibilities, I have contributed to the planning of FDA’s 11th annual symposium AfrICANDO 2008, “Promoting the Use of Appropriate Technology for Rural Community Development in Africa.” The conference is from September 17-20, 2008 in Miami, FL. This past week was very busy in the office, due to last minute request and additions to the program. I am excited that all of the interns and I will be able to attend this event. This will be a great opportunity to network with different government officials, organizations and corporations. And of course go to MIAMI! This opportunity makes me feel that as interns, we are very important to the organization and they care about providing us with the full experience.

Stay tuned next week for full coverage on AfrICANDO 2008 in Miami, Florida.

Keeping an Open Mind

Isn’t it great when you go into something with an open mind and don’t know what to expect? Well I feel that way.

It has been about a week since I left San Francisco to embark on my first journey to the east coast. And yes, I am a California girl who has come a long way to experience what all the excitement of the capital is about. I feel like it was just yesterday when I was trying to squeeze my life into two suitcases. Fifty pounds! Is that really possible for four month? After this week, I feel that all that packing was well worth it.

Meeting my three amazing roommates was a great introduction to Washington, DC. It was like freshman year again, starting over, meeting new people and bonding. The first night was spent getting off on a random stop and walking around to find a restaurant. This was a nice introduction to the very adaptable Metro system, which will become my best friend over these next few months.

The Orientation was a great way to meet new people. Within the two days of the Orientation I was able to get to know other students from all over the world, from Puerto Rico all the way to Korea. It was great to talk to people and find out that I was not the only one excited, yet nervous about my internship.

In the International Affairs program, we were split in groups of ten and were sent out to do a scavenger hunt. After being caught in the rain for hours it became an opportunity to sit at the coffee shop and just bond with one another. Once the rain finally died down many of us were eager to see the White House. WELL AT LEAST I WAS! Honestly, I was a bit disappointed because it looked more exciting on television. No helicopters, president waving, fireworks…okay maybe not. But Hollywood can make ANYTHING look exciting.

The Orientation group at the White House

I know many people will agree with me that it was great to come into a three day weekend. This was the best time to get to know Washington, DC. I began by settling into my new home, which included grocery shopping, (this can become a strenuous workout when you over-shop). My roommates and I found it was more efficient to shop as a family. However, this resulted in carrying a fifty pound suitcase, shopping bags, and borrowing a cart. For future reference: Make a shopping list and stick to it.

M roommate helping with the groceries

After settling in, I went sight-seeing and got to check out some of the night life in Washington, DC. Dupont Circle has a great night life, mostly for those that are 21 and over. It is a great place to go dancing and has a diverse crowd. I spent my Sunday at Georgetown. It was like a mini downtown, there were many shops and restaurants. Georgetown is a young atmosphere with many college students, due to its location. From Georgetown my friends and I were able to walk to see the Department of State Building, the Organization of American States and the George Washington Memorial. After walking around in a huge circle I finally found California among the Organization of States. All were very beautiful at night. I advise everyone to especially see the Washington Memorial at night.

I found California!

Waterfalls at the Organization of American States with the Washington monument in the background

Although I did not know what to expect I got a lot more than I bargained for. I am excited for what is to come and am eager to meet new people. Stay tuned for coverage on the beginning of my internship experience with the Foundation for Democracy in Africa.