“I love it here” is a thought I have probably eight times a day living in Washington, DC.  I think it as I run down the escalator hoping to jump on the Metro in time.  I think it as I walk past the Supreme Court and head to Capitol Hill for work.  I think it as I pick up a squealing four year in Wellington Park, Anacostia and as I see familiar faces run over to hug me as I open up the Community Resource Center (CRC).  I think it as I laugh with my co-workers over lunch and they share every post-graduate tip and mistake they have or made.  I think it as I link arms with my roommates, who weeks ago were strangers, as we head to dinner.  And I think it as I climb to the top of the Lincoln Memorial, my favorite, to sit and gaze out onto the National Mall and beyond.

(c) National Park Service

Welcome to Washington, DC my ultimate playground for the last two months.  Seven years ago, I made myself a promise to come work in Washington DC one day and I am eternally grateful that I was able to fulfill that dream this summer while working with Horton’s Kids.  This summer has been exciting, humbling, and most of all allowed me to continually explore my passion for youth policy and learn more about systemic urban poverty.  Time is relative here in DC, impossibly slow at some points but often hurtling away from you as you fill your day with hard work, fun, and good memories.  

Nationals Ball Park

My roommates and I have attempted to make use of every second we can in this city– despite the oppressive heat wave that recently took over.  We’ve explored museums, music festivals, local eateries in Chinatown, the Potomac River by kayak, and Georgetown rooftops by moonlight.  But most importantly, we have used this time to better discover our wants, our hopes for the future, our feelings on global and local issues, and our place in society.  Every Sunday we have something we call Family Dinner where we trade off weekly on who cooks the meal for everyone and then we gather around the table to share about our weeks, reflect, and just spend some quality time with one another.  Around the table is where the love is.  Family dinner is what grounds me before I gear up for another week.  Conversation around the table floats from swapping recipes for whatever was cooked that night to bigger issues such as the violence that has erupted in the last few weeks around the country.  Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, but the important thing is that is we are never alone in those moments, we are always with one another through it all.   We are vulnerable, we are real, we carry each other.

My Perfect Roommates <3

The other half of my life revolves around Horton’s Kids and the children of Wellington Park in Anacostia.  While I originally started my days in the office on Capitol Hill more frequently I’m spending my entire day in Anacostia at the CRC.  This means eight joyful, somewhat exhausting hours are spent with children aged 4-18 and members of the Wellington Park community.  Eight hours are spent where the friendship and love overflows.  Almost immediately I saw firsthand how much Horton’s Kids truly cares about the well being of the children of Wellington Park.  I see how much the love for the children is present in every action and word that comes from the staff I work alongside.  Love, compassion, and grace for these children and their families just pours out.  Whether we are assisting members of the community with diaper distribution or their resume for an upcoming job interview, there is mutual care that passes between individuals.  The typical individual’s’ initial thoughts on this Ward-8 housing project located across the Anacostia River is that it is poverty-stricken.  While this is true, if you take a closer look you realize that while the place lacks certain things, an abundance of love and care is present.  The love you give is always returned in a ten-fold from the hands and hearts of the individuals you’re serving.  

“I love it here” I say to five-year old Lania when she asks me if ‘Miss Katie’ will be staying for a long time.  This summer has been challenging so far, sometimes even heartbreaking, but at the same time it has been exactly what I was looking for.  In the challenges there has been changes, all of which I consider for the better.  The obligation, responsibility, and affection I feel toward the children and staff of Horton’s Kids as well as toward my roommates and the friends I have made here is strong.  It guides me through my day-to-day activities and has made my time here in Washington, DC so much fuller.  So to be completely honest, I’m not sure it’s “I love it here” as much as it’s “I love you all”.