Tag Archives: Capitol Hill

Kick Back, Eat a Spongepop

Last week marked my halfway point with the CAPS program and Lutheran Services in America (LSA). My first month in DC has been, quite simply, a whirlwind. From jazz nights to weekend markets, from baseball games on warm nights to shady lunches by the Capitol, my time here has been moving at an uneven pace, creeping along at some moments but mostly leaping forward in bounds. It’s been exhausting and wonderful. But it wasn’t until this last weekend, when I spent some time away from DC, that I understood what has been making my summer here so special.

I spent my holiday weekend in Houston (a city where the Fourth isn’t so much unique and glamorous as it is a slightly bigger show of Texas’ daily patriotism), and as I told my boyfriend story after story about LSA and DC, I realized a truth that applies to most great experiences: the people I’ve come to know here are what have made my summer so meaningful.

And so, reflecting on my first month in DC, I thought I would talk about a few of those people who have so positively impacted my time here.

 

Izzat

One of the first things you realize as a recent college graduate in DC is that good food costs good money. Heck, even bad food is expensive. Goodbye, reasonable Midwestern prices.

Nura and I with delish Popsicles from Izzat's cart.

Nura and I with delish Spongepops from Izzat’s cart.

So when the man who owns the hot dog cart outside your work sells good food for $4 and then gives it to you half off, you know you’ve made a friend. More important than cheap food though, Izzat has extended to Nura and me unbelievable kindness and friendship. He talks to us about his family, gives us free ice cream after someone (Nura) drops hers 2 minutes after buying it, and teaches us words in Arabic, his native language. In a city where everything is fast paced and everyone is tuning the world out with earbuds, people like Izzat who take the time to have real conversations are immense blessings.

 

My Bosses

At first, I was intimidated by the fact I’d be doing work for four different staff members in two departments. I could easily picture becoming inundated with work, trying to please everyone but not knowing how to prioritize my assignments.

Me with violets Tania got me. They're dead now. RIP Myrtle

Me with violets Tania got me. They’re dead now. RIP Myrtle

But while prioritizing work has been a challenge at times due to my own inexperience with working under multiple supervisors, everyone has been incredibly helpful and communicative. They understand when I’m struggling or have questions. They encourage me when I’m insecure about my performance and give me solid advice for future work. They are what every intern hopes her supervisors will be like, though most rarely have the time or interest in being so present and supportive. So, thank you Natalie, Tania, Liliana, and Caleb. You’ve helped me grow professionally (and physically, thanks to Natalie’s Alpine chocolate).

 

Bill Clinton

Okay, I had to include him. You would do the same thing if he ambled into the Eastern Market while you were picking peaches (all right, Nura was picking peaches. I was sitting on a curb waiting for Nura to be done picking peaches).

The most overshared photo I've ever been a part of.

The most overshared photo I’ve ever been a part of.

It was a pleasure, Mr. President.

 

Katie & Kathryn

These two make up an integral part of my core friend group in DC. Though they’re both CAPS fellows (check out Kathryn’s blog), I hadn’t met them until this summer. And after a month with Kathryn and Katie, I don’t know how I got through 4 years at Valpo without knowing them.

They have taken me on all my favorite adventures here, including nighttime monument walks, cheese and wine parties in the backyards of bookstores, and a midday meet-up with our good friend Mr. Clinton.

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Kathryn and I watching the Cubs beat the Nats.

Aside from being my fellow adventurers, they have been amazing friends. Kathryn keeps me grounded when I get dramatic about things like late trains and bad weather. Katie gets me out of bed when I want to spend the day watching Mad Men. Both are amazing cooks (also contributing to my physical growth). I’m constantly thankful for these two and their friendships that I know will last long past August.

 

Nura

The star of many of my stories, Nura is my roommate, fellow LSA intern, and Valpo student body president (shameless brag). Before coming to DC, I would tell people at Valpo about my internship, and when I would mention that Nura was my roommate, there was always a resounding, “She is so cool.” And over the past month, I’ve come to realize what an understatement that is.

As I’ve gotten to know Nura (check out her blog too), I’ve been waiting for some dip in her character, some flaw that would make her a little more human. And besides being clumsy with food, I’ve found nothing. She has a beautiful heart, a sharp mind, an ambitious and humble spirit, and a true compassion for others. She’s also hilarious, an avid 2000s R&B fan, and political nut (seriously, she’s like a walking Facebook for the Who’s Who of Capitol Hill).

Thank you, Nura, for being the quintessential example of how bad experiences can be made funny and how good experiences can be made phenomenal when you’re with the right people.

Katie, Nura, and I looking fly.

Katie, Nura, and I looking fly.

I can’t wait for what the second half of the summer holds.

The “Firsts” of Many

This week marks one month living and interning in our nation’s capitol. Each day begins with me walking wide-eyed up Capitol Hill as government buildings and monuments peep through the trees on my daily commute. I’m so grateful to be participating in such a fellowship where I live and work in intentional community.

CAPS Fellows Kathryn Fogleman

CAPS Fellows Kathryn Fogleman and Katie Wilson

Being the first of my suite-mates to arrive in the city set in-motion a series of ‘firsts’; my first train ride, first wrong stop on the way home (not all Metro lines are created equal), first to realize our door can lock on its own (it’s not a loss if you learn?) and my first fire alarm scare (if it’s not right when you’re ready for bed, did it really happen?).

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Running into Former President Bill Clinton at the Eastern Market while picking peaches (!!)

With those kind of experiences also came the first time I saw the view from our terrace at dusk, my first Metro card and ride paid for by a generous stranger, and being greeted by the kind man passing out newspapers each morning. It has not been overwhelming as much as it has been full. Full of small successes like locating the trash chute on our floor opposed to walking downstairs (we’re on the 10th floor), stunning views (the Lincoln Memorial has to be seen at night), and surprises like no other (there are some very important people walking around DC).

 

Amidst this grand adventure of living and interning in a new city where I want to share with others the excitement that I’m feeling and document the moments I’m witnessing; our nation is also experiencing moments that require pause. In the past few weeks, my roommates and I could not help but stop while in the thick of our plans to discuss the news updates we’ve received of some of the worst accidents and acts of violence we’ve seen in recent history. Waking up to CNN News updates our iPhones, we’ve started our days receiving first word of events that rock us to our core. There are far too many incidents hitting us at once to brush them off as a loss like any other. This particular series of misfortune is turning into a season of grief that doesn’t allow time for healing before it strikes again. I’m glad to have my suite-mates to talk with and process these events together as we feel strongly about them. It is only natural to feel emotions of anger, horror, disgust; those feelings are warranted. However, I cannot help but feel that they are not an end in themselves; that we are not moved to merely feel, but moved to do. Our response to such news should be more than just reactions, they need to be actions.

Once such incidents have gotten our attention and we’ve been provoked by the devastating actions of others, we too must seek attention to shine light on the good that is being done around us.

If we stand for love, or justice, or hope, we should be as diligent as those opposed in seeking to represent these values in the world.

What I’ve experienced interning at LSA this past month has been a glimpse of such values in action. Lutheran Services

Visiting LSA member, Lutheran Social Services in Falls Church, Virginia for a day of service organized by former CAPS Fellow, Caleb Rollins

Visiting LSA member, Lutheran Social Services in Falls Church, Virginia for a day of service organized by former CAPS Fellow, Caleb Rollins

in America is an inspiring place to work because it is made up of people whose actions directly support those doing good work throughout the United States. As the Member Engagement and Advocacy Intern, I am learning how LSA seeks to best serve their members, and by extension, those most vulnerable in their communities. With over 300 organizations throughout the country, their presence as health and human service providers is wide-spread and far-reaching. Through advocacy, LSA takes stances on issues that matter to those they affect to promote and propel a voice for good in a place like DC where big decisions are being made. The people here truly care about the well being of others and nothing proves this more than their actions day in and out to create the change they wish to see in the lives of those they serve. Now that’s newsworthy.

 

There are many things in this world that we have no control over. What we can control are the actions we take and the impact they make. This first month has been a reminder to me that I should not hesitate to do good wherever I go. Good does not just have to be reactionary or in response to harm- it can also be proactive and purposeful. As I begin my second month with this wonderful community at LSA and in this city of opportunity, I will not forget to add among my plans to do good.