Life in Washington DC
We’re taking a break from the England posts for a DC update. I’ve been living here about two months now, and I think somewhat to my own surprise, I’ve been enjoying it immensely. This is largely due to the people I’m with every day (virtual hug to my fellow interns!), but even so, I’ve felt many positive effects of doing something completely new and different after living in the same state for the majority of my life. So, here are a few things that I figured most of you might be interested in reading about or would like to be updated on.
Reminder on What I’m Doing
I’m currently interning with the Family Research Council and am specifically assigned to the media department. What this entails looks different from day to day. So far, I’ve helped check in news crews (yes, like TV reporters!) for a big event we put on, researched statistics, transcribed audio material, and more. The variety has definitely been a good thing for me! But as I briefly mentioned, the best part has been the people I’m with. We all work together and many of us live together, so how fortunate that we all seem to like each other fairly well :) We are all very different and come from many backgrounds and experiences, and it’s been so beneficial for me to have each of them in my life right now. I’ve learned lots from all of them thus far and am very thankful. My new church has also been a Godsend, which is a huge relief. I’ve been reminded how nerve-wracking it is for me to walk into a church where I may not know a soul, so it’s been refreshing to be in a gospel-centered place with kind and welcoming people.
The group! Still were getting used to each other at this point...
And now sometimes we just so happen to match
What I Love About DC
The History
It’s well-known that as the nation’s capital, DC is chock-full of history, and that’s been this history nerd’s dream. There’s something pretty refreshing to me about walking the monuments and reflecting on so many significant milestones in our history. Times are scary right now, but God’s faithfulness is evident when I think about all we’ve come through so far.
The People
The variety of people in this city is fascinating. This is one area where DC contrasts quite starkly with my hometown of Birmingham. DC is a pretty transient city – people move in and out all the time, so the population is constantly shifting and the current residents have likely not been here more than a few years at most. Birmingham residents are often originally from there, grew up there, and will live there for the rest of their lives. Though I love Birmingham’s relaxed pace and family-friendly atmosphere, it’s been exciting to interact with such a diverse crowd in the two months I’ve been here. Among the other interns, there are two from the DC area, one from Florida, one from Chicago, one from Ohio, and one from Philadelphia. I’ve met people from California to Texas and everywhere in between. I’ve even had the chance to have a nice chat with a newspaper reporter from Norway. Talk about cool.
Fall
Y’all. Fall is a REAL THING here. Not like four or so days of below-80-degree-weather and briefly red leaves before they turn ugly brown. Oh, no. DC SHOWS UP for fall. It’s a legit AUTUMN and I cannot get over it. It’s been in the sixties for the past two weeks, the trees are brilliant oranges and reds and yellows, and the leaves are falling in glorious, crunchy little piles. Can it stay?
Walks
My calves should be in killer shape by now, just saying. Walking and public transportation are the more popular modes of transport than cars, and I’ve honestly enjoyed it. I walk to and from work, walk to church, walk to the convenient store, walk to the cute local bookshop, and walk just about everywhere else. It’s definitely been different, but I’m glad for the exercise and have really savored the many opportunities to breathe the fresh air and listen to a good podcast or audiobook.
What I Don’t Love About DC
Parking
Translation: there is none. Anywhere. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating. But it’s a real pain to try to park anywhere in the city, as a friend and I discovered recently. The signs with the rules can be highly confusing, plus, traffic is terrifying. Newcomers and tourists, beware.
Grocery shopping
That said, the times that I really wish I did have a car here are the times that I go to the grocery store. A ten-minute walk to the store isn’t that far, but it certainly feels a LOT farther when you’re walking back and feel like your arms are being pulled from their sockets by the heavy bags. I’m still getting the hang of figuring out when to get what so I don’t have to buy the heavy stuff all at once. It’s tricky, but I’m working on it.
The Metro
As vital as the metro is to this city, I admit that I’m not a huge fan of it. The utter crush of humanity on it at certain hours of the day can be a little frightening, and I’d generally just prefer to be above ground where there’s breeze, air conditioning, personal space, and sunlight.
The Scarcity of Chick-fil-A
Sigh. I write this having not eaten Chick-fil-A in two months and it’s breaking my heart. They are here, but they’re all too far away from my normal routes to make stopping in regularly possible. Chipotle may be on every other street, but that hardly makes up for the lack of the hallowed fast food called Chick-fil-A. I’m scheming on how to get it soon though, and I already know where my first stop will be when I go home for Christmas.
That’s all for now! If you have any must-sees from DC that I should hit soon, please let me know! Much love to Birmingham from up here :)
4 comments
Awww I'm glad you're my fellow intern and my roomie. You've been an inspiration to me to dig deep into Gods word and find my delight in Him. You have been kind and spoken such words of encouragement. Love ya.
ReplyDeleteI love reading about how you're learning to adapt to life there. It's always so tricky adjusting to a new place. How long does your internship last? And so glad you're enjoying autumn! P.S. I so relate to walking to the store but not being used to being careful about what you bring back because you have to carry it all. It's hard for us car-driving people to figure out. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading, Lynn! It really has been so nice to have a real autumn :) And my internship lasts till December but I'm interested in staying longer if an opportunity arises! :)
DeleteYay for new life adventures! I feel like we're kind of experiencing the same thing, just in different states :). I can't get over fall here either. It's insanely beautiful every where I look! Looking forward to see more of your adventures :)
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