Grab your tissue boxes people, this is going to be the last post from Washington DC - it might get a little sloppy. It is all coming to an end – the internship, the course work, the semester, the year and of course the DC experience. People always say corny things like: “it was so much more then I ever expected” or “I found myself” or “I am grateful for the experience and opportunity to meet the amazing people I now call my friends.” Well, turns out I am one of those corny people…bummer I know, I expected more too.
I was not prepared for this experience. I was nervous about where I was going to live, the people I was going to live with and the opportunities I was going have in the city and in my professional environment. I worried about missing people at school and the TCU football season. I worried about not having enough to do. I worried about changing. In addition to worrying about the WRONG things, I am obviously a worrywart, so annoying.
Well, I live (have lived) in a rough part of town, not the roughest, but definitely on the edge. It has made me a lot more aware of my surroundings and thankful for everything my family has – it also motivates me to strive for better. The people I have lived with have taught me a lot about myself and created quality friendships that I never thought would be possible in such a short period of time. I have fallen in love with DC, but I sometimes wonder if part of the reason I love it so much is because of my better half – she and I have done so much together and made the most of this experience in every way possible – DC will never be the same without her. At dinner one night, we talked about what we liked best about this experience and what we disliked the most – the choice was simple for both (however, I went first and my likes and dislikes seemed to pale in comparison…but I stand by mine) Best: my better half – meeting her, building a friendship and experiencing DC together (the good, the bad and the ugly). It will be difficult to leave (like it was difficult separating for Thanksgiving…we are girls ok? Back off!) but thankfully we are both returning to TCU in the spring so it is just good-bye for now. The bad: the gosh-darn Metro. It seems silly, but I look forward to the day when my time table is no longer ruled by a train that constantly remind me to "Step back, the doors are closing."
I have had MANY opportunities in the city – historical, cultural, political, personal – I never should have worried about that. I rarely sleep (slept) because there is SO much to do and part of the anxiety surrounding the end of this experience is whether we will be able to get everything in before we leave. If not, I guess we will just have to come back! I have missed people at school and the football games at the stadium (RIP) but I have stayed in contact with those people who mean the most and we have bled purple every Saturday from DC as if we were in Fort Worth Texas.
I NEVER should have worried about the opportunities I would have at work – I have become a stronger writer, strategist, communicator and professional. I have been able to develop skills and hone talents. I have worked with several clients, projects and strategies. As I have mentioned before, the Eldercare Workforce Alliance is one of our clients I have had the opportunity to work with and I have enjoyed the entire experience with them. Ok…that's a lie. I had to transcribe fifteen 5+ minute interviews and it got to the point where I was telling the person sitting next to me on the airplane ride back from Thanksgiving what I was doing and who I was doing it for (needless to say, the gentleman wasn’t thinking about the quality of care he would be receiving in 50 years…but he was now – just to clarify, he was probably 10…and he is most likely having nightmares now. But you know what, it is an important issue – the crisis is NOW!) I also have the opportunity to help create an introductory video (using the content I transcribed) for EWA – which is something I didn’t think about needing experience in, but I am up for the challenge and look forward to telling their story.
I have learned how to write a press release, how to pitch to the media, how to run social media ads, how to research clients and information. I have learned how to juggle several different projects and agendas, I have learned how to put together a video (from beginning to end) – all of which will put me far ahead of my peers in the spring when I am looking for a job (ahhhh…I am looking for a job…deep breaths – just keep breathing – song reference? Ehh? Anyone?)
The professional experience hasn’t always been rainbows and butterflies – I have messed up, I have been stressed, I have made mistakes, but learning how to move from those is a skill I wasn’t looking to develop but one I got as a bonus. Working for Tricom has reaffirmed my commitment to public relations and has really got me excited for my career (but I’m not ready to talk about graduation yet, so I am excited in theory at the moment).
I also shouldn’t have worried about changing – of course I was going to change. As some one who hates change and deals with it poorly, I think it's great that I know I am not the same person who arrived in DC three and half months ago. I have grown. I have loved. I have learned about myself as a person but also as a professional. I have become stronger and more confident. And my long term plans have expanded – since being in DC and working on issues relating to politics, I have started to entertain the thought of working on the Hill, which I would have to do NOW while I have the freedom and stamina to do so.
Basically, this experience is in need of several more corny sayings to describe it: “I fell in love”, “I am thankful for this opportunity in ways that I am only just beginning to realize”, “I know that this was the best decision for me and it will be a story to tell the grandkids” and “I will miss the streets, the people, the history, the buildings, the food, the wine, the metro – NO, I WILL NOT MISS THE METRO! – but I will miss everything that made DC such an amazing place to live and work” – I came to DC as a trial run. I hate change and with possibly the biggest change occurring at the end of next semester – I though why not do a trial run…well this was far more successful then I ever could have imagined and maybe I am more prepared then I knew. If you are waiting for the portion of the post where I talk about all the rough times and how difficult everything was, you are going to be disappointed. No matter what happened (bad, worse or awful), I will never let it overshadow what I got – confidence, friends, family, experience, love and education. Kali 4.0 is here people – look out!
