The Final Blog

I had decided to do some reflecting over the adjustment period of returning to my “normal” life, so that I could really write an honest reflection of my time in DC. It took me many attempts to sit down and finish it, as every time I tried to, I just got more and more upset! Here goes nothing...

It was without a doubt the craziest, weirdest, strangest, most exciting time of my life. I had the opportunity to work with, live with, and become friends with people I would have never met otherwise. I can’t imagine what my life is going to be like without them.

For those who didn’t read from the beginning, I was an intern with the United States Marshals Service (USMS) and I miss it every single day! I worked in Human Resources (HR) and had the opportunity to see the “other side” of what happens in the federal government. I am grateful for interning in HR, as I would have never really had an understanding of the behind-the-scenes work. Administrative and HR work definitely isn’t taught in textbooks.

My class that I took was Essentials for Aspiring Leaders with Dr. Keaton. It was a great class to take because it was relatively small (just eight people,) but it was extremely interesting! I learned all about leadership theories, types of personalities, working across generations, and more. I was able to develop better study habits to bring back in the fall for my senior year. I managed to actively participate in class every single week, and was able to interact with other people who I might have never talked to in the first place.

I was able to develop and perfect leadership skills that I had not previously possessed. My class was a direct link into my development of said skills. I was able to to observe leaders in the news and compared their application of leadership to the factual knowledge that I was picking up from the classroom. I believe that I was successful in using the class to become a leader myself. I have developed more confidence as a result of the class in one semester, more than I have ever before in my life. I am certain that I will be able to take the leadership skills with me across other facets as I prepare to enter my last year of college.

I grew as an individual more in this semester than I have during any other experience so far in my life. I became far more assertive, productive, and positive seemingly overnight. By keeping myself motivated throughout the day, I was able to cut back on somewhat bad habits that I had, and this stemmed from my academic and leadership pursuits. Keeping positive throughout the day and being productive are two ways I was able to keep myself motivated to wake up every day and do work throughout the semester.

Originally I had planned to complete my civic engagement with the DC Veteran’s Medical Center. Unfortunately, I was not able to meet this goal due to the location of the facility and the hours concerned with it in addition to my work schedule. I don’t regret this happening, as everything does seemingly happen for a reason. I do feel very passionately about youth programs, and was able to volunteer at Metro TeenAIDS, which caters to DC teenagers in the city and provides them a safe place to hang out, activities, and free testing and contraceptives. I also assisted at the Carpenter’s Shelter, a shelter for in transition homeless families, by watching children while their parents were able to take parenting classes to work on their parenting skills.

I had the greatest time at my internship. I had the time of my life, as corny as that may seem. USMS was great to me. I worked with and learned from some of the most compassionate, funny, and smart people I have ever met. I am grateful that I was able to have such a fun semester. I end this blog with a few of my favorite pictures from the semester: me and my roommates, me in front of my favorite president at my favorite memorial, and the street sign near a particularly famous white house. My final bit of advice about this semester that I can offer is enjoy every single day, work as hard as possible, and meet as many people as time allows. You never know where life’s crazy journey is going to take you, especially down in DC, but rest assured, the ride is worth it.

Reflections

This is it. The end is here. I figured this would be a good opportunity for me to bestow part one of my words of wisdom upon any prospective or future TWC students. Part two will follow as my last post.

1. The Metro is your friend. Buy a Smartcard as quickly as possible. It is extremely convenient for when you go out and have to use the Metro. Read the maps. Don’t stand on the left side of the escalator - you will get plowed out of the way by an angry rider or two. Don’t take it personal. It’s just the way it is.

2. READ THE NEWSPAPER! The Express is handed out for free every single weekday morning. Read it and know it!! All current local, national, and international events are in there. All sorts of gossip, showtimes, and similar things are as well. You’ll be the only person who is out of the loop when your coworkers and friends are talking about the day’s hot topics.

3. Use Peapod.com for grocery delivery when you have to buy a ton of food. They bring it to you and sometimes you can use coupons. It’s a pain to try to carry a ton of food around, so having someone do all the work for you is a plus.

4. SIGHTSEE! Go check out all the free stuff! You never know what you’re gonna find. The Smithsonian Museums are all free, there are monuments, and oodles more to do. Go to random Metro stops and just wander around! Check out the following spots: Eastern Market (on Saturdays and Sundays), Gallery Place-Chinatown, King Street, Adams Morgan. These are just a few of the many places that are awesome down here

5. DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND YOUR PORTFOLIO. Repeat. Read that again. The portfolio is a sneaky little monster that will creep up on you your last weekend here while you are trying to do some last minute sight seeing and going out with your friends. Seriously work on everything early so it doesn’t ruin your fun later.

6. Have fun! Life is short and so is your internship experience. It’s what you make of it. If you spend your time just laying around and not sightseeing, then you are wasting precious moments! Go out and experience as much as you can. This is an area that is practically drenched in history.

For now.

EPIC!

So basically, my life has been made. Okay, okay. I’m kidding. But seriously, the greatest thing ever  happened this past weekend and I really just have to share all of my joy and dedicate this blog to it (well part of this blog that is).... I got to go to the set of America’s Most Wanted. Yes....America’s Most Wanted!

Unfortunately John Walsh was not there. We found out that his pieces for the show are taped during the week. The average cost of a profiled case costs about $250,000! Evidently, however, more calls come in for the cases that get the “15 Seconds of Shame,” which always show a picture of the wanted person, tells a little about the case, and gives some information that can be critical (i.e. identifying marks, weird habits, etc). We even were allowed to listen in on hotline telephone calls! It is amazing to hear the power of the media and listen to people who truly in their hearts believe that they saw a fugitive. The detectives whose cases were profiled were even in the studio with us, and after each of their cases aired, were walking around, listening to calls, and reading tip sheets as they were printed off.

Not to sound like a total nerd, but it was probably the coolest thing ever. Here’s some pictures of the set which is actually a lot smaller than it looks! Filming takes place in the basement of the National Museum of Crime and Punishment off the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro stop. We did a (literal) run through of the museum and it looked pretty neat. Check it out if you ever can! They have tons of information throughout the entire building. 

The end is almost here, can you believe it? I feel as though the semester should have been six months! There is so much more I want to see, and do, and experience, and it just seems pretty unfair that this chapter of my life is coming to a close. On the other hand, I do miss home and can’t wait to see my friends and family.

I have been working on finishing up my portfolio relatively early, which is pretty unlike me as I tend to wait until the last minute to finish assignments. Fellow TWC students, pay attention to these words! The portfolio is a BIG DEAL. My suggestion, and a word to the wise, would be start these things during your last month here! You’ll have a good idea of what you should and should not wait to complete. Pay particular attention to the development of your IDP Draft, as it is a pretty big deal. If you follow the syllabus, you should be fine. Just a piece of advice for now...

Until next time!

Approaching the End

Another precious week has flown by here in Washington. This week was especially AWESOME because my birthday was Wednesday! This week I got my midterm back for my class and I got an A, so I was pretty pleased about that. Wednesday we went out after work to Happy Hour and that was pretty much it. Thursday I had an event sponsored by TWC/Stockton Alumni and got to meet people who live down in the metro area who either are alumni of my college, or alumni of my college who also were Washington Center interns at one time. It was really nice to talk to people that are from my (general) area and went through the same (general) thing that I did. It definitely reinforces the idea that going through TWC is one of the best decisions I have made so far concerning my education and my future career choices..

Friday and Saturday I went out to a couple places. Friday we headed to King Street and Saturday we made the long and arduous journey to Adams Morgan. Check out both places!! They are crawling with restaurants, bars, clubs, shops, and the like. It’s probably swamped with people in the summer. Adams Morgan is pretty comparable to South Street in Philadelphia if you’re familiar with the area.

Today was the day of all days. I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into the draft of my final defense letter for my portfolio with TWC. The portfolio is basically the sum of my entire semester down here, with the final defense letter being my formal request for accreditation from my college. It’s a daunting task. It’s pretty scary. If it were a horror movie, I wouldn’t be able to sit through it. Fortunately for me, I was able to persevere and see it out. Hopefully it goes over well! (Hint, hint)

This upcoming week is going to be filled to the brim with work for the portfolio.. And hopefully some sight seeing. :)

Until next time..

This week was probably one of my best yet!! At work, we got to tour the FBI Training Academy that is at Quantico Marine Corps Base. Read that again. FBI TRAINING ACADEMY! It was without a doubt one of the coolest places I have ever been to. So many big names have been there, celebrities touring for background on movies, movies being SHOT there, famous FBI agents, etc! We also got to see the famous Hogan’s Alley -- which is basically a “fake town” that the agents in training simulate and role play different scenarios in: entering houses, doing traffic pull-overs, going into hotels, etc. All in all I was really thrilled to be able to go see such a well-known facility and appreciated the opportunity. It didn’t hurt that I scored myself some FBI swag...

We have been fortunate to continue with the streak of gorgeous weather. With the exception of some rain this past week, every day has been basically picture perfect. This weekend, my cousin came down to see me! We were able to go to a few places, and eat at some DELICIOUS restaurants of which I will now give play-by-plays for all you foodies... Keep in mind I am biased since these are some of my favorite restaurants down here :)

Saturday night we ate at La Tasca on King Street in Alexandria. Yes, La Tasca is a chain. A small one. Don’t let that fool you!! It is absolutely OUTSTANDING. We started off with appetizer style tapas (small plates) that consisted of: fried eggplant; fried onion, red pepper, and green pepper straws; chicken croquettes; and scallops in a white wine sauce. They were all AMAZING! The fried eggplant came with a delicious warm cheese dip, the straws were fresh, the croquettes were soft and practically melted like butter! The scallops were good as well! I was surprised because I never had them before but they were really good. Next as our “entree” we had a paella of chicken and chorizo, which is spanish sausage. This paella was amazing, it had mixed vegetables, cheesy rice, chicken, and the chorizo. It was so rich! I would definitely have it again. We finished out with two deserts: one was fried and had bananas, and the other had truffle of some sort and was chocolate with ice cream. Both were amazing! This particular location had live music playing at 9pm which was a great way to end the day. I’d give it 5/5 stars.  

This morning we went to Le Pain Quotidien off of the Eastern Market Metro. YUM YUM YUM! It is actually an international chain, but again, don’t let it fool you! The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating, including a huge indoor communal table, and has the feel of a country open-air kitchen. Pretty much everything on the menu is organic. Organic can actually be DELICIOUS! I had a parmesan and basil pesto omelette that came with organic mesclun (which is basically mixed greens), and two types of French bread. Mmmmm! One of the best omelets I have ever had! It was super tasty. They also have various jams and spreads that go with your bread. I used mainly a chocolate hazelnut spread which was pretty thick, and it was definitely amazing. There is also a location on King Street and one somewhere on P street in DC. Stop by there if you can!! They serve eggs/omelets until 3 pm on the weekends. Their food is fresh and you can definitely taste the quality of the ingredients. This one is also 5/5 stars.

Today we had dinner at Matchbox located off the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro. This small chain is known for their delicious pizzas, infamous sliders, and creative cocktails. I took the opportunity to do a half and half small pizza: half was the “q” special which came with chicken, peppers, mushrooms; and the other half was veggies with fingerling potato crisps. I had been to this restaurant before and I wasn’t disappointed! It is flatbread style pizza so it is thinner, and wood oven cooked so it has a darker crust. I love flatbread style! It is so filling without all the poofy crust. I definitely would say to check this place out! It is on 4 floors and the building is skinny and long like a matchbox. Look for the big bowl of fire out front! 5/5 stars, obviously... :)

Today we saw the Washington Monument, Reflection Pool, World War II Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial. 

I would definitely recommend checking these out! The memorials are all unique and beautiful in their own way. You can’t help but feel grateful and feel immense pride when visiting each one. The World War II Memorial was especially gorgeous. 

It was a great day to take in the sights. I would make it a point to see the Lincoln Memorial at night, as I heard it’s the best time to be there...

Ever single time I sit down to write a blog, the same thought keeps crossing my mind: “Wow, the weeks are going by way too fast.” This is definitely true! I have had the same routine for awhile now: wake up, work, home, dinner, shower, sleep, repeat. It may sound dull, but it’s the truth. Working a “9-to-5” (or whatever hours it may be) like an adult is probably the most exhausting thing I have ever had to do.

This week was relatively calm. I had my midterm for my class, and the weather became absolutely GORGEOUS. Friday night my roommate Natalie and I went to dinner at Matchbox in Chinatown and to the movies afterward. Yum is the only word that can describe the mouthwatering indulgence that is Matchbox. In summation, they serve delicious flatbread style gourmet pizza and other dishes like salads, seafood, and pasta.  We ordered some sort of magical pizza that had grilled chicken, mushrooms, peppers, and some other things. Now, I am from New Jersey (see blog title) and I have had some pretty delicious pizza in my day, but this pizza was AMAZING. The chicken was real chicken, and the crust was so crispy and delicious it practically melted in my mouth. That is without a doubt one of the best places I have ever eaten at, period. We saw The Last Song afterwards. Yes, I know. I can hear the collective groan from all the people who don’t particularly think it is worth a penny to see. Surprisingly, I liked it.

Saturday I got to see the Franciscan Monastery which is located somewhere off the Brookland/CUA Metro stop. My parents came down with my Grandmother and we toured the building and the grounds. It was beyond gorgeous! My Grandmother was last there in 1939 so I think she was surprised to see it again. It was definitely worth it to see how much she enjoyed it. The building had stained glass windows that were handmade from Germany and even a replica of the catacombs under Rome. Regardless of religion, it is definitely a gorgeous establishment to see. Sunday we had a dinner at our apartment and I successfully made a baked macaroni and cheese that was not runny, nor did it taste like dirt.

I must say I’m proud of myself.

Until next time!

PHEW!

Crunch time is definitely approaching. The past week was a blur as they have come to be. My focus has been on my classwork, as I just completed my midterm for my course. Surprisingly, I have really been enjoying my leadership class. It is definitely a unique, fresh approach to a topic that can come across as stale and forced. I have been thinking about my final leadership project lately, but I’m still not 100% in which direction I want to go in.

During the week, the US Marshals interns got to go to the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms’ (ATF) K-9 facility. It was neat to go and actually see what takes place from when a dog enters the facility, to when they actually are out looking for explosives or traces of arson. Labradors are used because of their high stamina, their energy, their noses (!!!), and their personalities. It definitely made me want a dog.. (HINT, HINT!)

The main draw of my weekend was seeing the Smithsonian American Art Museum on Saturday. We arrived in the afternoon and barely even cleared two floors of the massive buildings! There were two sections: the actual Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. It was definitely AMAZING.

To get things started.. Here’s a canvas of LL Cool J. Nothing says American Art quite like LL Cool J sitting in a big old chair. 

Here’s an Andy Warhol of Marilyn Monroe!! I absolutely loved it. It may look somewhat dull, but it is really bright in person. 

This is a 1953 photograph of Grace Kelly. She was absolutely stunning! 

We also checked out some of the Presidential Portraits. Lincoln’s was one of my favorites. 

Bill Clinton’s was downright funky and really modern! It was definitely a hit to look at. 

And those are just my favorites! The SAAM/NPG are free to visit, although donations are encouraged. It is definitely a sight worth checking out, even if art isn’t really your “thing”. I hope to make it to the Natural History Museum soon.

Until next time!