I'm Back!!

I’m back!

After a brief DC hiatus, which included a trip home, to Texas, then back home I’m back in the district. Per usual, there have been many adventures thus far. I moved into my new apartment, down the street from where I lived this summer, on Wednesday ( a week and a half ago) morning. I was the first one of my roommates to move in and kind of nervous because they didn’t tell us any of their names so we couldn’t even facebook stalk them. Then I went to run some errands but left my number on the table and my roommate called me so we met up and went to Target.  On Wednesday night we had orientation for our housing, then on Thursday we had a main orientation. But we had free time during the afternoons so we did some grocery shopping and site seeing.

My roommates are from New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Mexico. They’re really nice and on Friday, I got home and my roommate from New Jersey (Mayar) had cooked dinner for everyone. It was a good surprise after a long week J

So, I finished my second-first week in the Senate on Friday. It’s much quieter because the senate is in recess but will get really busy again tomorrow. On Mondays, I have programming, which consists of speakers and workshops, so I don’t go into work. On Thursdays, I have class downtown, so it makes for a busy day of work and then going straight to class.  During class, we discuss our plans for Model United Nations. We found out the countries we are representing: Pakistan and the Philippines, so it will be a lot of work getting ready for the conference, which is at the end of October.

To sum up the last 2 weeks that I’ve been in DC, I’ve gone to Eastern Market with a bunch of people in my program, shopping with my friend from Brazil, to a concert on the Capitol lawn, to the Zoo, and to a concert in Maryland. Yesterday, I was also able to go to a running group and run 12 miles through Arlington and DC, past some embassies, through Rock Creek Park, Arlington Cemetery and the National Cathedral.

With my friend Mariana at the zoo

Breakfast at Eastern Market

In keeping with my tradition of sharing quotes and thoughts at the end of my blogs, this morning Max Lucado spoke at my church. His message was on his new book, You’ll Get Through This.  I’m not going through hard times right now but I think this quote is applicable and good to remember when we all go through hard times.

“You’ll get through this. It won’t be painless or quick. But God will use this mess for good. Don’t be foolish or naïve. But don’t despair either. With God’s help, you’ll get through this.”

Foster Care, Freedom, Friendship: Grand Finale of the Summer of my Lifetime

It’s been two of those weeks. Exhausting, rewarding, sentimental, and exciting all at the same time. There’s something about going to work each day and only having a vague idea of what you may be doing, that is so exciting.

First, a throwback to something I forgot to mention. I’m really excited to announce that I was chosen to participate in the Ford Global Scholars Program at the Washington Center this fall. This means I’ll spend my Mondays meeting with International Experts, practicing for the Model United Nations convention in October, and taking a class. I also get to work with 23 other students from 7 different countries so I think it will be really cool to hear everyone’s perspective.

On Monday, I went to the state department for a roundtable discussion on human trafficking with interns from over 100 organizations. We heard from a lawyer, ambassador, and FBI agent. Then, on Wednesday I got to go to ONE (a human rights lobbying organization) where I happened to sit next to the ambassador of Burkina Faso and I got to speak French with him. I am in the process of writing a memo on human trafficking because of the huge trafficking bust (the biggest ever) that happened last week.

I’ll admit, I started this blog post about two weeks ago. I was stopped in my tracks by someone insulting me because I didn’t have hair. Without going into a long story that has the potential to make your blood boil, It’s handled, I took it with a grain of salt and my hope is that the culprits will never dehumanize anyone again. You just have to realize some people are shallow and be the bigger person.

And on that note, I think the most influential thing that happened in my entire time in the Congress (and that’s saying a lot) took place this past Tuesday. My writing cannot give this event a portion of the justice and respect it deserves. That being said, I can at least try to describe it. 13 years ago, Senator Landrieu (I am now disclosing who I work for) founded an organization called the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. As part of the program former foster youth (who are all college or older) are assigned internships with congressmen and committees. Earlier in the summer, I met someone who was in this program. However, I didn’t know it at the time.  He told me I should come to the briefing at the end of July and basically I forgot about that.  Everyone should definitely check out ccainstitute.org to learn more.

Fast forward to this past Tuesday, my boss asked me to go to this congressional briefing on adoption, so I gladly went. I learned that all of the foster youth (16 youth) 2 of whom worked in my office all wrote policy changes in regards to adoption and the system. The whole time unlike any other briefing I have ever attended. I reconnected with my friend from the beginning of the summer and ended up hanging out with the foster youth and learning about their lives. Without divulging too much of their personal lives, they are some of the most inspirational people I have ever met. They, especially one in particular embody the face of human resilience and empowerment. Some of them once had lives not too different from my own but instead that took a terrible turn.  And as Senator Landrieu said, “When are you ever too old for a family? When you get married, when you graduate from college and no one is there, when you have grandkids? Never.  “In the short time I hung out with them I learned what it means to be grateful, appreciate life and live every day. Having gone to private school my entire life and living in a world of many surface relationships, it’s refreshing to have situations like this help put your life in perspective. So as I head home and to Texas for the next three weeks I have a few finishing thoughts and reflections (and will probably think of more later)

I have grown in independence, thought, and compassion this summer. I have made mistakes and seen direct consequences. I have been impacted more by people I’ve known for a few days than I have by some people I have known for years. Lifelong friendships have been established. I have owned, explored, and experienced a city that 73 days ago was largely foreign to me. I have loved, lost, let go, and learned more than any other experience in my entire life.  I can say without a doubt I have a clearer vision of what direction I want my life to head and appreciate the opinions of those that matter not societal pressures.

I am incredibly grateful for everyone who has made this experience possible. From the professors who wrote me recs to God who put Alopecia and Senator Landrieu in my life, words will never be able to express my appreciation for the most incredible summer of my life.

On that note, 23 days until I embark on Fall in DC, but who’s counting?

 Here's  a collage of just a few memories:

Oil, Birthdays, Africa, and NYC: Just another week

How often do you get to meet the President of Conoco- Phillips to discuss oil in the gulf and the doctor that pioneered the newest HIV drug in the same day?

Well, that’s not an unbelievable or uncommon occurrence in my recent senate life.  On Thursday I went to an AIDS briefing with some of the top AIDS experts in the world and then rushed back to the office to sit in on a meeting with the President of Conoco Phillips and our Senator. 

On Tuesday, my Senator received a prestigious award from the Coast Guard for her dedication to funding Military families’ needs. The admiral, Admiral Robert Papp, has Alopecia and spoke at the DC convention in 2003, which should be noted that was the first year I lobbied and met my senator. The world just continues to get smaller. Admiral Papp told me that I should email him and he would love to get more involved with the convention. Once again, in case you don’t believe that everything happens for a reason, come be a fly on the wall in my life.

 I also attended another great reception, which had extensive free sushi. Sometimes, as interns we wonder what the lobbyists’ motives are beyond feeding interns… However, we are not complaining.

Our office has been great about helping us get to know all of the staff and we had a lunch with the legislative team and got to learn all of their life stories.  We have quite the range of people in our office with great life stories, from a marine to a girl in the army to 5 TFA alums and a Foreign Service officer.

On Friday, we had an intern outing after work to Jazz in the Garden, which is a sculpture garden that features a different music group every week. Then I went to dinner for my friend Claire’s birthday. Claire is a great person and leader and always gives wonderful advice. We met through theta and she goes to church with me and lives 2 blocks down the street. She goes to Princeton and is studying abroad in France this fall. I’ll miss her when I leave in 2 weeks! Then, we went to hang out at 3 of my fellow interns’ apartment. The 12 of us that work in Landrieu’s office are incredibly different, but we manage to get along, despite occasionally arguing over politics and what part of Louisiana is best.

On Saturday at 4 am I headed to NYC to meet up with my friend Colleen who is interning in Connecticut. We accomplished a lot in less than 36 hours. We went on the Staten Island Ferry, walked around a lot, went to Times Square, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Natural History, 9/11 Memorial, and all around Central Park. It was really fun and I also got to meet up with my friend Michael from TCU.

Now, I’m back on the megabus to DC somewhere in New Jersey. If I stay awake I’ll get to see parts of Penn, Delaware, and Maryland too. Can’t believe I’ll be heading back to LA and Texas in 13 days.  For now, I’m focusing on this week which will consist of a roundtable on human trafficking at the state department, lunch with African Ambassadors, research on the war in Congo, 3 of my friends coming to visit and much more!

In keeping with my new precedent of finding quotes, I searched long and hard (on pinterest of course) for a quote I felt described my life of lately.  Thought this one was appropriate because of all the dreams I’ve continued to pursue and the twists and turns they have given me but in the end they have been so worth it.

Sentimental Moments in the U.S. Senate

Without sounding like a broken record, it really is amazing how time flies. While some afternoons I wonder if I will ever get off work, most of the time I really can’t believe another day has passed. I’m one day away from finishing my first week in my dream internship in the senate.

This internship is incredibly different from my previous one. Starting a new internship always has its challenges because you have to establish yourself and gain some credibility amongst the staffers, understandably so. There are 15 interns in my new office and sometimes it’s a little chaotic. There are 35ish staffers, compared to 7 in my previous office. The senate offices definitely run a little different than the house, but they are both fun and great learning experiences. Often there are about 10 of us interns in our small room fighting over three computers and distracting each other. But, its always a different day.

On Tuesday, we had a meeting with our senator and I almost teared up when I told her that she was my reason for entering politics. Today we had a meeting with the chief of staff which was neat, he’s a pretty cool guy.

Lucky for me, my legislative assistant and I know some of the same people so she trusted me pretty quickly after talking to them. So, today I got to start working on a bill which my senator will hopefully like and want to introduce on the floor. I am so excited to get to pioneer a bill!! I actually saw that it had been introduced in the house and asked my LA if we could work on it in the senate. So, fingers crossed, I will be sitting in the balcony of the senate at some point, listening to my senator read the bill. Without giving too much away, its about Africa and human rights.

Amidst the busy-ness, I've found a lot of peace lately in DC. Here's a quote I like:

On a totally different note, I’m reading this book called The Circle Maker by the pastor of my church in DC, Mark Batterson. I’ve had a lot on my mind trying to figure out where I am going to intern in the fall, mainly because I want to apply to about 100 places ranging from the UN to public defenders to human trafficking orgs. But this quote really stood out to me. So, I’ll leave all my blog readers with this thought:

"I learned we shouldn't seek answers as much as we should seek God. We get overanxious. We try to microwave our own answers instead of trusting God's timing. But here's an important reminder: If you seek answers you won't find them, but if you seek God, the answers will find you."- Mark Batterson, The Circle Maker

Ode to a New Beginning

(Originally written 7/7)

Tomorrow I will begin a new internship that will last four weeks in the Senate. Although, I’ve cut through Hart Senate Building almost every day on my way to and from work for the past 6 weeks, tomorrow the long journey (cue sarcasm) across the street and to the elevator, literally, I predict it will take me approximately four minutes, what a commute, will be a little more special.

Because this internship is one I have wanted for the past 10 years (half of my life).

 Since I made my first trek to DC on behalf of Alopecia the summer after fourth grade and got to meet this Senator personally and was invited to Bring Your Daughter to Work Day I’ve wanted to intern for this Senator. Yes, I’ll admit, I actually cried when I found out I was accepted (cue spotted:DC Interns blog or buzzfeed: The Crying Intern)- both of those websites love to make fun of interns. I still remember, it was the beginning of April and I was walking out of my Disasters and Failures class (let’s hope that’s not some kind of omen) when they called me.  Prior to these experiences, my political knowledge came from my daily watching of Good Morning America, frequently watching Nancy Grace, and occasionally watching CSPAN.

This internship will be an interesting contrast to my previous one. The next few months will continue to be marked by new experiences and transitions. I’m in shock that there’s only a month (well kinda) left in the summer before heading to Baton Rouge for a day and then off to Texas for recruitment. Hopefully, I will be finalizing my internship for the fall in DC sometime in July (translation: getting an offer and accepting an internship). Looking forward to this new crop of interns- there will be about 10 in my new office- and some new adventures in July! 

DC to St. Louis: Switching Gears

(Originally written 6/30)

Well, in the past 2 weeks, I have finished my first internship and am currently traveling around half the country. I can’t believe I’ve already lived in DC for almost 7 weeks. While I feel like I know a lot about the area I live in, I still have so much to learn about other areas of the city.

Right now, I’m sitting on a plane to Boston somewhere between Indiana or Ohio, after spending the past 36 hours in St. Louis.  So, I’ll recap that portion first, since it was most recent. I attended my 11^th, although not consecutive Alopecia Areata convention. I didn’t get in until about midnight on Friday night because of weather delays in DC and was up at 6am for the Tortoise and Hair in St. Louis. If you know me, than you know that the tortoise and hair has been a big part of my life. Although my family no longer holds a race in Baton Rouge, we planned the race for five years and raised over $125,000. Now, we’ve lost track of the cities it’s been held in, at least 15. It’s always neat to see another race pop up somewhere. The Tortoise and Hair events at conferences work a little differently, because we usually raised most of our money from sponsors and runners but at conferences it’s not as much about raising money as it is about awareness and inspiring other people to plan their own races. But, we were surprised to learn that it raised $42,000! So that was exciting. It’s a powerful thing to see something you started impact a lot of people.

Here are some pictures from tortoise and hair over the years.

Also at the NAAF conference, I was able to speak about lobbying on the hill and the tortoise and hair, which was neat, I will also be helping with a lobbying day in DC in September. I also got to tour the Missouri Botanical Gardens with my dad, and they were beautiful! 

Moving on to my DC Life: During my last two weeks of my internship, I was definitely stretched. My congressman called me last week and asked me to make a movie.  I honestly didn’t even know where to start. I don’t think I’ve ever made a video before, maybe back in middle school. So, over the next 3 days I spent many hours filming, cutting clips, editing audio and learning that was a program called Imovie (literally…), and being thankful I have a mac. But, it turned out okay! Once I figure everything out I’ll post it. On Thursday, our congressman took us to breakfast. It was really neat for the 4 of us interns to get to talk to him for about an hour and a half. Well, for the next week I’ll be traveling through the Northeast, including stays in Boston and Maine. Although, I’m pretty bummed I won’t be witnessing DC’s 4^th of July celebrations from the Speaker’s Balcony, hopefully there will be some fun events in Maine. Then, back to DC to begin my stint in the Senate!