Caught in a limbo...

My current situation is a frustrating one, indeed. D.C. has grown on me quite a bit in the past month; so much, in fact, that I really enjoy being in the city whenever I can. Not that the Tech house is a hostile environment. It's certainly not. We are still getting along quite well even though we are a few short weeks from being back home. But things are really starting to heat up here and the city is finally ALIVE.

The problem is… we are back in session and I am stuck at work everyday until 6 or later. Work has been a great experience. I have learned about how ugly policy making can be, and I have learned how broken the system can be. I have learned that there is still hope for a better political future and I have learned that older, more tenured members of Congress or staff members really aren’t as intimidating as one might think. The future of Washington, right now, belongs to young guns. It belongs to bright, creative, right-brained young guns who want to serve their constituents, their states, and their country.

But back to the topic at hand… I am caught in this limbo because I need to finish out my job strongly and with the same enthusiasm I started it with, so that I can secure a great connection with those up who will still be up here in the office, who will become my possible letter of rec candidates and my job references. But I do feel that I have experienced just about everything I wanted to. I have met many members of Congress, I have schmoozed with some celebrities, I have passed out hundreds of business cards, and I have developed a real strong understanding of the true political process. Now I am just burnt out and the only thing I have desire left to do is explore the culture of the city and the surrounding areas everyday, from sunup to sundown. Alas, it doesn't work that way and I must continue to work for the boss.

I have been going full speed lately with creating new experiences. Almost every night of the week I go out for walks or runs or explorations into the deepest inner cultures of the D.C. neighborhoods, especially up in the north part of town. I have spent time with non Tech friends, and I have visited almost every bookstore in the town. But last Friday, my friend Coleman and I decided on a whim to do something wild- we drove over to America’s Playground: ATLANTIC CITY, NJ.

We gambled all night long at 5 different casinos, met tons of Jersey Shore trash throughout the night, and fist pumped our way to empty pockets. We both started real hot at the blackjack table, but by 6am we had cooled down and lost it all. I am NOT a fan of video poker or slot machines... What a waste! No worries though, we both set out a very minimal amount to be played with for the night. Once that amount was gone though, we had nothing else to do but head back to D.C.

The job experiences and all the connections I have made have been outstanding, but it’s those kinds of experiences (of the Atlantic City type) that I will miss the most when I head back to TX.

The Atlantic City boardwalk and surrounding Casinos

Until next time…

Peace and love,
Noel