Once I was back in DC and at work, I was placed in the email department within mail analysis. I was responsible for analyzing and coding emails that came in through the Whitehouse.gov site so that they could receive policy letters. Aside from doing that, I also had a two-hour comment line shift where I answered the phone and took down constants’ comments, which I always looked forward to as that broke up my less than exciting work day. During my lunches, I went to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which I had access to, and ate on the patio and twenty feet away from the West Wing! It was a great feeling realizing that I was in the same exact building where policy is being discussed and made. I also got a tour of the EEOB library, which is too great for words.
Outside of work, I made the best of my time in DC. Having gone to all the monuments and Smithsonian museums in the past, I was constantly looking for something new and exciting, that’s minor-friendly (so no happy hours), and non-touristy. I went to the National Zoo, which was just alright considering that I had gone to the country’s first zoo in Philadelphia multiple times, watched Monsters University with friends (I’ll admit that I laughed more than the kids at the theater), explored Georgetown all along the preppy M Street and the waterfront, checked out Georgetown Cupcake, the popular store that has it’s own show on TLC, went out to Adams Morgan, and toured Georgetown University, which was beautiful.
Being Jordanian, I have to admit that I am somewhat jealous that I don’t go to GU because the prince of Jordan goes to school there. Talk about networking and rubbing elbows. One thing that I wish I had done more of is hanging out with Claremont students that are DC this summer. But with most of them being part of the Democrats club, which I was part of during the fall semester for a while, I don’t really know them all that well. With there being a lot of interns living at GW for the summer, I often found myself in that area, especially since that’s where most of the action happens. The number of things to do in DC are endless. There’s even an app called ‘Explore DC’!
