Wow! An entire semester has passed and I am only a week away from returning to Florida to finish out my senior year. In the past few months in D.C. I have had the chance to visit numerous attractions, learn from industry experts, and travel around the Northeast to cities I’ve never been to before. The Northeast is much smaller and driving in and out of different states can take less than an hour, unlike in Florida. Due to this, I have gotten to visit Annapolis, Boston, and Pittsburgh during my semester.
Annapolis was a pleasant surprise, it is a short drive from D.C. so some friends and I were able to rent a car and drive up. Annapolis is home to the Naval Academy and is extremely charming in every way. It is much more quite than D.C. and provided a perfect getaway. We were able to check out their historical state house, visit a state park on the water, and eat some of their famous seafood. The historical town is calm and laid-back, something D.C. rarely seems.
I traveled to Boston as a part of a fellowship I have through Rollins. This was my first time to Boston and despite the cold, I really enjoyed it. Boston is very spread out and the trains were a bit less connected than in D.C., but when I wasn’t attending the fellowship gathering, I got to visit Little Italy and Kennedy’s Presidential Library. Through the fellowship we also got to attend senate simulations at the Edward Kennedy Institute. This institute boasts a replica of the senate in D.C. and all types of groups the opportunity to experience what it’s like to partake in lawmaking and voting in the Senate chambers. This was super interesting and hands-on, and my knowledge from D.C. was super helpful in thinking about the process.
Lastly, I visited Pittsburgh over the Thanksgiving break to see a friend who recently moved there. Spending time with friends from back home was great, and getting to see another new city was a definite bonus!
With only two weeks left in D.C., the city has really started to feel like home as I’ve made friends, enjoyed my work, and learned to navigate just about every corner of the city. Living in a big city for the first time was a great experience, and being in the capitol was a policy wonk’s dream! I have made tons of connections while in the city and have been exposed to numerous sectors and organizations that I hadn’t previously considered as career paths. I am excited to return to Rollins in the Spring to finish out my final semester and see where these possibilities will take me post-graduation.