If nothing else this summer, I have experienced a lot of firsts.

I left Grove City in the spring knowing that this is how it would be. My summer would fly by, I'd go home and relax for two weeks and then I'd be right back at it. With only two weeks left here in the city, I can honestly say it has flown by. Not every day is a dream come true, wandering through the streets of D.C., having my name printed all over famous publications and spontaneously attending dinners and happy hours with the big dogs of the city.

Actually, if I'm wandering through the streets, it's not because I'm walking somewhere important, but probably because I'm lost and my name has not been on any publications. If I spontaneously attend a dinner or happy hour, it's full of kids just like me, not Congressmen and officials. But that's OK. Because this summer has been a learning experience for me, and I have no regrets going into my few weeks left.

1. First: Being knocked down.

This isn't meant to be depressing, at all. To those of you who maybe haven't learned this lesson yet, that's okay. It's not a criticism. But I needed a little knocking down this summer, and I got it. While I have had praise from the office staff, I still have learned that there are so many talented individuals my age who are just as skilled, if not more so than me. The competition is real.

2. First: Using my peers.

I cannot even count the amount of times that my NJC friends have come through for me when I really needed some encouragement, or just friendship. We all tried to help one another out with networking events and contacts we had found out about, and it turns out, some of these people will be some of my greatest friends, whether we are in competition or not. The competition is -- friendly?

3. First: Valuing experience.

There is a lot of valuable experience to be gained in the city, and one of the best things I've learned is that everything you learn is valuable to you in some way. Those of you who know me know how upset I was about halfway through my internship, because others in my program were being published weekly, or more, and I wasn't. But now, when I tell people about my internship, everyone says what irreplaceable experience I have had with video editing and interviewing that they don't have. Every experience is a valuable one, if you make the most of it.

4. First: Living in D.C.

D.C. isn't ideal for a lot of reasons: traffic, metro surges, bus delays, expensive cost of living -- yeah. But it's also a wonderful place to live -- especially if you are around my age because that is the majority of D.C. It's exciting to be in a bubble of millennials who are constantly connecting you to others, telling you about their jobs and opening up possibilities to jobs you didn't even know existed.

5. First: Using pots and pans and all sorts of materials I haven't before.

I wasn't avidly worried about cooking when I first got here, but I did tell my mom (who is an excellent cook) to send along some recipes so I would not be at a complete loss. And she has not failed me. Cooking is something I've decided you just kind of pick up. So with a lot of practice in 10 weeks and a few nights of pizza, I have decided that I can do this. I'll only get better, let's hope.

6. First: Using public transportation.

This is a really big first. I had never used public transportation in my visits to big cities before, so my first day of work, I was scared to death. Now when I use it, I laugh at myself for being so silly. It's well labeled and easy to maneuver. Also there are a lot of people around to ask if you ever get lost. I'm such a pro now that people ask me the questions; haha, I've fooled them all.

7. First: Living alone.

For some reason, this is different than living at school. I realize my family still isn't there and there are certain things I have to take care of myself, but this summer has been a look into what next summer, after graduation, could look like. The idea of having an apartment, paying rent, cooking for myself, cleaning my house and working full time has been different, and exciting. Some days I don't know how I'm going to make it as a real adult, but this summer has helped usher me into that next stage of my life.

8. First: Learning how to be myself.

This is the first time I have ever needed help. Or at least, the first time I have ever admitted to needing help. I have had problems all across the board, whether it be with boys, or God, or my family or my friends. It has been a challenging summer in many respects, and sometimes I wish I was at home where I could tell my family about it in person, or in my dorm room where my friends could help me get through a bad day. I've learned what I value and how to apply that to my daily life as an adult. It's not as easy to do my devotions and read my Bible when I work 9 to 5; it's not as easy to get yourself to exercise as it is at school when you have more time; it's not as easy to communicate well with your family when they are miles away. But those are things that are important to me, and to who I am.

This summer has not been just about D.C., or about journalism or about my career. It's also been about learning who I am as a person, and learning about what I value in my life.

I still have much to learn, but I am thankful for a summer in which so many things have been learned and have made this summer one of my best.