For the past eight weeks, I have interned in our nation's capital. Every day, I wake up at 5:50am, take a shower, brush my teeth, eat breakfast, walk to the metro, get to work, work, and then come back to my apartment tired and hungry in the late afternoon – oh, and then I sleep a few hours later.
Occasionally, if my schedule permits, I take a stroll down Pennsylvania Avenue to visit the White House, walk the historic monuments scattered across the mall, visit museums (including my favorite – American History museum), and catch up on the news.
Not a bad life, right?
Indeed, I could be worse off. I could be homeless, like several of my fellow citizens who line the streets all the way to my apartment building. I could be unemployed, and financially unstable. Or, I could have no clothes, food, or healthcare.
Without a doubt, it is a privilege and honor to have the opportunity that I have this summer. I am truly blessed to be working for one of the finest presidential administrations – the Obama administration – in American history, in a beautiful department building, with admirable and inspirational employees working alongside me, all while surrounded by the aura of decency that Washington, DC oozes.
After living in DC for a while, it becomes clear that the people in this city are busy, busy, busy. When I walk my two block route to the metro station every morning, for example, it is odd to not see people shuffling aggressively through crowded sidewalks, evidently engaging in intense phone conversations, making eye contact with more than just their reflection in their pocket mirror, and running in front of oncoming traffic in order to make it in time to catch the next train to Metro Center station.
To be honest, I wasn't very surprised when I encountered these facts head-on. I had always known that DC was a place for tourists to walk, but workers to run. Coming from New Jersey, just over thirty minutes from New York City, working and living in a fast-paced environment is commonplace. From the very nature of our nation's capital, I expected for life to be even busier compared to my hometown. It is fair to say that I have not been disappointed.
During the first half of my internship, I have to say that I was run ragged. From working hard everyday at work, studying for my economics class at George Mason University, networking with countless people in-person and virtually, and attending guest lectures, my first four weeks were both exhilarating and tiring.
As time went on, and life in DC became more constant, I became more observant of my surroundings. At the beginning of my time in DC, I found the fast-paced, often tense way of life in DC to be enjoyable. However, as the toll of this environment weighed down on me as the weeks went by, I began to think more deeply about the nature of the way of life I was currently pursuing.
Essentially, I really thought about the consequences that are derived from an environment similar to downtown DC. I thought about the aggressive shuffling through crowded sidewalks, the intense phone conversations, the lack of eye contact with surrounding persons, and the dangerous attempts to avoid oncoming cars and buses all in the pursuit of making it on time for a train – knowing that the next train came in two minutes.
Was this the environment I wanted to live and work in?
In my heart and mind, the answer was yes. Of course, I was not going to adopt the disrespectful, aggressive, and dangerous behavior that some of my fellow citizens did. Truly, it was the abundance of opportunities that DC had to offer that supported my determination.
However, even though I would be willing to accept the DC lifestyle, I decided – whole-heartedly – that I would not just accept it, but embrace it as well. What was the point of living and working in the powerhouse of the Union if life just consisted of work? What about the "living" part? In my opinion, as important as working is personal and collective prosperity. For, as the band Five for Fighting alluded to in their song "100 Years," you only have a hundred years to live – although many people are defying that expectation.
I have to confess, I am one who prioritizes the completion of my work over the attainment of personal enjoyment – other than the enjoyment I receive from my work, of course. To some people, this may sound like an admirable way to live. And to others, it may sound like a completely terrible way to live. “He must be so depressed all of the time" some may think. Although, after experiencing life in DC for eight weeks, I am now more conscious of the necessity to always leave room in life to live – to not always pursue life in the fast lane.
There's just too much to see to go so fast!
