Five sets of heels click on the marble floors as we walk purposefully through the United States National Archives. We aren’t tourists. We have a job to do. And from the way that the sightseers look at us, I know they can tell. It’s a rush to feel important in such an important place.

Today, my supervisor, Katherine, took me with her to a venue walk-through for an event happening at the end of the month for the Trust for the National Mall. The event is a thank-you dinner for supporters and the Trust expects around 120 people. Standing in the rotunda, with the Constitution and Declaration of Independence just feet away, I listened as Katherine, the caterer, and the woman in charge of events at the Archives, discussed lighting, sound, and schedules.

I’m not a stranger to event planning. I am a very active member of the Campus Activities Board at the University of New Hampshire, a group that puts on large-scale, large-budget events for students at UNH. Our venue back on campus is typically the campus center or a big parking lot. Putting on events with the Campus Activities Board is something I do as an extracurricular, and the experience has given me confidence in planning and organizing. Even so, as a student led organization, we are practiced procrastinators and there is always a bit of panic in our voices before the start of any event. It is so different and exciting to see Katherine and the other ladies chat professionally (and calmly!) about the upcoming occasion.

This is my first internship, and since I’ve arrived in D.C., I’ve wondered why I hadn’t tried to get an internship sooner. It is an awesome feeling to be working with someone with a job that I might like to have. I like that I have the opportunity to ask Katherine about her job and about the career path that has led her to the Events Director at the Trust for the National Mall. After we left the National Archives, I was brimming with questions for Katherine! We walked to Protein Bar, a healthy burrito restaurant new to D.C., while Katherine talked about how she used to work for a special event company that you could contract to plan an event, as well as about living in Washington D.C.

Talking with locals has definitely helped me to find some of the best spots to eat and to visit in D.C. so far.  I’m a people person, so not talking to strangers was always that one rule I struggled with. My dad was nervous to leave me after watching me strike up a conversation with a homeless man outside the metro one day. I promised him that I would be careful about who I talked to in the future. Coming from rural New England, it is rare that I feel endangered. But as with any major city, residing in Washington D.C. makes smart choices even more important. I have limited my random conversations to people in my office, National Park Service rangers outside of the Lincoln Memorial, and whoever is in the elevator on my way to my office. I’ve found that people here are friendlier than back home. Must be that southern hospitality!

Talking to strangers is actually a huge part of the D.C. experience. There are hundreds of networking events around the city where people go just to meet people with similar interests. You network in this city to get places, and I want to check out one of these events before I leave! The DC Linktank is a website that tracks just about every panel discussion and conference in D.C. It offers insight into what is happening, where, and when. These types of events are great networking opportunities and give a deeper insight into policy discussions. Of course, between my internship and working with TWC, I am networking all the time!

Networking with my peers is easy. With the Washington Center, I am surrounded by like-minded, motivated young adults. If I turned on the Democratic National Convention at home, my sister would surely tackle the remote from my hands and put on Dance Moms. Here, when I turned on the DNC, my roommates plopped down on the couch next to me to watch. Everyone here is enthusiastic to get to know this city and see all it has to offer. Thus far, my friends and I have played mini golf in the National Building Museum and have taken a ghost tour of the White House’s front yard! Sitting around is not an option (unless you’re sitting at a desk working during your internship!) here in the Residential Academic Facility (RAF)! I am excited by the people here and the city that I am living in. After sliding into a cab the other day, I was surprised to hear that the driver was listening to National Public Radio. Usually when I am in a taxi, the only thing I have to listen to is the driver talking on the phone. The thirst for learning that I sense throughout most of the D.C. population is a breath of fresh air.

But that’s fresh air in a different sense of the word. As much as I’ve enjoyed the city, the metro, and the endless activity, I miss trees! A friend from Richmond, VA came up to visit me this weekend and he was nice enough to get me out of D.C. for an afternoon. We found a nice little nature preserve just outside the D.C. area called Scott’s Run Nature Preserve. It was a short drive and then a surprisingly short walk to a natural waterfall into the Potomac River. It was nice to be near a stream and to look around and see some greenery, but there were more people on the trail than I’d expected. I’m still getting used to the amount of people that live here!  It’s amazing!