My summer adventure in Washington, D.C. has come to a close.  However what I have learned and the memories I have created will continue to live on forever.  I am so grateful for the opportunity God gave me to serve International Justice Mission this summer.  It was such an enriching time.  The amount of knowledge I collected from the amazing individuals I met cannot be expressed in numbers or word.  In this letter, I hope to share with you the highlights of my summer internship in Washington, D.C.

Any time you spend time reflecting on an experience, you usually come across a few things you wish you would have known, or you wish you could have done better.  As I sit here and reflect on my summer with The Washington Center, a few things do come to mind and I want to share them with you.  Though they may be random, they are the best attempt I can make to ensure that you are most prepared before you head out to Washington, D.C.   I could have done a better job. . .

So this summer I have been working at a non-profit human rights agency.  It has been such a great experience in comparison to other places I have experienced.  International Justice Mission demands a high level of excellence and professionalism that you would think only applies to the corporate world.  The reason for that is because we take our mission very seriously.

Living in the city can expose you to the extremities of life.  Life in general is not easy.  Unless you live the hard life, you are not prone to be exposed to the harshness of life.  My trip to New York made the harshness of life very real to me, and it broke my heart.

I have mixed feelings about the weekends here in D.C.  When Friday comes around, the intern section at my work gets a little loopy.  After a long week of working, class, studying, socializing, and cooking (or not cooking in my case),a switch just goes off on Fridays and we all can't wait to get off of work.  We truly understand now what it means to live for the weekends!  Though this switch goes off in me, I sometimes have a sense of dread that enters my soul.  Why, you may ask?  Well because the classes through The Washington Center do actually require some work outside of class, and if I

So living here in Washington, D.C. has been wonderful - partly because it is absolutely impossible to become 'bored.' I feel that those who have lived here forever don't even understand the meaning of the word 'bored.'  Even if you were to participate in every single attraction and eat at every amazing restaurant, you would still be ready to do it all over again because there is so much variety!!!  Here are some to name a few . . .

So, one day spent with me and you will find that I am the least politically-wired human being you will ever meet. You will also find that I happen to possess an awkward level of passion for the things that matter to me most. Being in D.C. has brought enlightenment to the difference between policy versus politics – it is all about how you engage your passion!

One full week has gone by in this great historic city of Washington, D.C.  I sit here writing this blog after experiencing a cancelled flight, training week, attending a class, exploring D.C., as well as many other great little adventures throughout this week.  How in the WORLD did I get here?!  Well let me tell you . . .