Farewell to the District (Part I: My Professional Path)

It is with poignant sadness and great expectations that I am ending my residency in Washington, D.C.  I have always believed that the decade of 20-30 is one of the most unique, exciting, and growth-filled periods in an individual’s life.  For me, the 2.5 years spent in the District will be a pillar of my 20’s.  
  
I took a chance on coming to DC.  I was living in Atlanta following my college graduation, and my internship was coming to a close.  The historic 2008 presidential election had just concluded, and it seemed like all democratic politicos and most of Generation Y were in a state of euphoria.  I had dabbled in politics, but the decision to move to DC was a confluence of events: my internship concluding, my cousin offering me a rent-free room, the reassurance that someone can make a living (not much of one) working in government, and most importantly, my genuine interest in working on Capitol Hill.  

I left Atlanta with a healthy confidence and fortunate naiveté to the ways of Washington. After a peaceful seven hour drive, I arrived in Fairfax, Virginia to 15 degree weather and the rent-free guest room that my extremely generous cousin and his wife had offered me.  This set-up allowed me to dedicate my full time to getting a job on the Hill, and to this day I consider it the single greatest factor to my success in D.C.   

My first introduction to the District was the Inauguration of President Barack Obama.  I joined nearly two million people on a frigid day in January on the National Mall (not being used to this weather, I had on three layers of clothing including running tights and two pairs of socks).  It was a historic moment for our country, and it was truly unforgettable for me.   

Such promise was followed by slow frustration.  I spent the first two months job hunting for various Hill jobs/internships that were posted online.  I had come to learn that these low level government jobs were highly coveted, and, after about 50 online applications and not a single solid lead, I was getting concerned.  I took my concerns and disappointment to my sagely and patient mother, and she gave me a little positive tough love.  “You have got to go there.  Physically walk in those offices and make face-to-face contact.” 

When my mother gives me good advice, I make it a point to listen.  I created a spreadsheet of the open positions and started to ‘pound the pavement.’  I mapped out the physical office locations, and would spend a couple hours a day delivering an application packet which included a hand written cover note, a customized cover letter, my resume, and my references.  On my third trip I got a bite.  It was an interview for an internship, specifically a non-paid internship, with a liberal Congressman from Florida.

I knew I would face some adversity and challenges in this environment, so I took the internship started at the bottom (I really had no other options).  My days began at 6:30am when I would wake up and drive the nearest Metro station in Fairfax (at the very end of the orange line).  I would pay $5 to park and would buy a $5 Metro pass for the ride in.  The Metro commute was roughly one hour.  I would arrive at work around 8am (always trying to get there first) and work till about 6pm.  After work I would do the same routine and hopefully be eating dinner around 7:30pm (often time my cousin’s kind-hearted wife would feed me- another act of generosity in which I am forever indebted to them).

I found solace in this tiring and costly experience because I was enjoying the internship (pushing myself into as many projects as possible), and I had high hopes for a paid job on the horizon (yes, the thought of a paltry 28K salary seemed like a bona fide lottery at that point).  

After grinding it out for 2.5 months at this internship, I was…exactly where I had started- or so it seemed.  I had no real job leads, I was already living off credit card debt, and my hope of working on the Hill was slowly fading.  Something had to change, so I took another non-paid internship in the Senate.  This was a communications specific internship in a well-known senator’s office.  It was very monotonous, and after another three months (nearly seven months total) and only two interviews, I had arrived at the crossroads of my discontent.  

I had hoped to be living in DC by June and it was early August.  I was burrowing deeper and deeper into debt, and I really couldn’t even stomach the idea of another internship.  This discontent met my sometimes unfortunate personality trait of impulsiveness, and I made a rather hasty decision.  I gave up the free room at my cousin’s apartment and signed a year lease in DC with nearly $1000 monthly rent.  I justified it by saying I would utilize this financial urgency and decreased commute time to help me get a job, but the fact was I had committed to an expensive lease and had no way to pay for it.  

At this point the great external force of luck intervened (maybe it was Karma recognizing my suffering), and I was offered a job sorting mail in the senator’s office that I was interning in.  I did this for a month and my luck continued when I was offered a job doing communications for another Senator.  I had come to the Hill to do communications and somehow I had reached my goal.  I was able to pay my rent and even had a little money left over to experience the endless activities in DC.  The job was a great learning experience, and I ended up staying in this job for my remainder of my time in DC.