Washington

Hello folks. I realized I used to write a lot of blogs on the weird little goings-on of France, and I have yet to do much like that about DC. I think it is because I have so many big, exciting things to write about, I forget to add the little things. This is a shame because if there is any city with a lot of absurdity, it is Washington.
The constant competition among people is ridiculous. By far the worst are young, male interns from the Northeast. By comparison, all of us in our office are from UW. We all are fairly normal, sociable people. We know we are in a work environment but know when to chill out too. On the other hand, most interns I meet here (particularly male ones) manage to brag about their Ivy League school, grades, awards and how their parents are paying for their law school in the first five minutes of conversation. I just roll my eyes and make an excuse to get away. Also, one of the most bizarre things to me is the idea of rank. You’d think we were working in the military or something! I am constantly reminded (outside of my office, I mean—Enzi’s office is amazingly kind and respectful) that there are many people see me as completely insignificant because of my ID that glaringly declares me an intern. I grew up believing people should show each other common courtesy (particularly in male/female roles) and that is not the case in this male-dominated atmosphere. Probably one of the weirdest was I had a grown man shove me out of the way to get off the elevator before me. That was a hard one for me to take...
Not to sound like I dislike it here by any means! For the most part I love it the egocentric bubble of DC. It is beyond weird to be in the actual center of policy. I physically see everyday what is on the news later that night. Like earlier this week, I was going to attend a hearing about internet competition (because I didn’t have a lot going on), and decided not to go when I saw the line wrapping around the hallway. The next morning, there was a headline on the Drudge Report about how heated Google and Yahoo representatives were in that same meeting! It’s almost desensitizing to see so much everyday. I see limos pull up outside, and check Fox News to see who it is (Oh, and the person who has gotten the most excitement for being in my office building lately has not been McCain, Obama or Hilary, but rather Jennifer Lopez). Oh, and if you happen to see anything about T. Boone Pickens and his new energy plan, I was sitting right behind him in the committee hearing!
The coolest thing though, is the example the Wyoming people set for me. Through them, I see that it is possible to live and work in this place, and stay yourself. That is a pretty comforting thought to me.