Tea and Crumpets

I had a meeting with my advisor this afternoon, so I left work a little early. On the way back, I decided to get off at Eastern Market and walk, rather then switch at Metro to go to Union Station like usual. On a whim, I got off at Capitol South instead. It's been a long time since I was at Cap South. As I came up the escalator and Cannon HOB came into view, I began to think about the year I spent working in the Rayburn building. It was my first "real" job, after I finished my Masters. Moving to DC and working on the Hill wasn't really my idea, it wasn't something I wanted, per se. What I mean, is that it wasn't something I really considered initially. When I began looking for jobs, most of my resumes went to NYC and Boston, and a few here and there would come down to DC. I heard about the position with the Congressman through a former supervisor at a past summer internship, and she told me to apply. So I did. I didn't hear anything for a while...then they asked me to interview...then a second interview...and then, several weeks later, after I had accepted a position as the Deputy Campaign Manager for an election in Canada, they offered me the job. I told them about Canada, they said they'd wait for me, that I could come down to DC when the election was over. So that's what I did.

It all seems so surreal now, when I think about it. It feels like it was so long ago, yet it wasn't. July 4 is Independence Day, but it is also the day I moved to DC and began my life here, almost four years ago. While it may not have been the job of my dreams, I enjoyed it (most days!) and learned a lot. When I left the Hill a year later, I thought I knew what I wanted to do. Three years and three jobs later, I'm still not so sure.....