Business? Interesting? Hmm...

(This is from 6.11.08. I didn't post in time)

I’m in love with DC! It was my organization’s annual banquet was tonight and I thought it was going to be a very stressful day. I thought that my coworkers were going to be snippy, and the fact that I knew I had to work until at least 10 p.m. was going to be tiring. Although work was very rushed earlier, the event was great and a lot of fun. I don’t know why, but even setting up the registration table and putting out the programs was something I don’t want to complain about. I don’t know why but I liked being behind the scenes and working in the whole business atmosphere; it just felt right. It was held at the Fairmont in DC which is this beautiful, classy hotel that I just wanted to wander around in. My supervisor actually noticed that I was walking down the stairs slowly so that I could look around and he said that this hotel was one of the nicest he had ever seen.

I played hostess for the first part of the night and stood at the bottom of a set of stairs with another woman. She was very chatty and I loved talking to her. We talked about everything from the difference between young and old peoples view on the internet and facebook to my internship to flip flops. It was the first time since I got to DC that I actually ‘networked’ like we are told over and over again in our programming. Anyway, I had a hard time doing my job with all the young men in business suits wandering around the bar area. I was really surprised to see so many young people at this event because it really is a banquet for lawyers and law firms. The girl I was talking to, her name was Crystal, told me that law firms usually send their interns to fill the spot, which I guess is good for me because I had some pretty good eye candy while showing people to the reception table.

During the banquet, I sat with other people who were working the event; people both from my organization and volunteers. About halfway throughout one of the presenter’s speeches, she stopped and told us to get to know the people next to us. I ended up talking to the lady next to me to come to find out that she works part-time at the Newseum. She told me all the ins and outs of the museum and what I have to see when I go there. I didn’t know how big that place was until I began talking with her and now I really want to go see it. Then, she and the guy next to me began telling me all the different things I need to do when I’m here. Apparently, during the week you can go to the treasury building and watch them make money. Needless to say I’m really excited that my ‘things to do in DC’ list just keeps getting longer and longer.

Tonight was really the first time I really connected with my supervisors and coworkers. They said that now the banquet is over, everyone will be less stressed and the atmosphere will be even better than it already is. Also, because I was in such a good mood when I was there, I was myself and really started to show the people I work with who I really am which was nice because I felt like I’m really starting to fit in there and in DC in general. On the way home, I realized that whenever I think about going back to Wis., I already miss DC, even though I am still here.