Monday, July 29, 2024
By:
In my final weekend in DC, I ended how I started, and yet, I have grown so much in the past ten weeks. This weekend, on Saturday, I went back to the National Cathedral and Dumbarton Oaks — places I visited my first weekend here only to find them closed. 10 weeks later, I found myself at them again, only for them to be open, and I feel as though that speaks volumes to my summer.
I began the summer unsure of what I wanted to study, of who I was, how to make friends, and how to navigate a practically new city. As a chronic worrier, I worried. My brain wanted to close off new experiences, staying in the comfort I previously knew, just like how I originally found the National Cathedral and the gardens closed to me. However, over the summer, due to the internship, the other interns that I now call my friends, and forcing myself out of my comfort zone, new experiences await me. Although I am still uncertain of many things, I do not fear it as much. I know that if I take full advantage of the opportunities that come my way and lean into my interests and curiosities, I will be forced to grow.
It honestly saddens me that this internship is coming to a close because I’ve been so happy. I’ve attended concerts, explored museums, gone on hikes, and allowed myself to give in to spontaneity. Although life is about planning, it is also about letting yourself have fun. Work will only get you so far, and for me, it cannot bring complete fulfillment. Everything in life exists in a balance, just as it does in the universe. I do not know what my life has in store, and I think for the first time, I’m starting to believe that’s okay. I do not know why this blog post is getting so philosophical — I guess some things never change.
Anyway, I’ll stop being sappy. This week was, per usual, hectic, but I’m starting to see the light! Tuesday was the tour of the Niels Bohr Library & Archives, Thursday was Intern Appreciation Day, and Friday, Charles organized a visit to NASA’s Goddard facility where Robert Petre gave us a tour. Honestly, that was probably the highlight of the work week. Rob graciously gave us so much NASA merch and showed us Mission Control for the Hubble Space Telescope, LISA, an astrobiology lab, and the clean room where they are assembling the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope! Plus, he is such a knowledgeable, yet friendly, person to chat with.
As I said, on Saturday, I went to the National Cathedral and the Dumbarton Oaks Gardens, both of which are stunning. The National Cathedral is also home to the Space Window which is a stained glass window that contains moon rock that the Apollo 11 astronauts brought back from their lunar landing! That morning, I also went to brunch with some of the interns at a Japanese restaurant, and let me tell you, I think I had a food coma by the end of it. I finished up the day by forcing Maia to watch one of the greatest movies of all time between Olympic surfing matches: Surf’s Up. If you don’t know of Chicken Joe, search him up.
On Sunday, I got brunch with a family friend and had one of the best Caesar salads ever. I think I might have dreams about it. I then went to the African American History and Culture Museum which was extremely well done. There, they also had a temporary exhibit on Afrofuturism — a genre that combines themes/aesthetics of space and sci-fi with notions of Black liberation. I ended the day by participating in the second half of the Intern Olympics. I thought my team would make a comeback after both Muji and I scored points in Guno and Mario Kart, but alas, we did not make it due to our performances in Hallway Hurdles and the rest of the games. But hey! We still got the MVP award!
As I write this, I have turned to coffee. If you know me, I only start drinking coffee when I am desperate for caffeine, so I must end this blog before I lose all semblance of a brain. Ta ta for now!
Recommended Activities: Renwick Museum, Municipal Fish Market at The Wharf, the Titanic Memorial, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Elfegne Ethiopian Cuisine, Rakuya, the National Cathedral, Dumbarton Oaks Gardens, the Hamilton, National Museum of African American History and Culture, Intern Olympics!
Kai Hostetter-Habib