One question I got asked multiple times before my big move to Washington, D.C. was, what is the first thing you are going to do? My answer was to go see Dorothy’s Ruby Red Slippers in the Smithsonian. That was of course the first thing I did and then the fun began.

Having been in a congressional office for almost three months, I have learned there is no normal day in the office. From moving 2,000 bibles, to barbecuing in the boss’s office, or even sharing a love of hot peppers with the Congressman, nothing in out of the ordinary.

One of the first items hanging in the front office is a newspaper clipping of one of Congressman Weber’s past interns having a pepper challenge. The first time I met Congressman Weber, I told him I loved spicy food and now he shares his peppers with me. A little fact about the Congressman is that he grows his own peppers at his home and in his office. If you ever visit, ask to see his plant or have a pepper.

Fun fact: Texas’ 14^th Congressional District houses the majority of NASA’s workforce. So NASA is a big topic for the Congressman. He has many miniature space rockets in his office and a few signed astronaut photos. Thanks to him and his space legislative assistant, I have cultivated a love for space and NASA.

Overall, I have learned so much interning in the office, but the most important thing has been that there is never a normal day in Congressman Randy Weber’s office because each day is a new adventure!

Jessica Santos
Office of Congressman Randy Weber
Washington, D.C. | fall 2019

Breakfast or lunch? Can’t decide? Say no more, the solutions to your problems is BRUNCH! D.C. is known for their famous brunches. It is a must to go at least once while you are living here. In College Station, there isn’t many brunch spots, and the ones we have always have a huge line to be seated. Brunch can be eaten with friends or even alone, whilst reading a good book. As an avid “bruncher” myself, here are my top five favorite spots here in D.C.:

1. Founding Farmers – A classic D.C. brunch spot, some call it the best because of the farm fresh options. This has to be one of the most famous spots in D.C., therefore you will likely encounter a line to be seated. If you come here, I would recommend the avocado egg white toast with a First Bake Blend drip foffee. The coffee is a locally roasted blend at Compass Coffee and is delicious if you are a coffee fan. (You will notice that I am also a coffee fanatic!)
2. Fiola Mare – If you love good Italian food, this is the place to be. There menu changes daily and seasonally with the select ingredients that are available. In the fall, they have an amazing sweet corn & ricotta pancake that even thinking about it, makes my mouth water. It is the perfect combination of sweet and salty. With my pancakes, I would get the famous mango honeybush kombucha or an espresso.

3. Kafe Leopold & Konditorei – This charming café in Georgetown, takes me back to a traditional Austrian breakfast. My favorite must be the belgische zuckerwaffeln, which is a Belgian sugar waffle topped with whipped cream and honey. It is simple, but absolutely amazing. As always, a cup of espresso on the side. If you are still craving something sweet, I would recommend the fraisier, an almond cake layered with pistachio mousse, topped with fresh strawberries.
4. All-Purpose Pizzeria – A good pizza spot at night, and an astonishing brunch. This a spot where I would bring along some friends to share the breakfast pies. The best pie for which they are famous is called the Lady Brynn, which is made of parm fonduta, prosciutto cotto, gruyere, an egg and topped with chives. It is the classic breakfast pizza! This place has amazing pizza, but also has an awesome view of the Anacostia River. It’s a perfect spot for good brunch and cute pictures!

5. Ted’s Bulletin – Ted’s is the perfect place if you want a good homemade pop tart. I am not much of a pop tart fan but this is the only one I will eat! They are cheap and will fill you up until the end of the day, trust me! Definitely order the seasonal Ted’s tart and the classic strawberry tart! There is no way you can choose the wrong tart when at Ted’s.

Ashley Carter
Office of Congressman Filemon Vela
Washington, D.C. | fall 2019

So, Washington D.C. is the capital of the United States. But why does everyone think it’s so cool? Well, that’s something I certainly learned during my internship through Texas A&M’s ANRP program! To start off with, the city is historic. It’s amazing to see places like Mount Vernon, because that was a special place for George Washington himself! Second, Washington D.C. is full of passion. Anywhere you go during the work week, you will see professionals of all ages working hard for something they care about. Every morning on my way to work, I come across so many people on their way to work as well. The hustle and bustle of this city is certainly backed by passion and dedication!  The third reason you should not count this city out is because, like I said earlier, it is the CAPITAL of the United States. What could be cooler than attending the briefings you see on T.V. or working with the lawmakers of our country? As much as I love Texas, Washington D.C. gave me experiences within the political realm that I never thought I could have! Finally, the last reason that Washington D.C. is cool is because it is beautiful. From the historic landmarks to the National Mall and so forth, there is not a view of D.C. that could take away from its beauty. An example is the photo I’ve added! This is a picture of me and my roommates, Jessica Santos and Ashley Carter, at the Speaker’s Balcony in the Capitol Building. Behind us is the National Mall with the Washington Monument! Although I think Washington D.C. is definitely worth a visit, what do you think?

Ritma Aftab
Office of Congressman John Ratcliffe
Washington, D.C. | fall 2019

Don’t limit your program experience to one city, try shaking things up with a fun road trip! Here’s a few tips to help you make the most out of it.

As I’ve settled into my new city and job and the initial excitement and anxiety of starting a new job began to fade, I was feeling gray again. I love the work I get to do in my office and I love the people that I get to work with but outside, I just couldn’t seem to escape the cloud that hung around me. The truly beautiful architecture and majestic monuments faded into the mundane as I passed them daily. Perhaps what I needed was a change of scenery, so one weekend, my friends and I took a trip to Boston to break the routine.

I’ll tell you a bit about our experience and give you some tips if you’d like to organize a road trip with your new intern friends too.

Find a suitable method of transportation

You need a car if you want to take a road trip. If someone in your group has a large enough vehicle, then good for you. If you’re all poor interns without a car like we were, check out your rental options. There are several rental services at Reagan airport just one metro-stop away! Look online for an automobile that fits everyone comfortably and be sure to set the return time to as late in the day as possible so you don’t have to worry about turning it in late.

Book a place to stay early

Don’t start your trip without knowing where you’re going to stay during your trip. Look online for a motel or hostel in the area you’re planning to go. The towns around the major cities often have very nice options at much more affordable prices than downtown. For our Boston trip, we stayed at a Motel 6 about 20 minutes outside the city.

Make an itinerary

To make the most out of your trip, you should have some idea of where you want to go and what you want to do. A good strategy to avoid wasting time is to create a google doc before your trip and have everyone contribute by adding landmarks, attractions, bars, and restaurants that seem interesting. As you look online for things to do, you may find a neat arcade bar, market center, or historic monument all within walking distance from each other. As we made our basic itinerary for our trip, we were better able to plan our activities each day.

Be flexible with plans

Just because you made an itinerary, doesn’t mean that you have to follow it to the letter. What if you stumble upon a cute tea shop, a Harry Potter themed bookstore, or a bar with a great deal on fresh oysters? There’s a lot of places to go and things to do but sometimes you have to explore a bit to find the real gems out there. Having flexibility with our plans enabled us to do a lot more in the places we visited.

Make a playlist for your drive

To make the long drive more fun, let everyone in your group add music to a playlist. You’re less likely to be bored when everyone’s music tastes are represented during your many hours on the road. Our very eclectic playlists featured all different genres, from Bollywood to Bjork!

Don’t be stupid

It’s good to have fun. While on your trip, be sure that you are representing yourself and your program positively! You’re an adult and you should act like it, be sure that everyone in your group is moderating themselves appropriately. Stay safe!

I hope these tips help you out. I highly recommend exploring outside of D.C., especially in the fall. The leaves are so pretty! Thanks and gig ‘em!

Hunter Free
National Farmers Union
Washington, D.C. | fall 2019

Each choice you make during your time in Washington, D.C. could be the one that determines whether you sink or soar- from the everyday choices you make professionally, to the more mundane ones like choosing what you are going to eat for lunch. And while I could give you some advice about “how to make the best choices for a successful internship” (or something cliché like that), let me instead guide you towards making the right choices when it comes to your overall health and happiness. Because how you choose to treat your body can have a major impact on your present state of being, how well you perform at your job, and can ultimately contribute to how your overall D.C. experience plays out.

Eating Well

The saying “you are what you eat” is not just another one of your mother’s silly platitudes. What you consume can influence your appearance in a matter of hours, change your mood almost instantaneously, and can affect how well you perform during the day both physically and mentally. So, to set you up for success in D.C., try to eat as healthily as possible. While it is easiest to eat healthy by cooking your own food, I understand life in D.C. can get hectic. So, here are some of my favorite locations to get nutrient-rich meals on-the-go:

– sweetgreen

– Cava

– Roti Modern Mediterranean

-Whole Foods (they have amazing self-serve salad and hot-bar stations)

– Zoës Kitchen

-True Food Kitchen

– honeygrow

And if you work on the Hill, the Longworth and Rayburn Cafeterias have tons of delicious and mindful whole-food choices to take advantage of.

Exercise

While eating nutritious foods is an essential part of living healthily, working out is also incredibly important. While interning in D.C., I highly encourage you to take advantage of the downstairs gym in the Buchanan. It does not have the widest array of exercise equipment, but it can get the job done. Plus, it’s just a short walk and an elevator ride away. If that gym just doesn’t suit your fancy though, there is a rock-climbing gym called Earth Treks just down the road, a gym called Crossfit South Arlington in the opposite direction, and several other gyms throughout Crystal City that you can use for free if you have the Crystal City Lights pass. This pass grants you access to all the Buchanan’s sister properties’ amenities. If the pass does not already come with the set of keys they give you when you first move into the Buchanan, you can always ask the front desk attendants to give you one free of charge. My favorite gym in the area though is in Crystal Towers, for it has most every piece of equipment you would need for resistance training or cardio alike. Regardless of which gym you go to, at least make an effort to exercise regularly. Your future self will thank you.

Mindfulness 

If you have never heard of the concept of mindfulness training before, it is essentially the practice of focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. As documented by numerous studies, mindfulness training has the potential to alleviate depressive symptoms, increase our ability to focus, improve our brain’s ability to regulate emotions, and has the potential to relieve chronic anxiety. While I consider myself a healthy person in general, the healthiest thing that I do for myself is practice mindfulness daily. For just 10 minutes a day, I sit in a comfortable chair and just pay attention to everything that comes my way- thoughts, sounds, bodily sensations, outside noises, etc. And as boring as that may sound, it has made an incredibly profound difference on my overall well-being, and, I think, has enabled me to be a more productive and capable employee while working on the Hill.

If you have no real idea on how to start your mindfulness training, some apps that I would recommend you checking out are:

– The Waking Up App (my personal favorite)

– Headspace

– Calm

I sincerely hope your internship in D.C. proves to be fruitful, and I hope that you make the right choices for yourself- because no one will do it for you.

Morgan Everitt
Office of Congressman John Carter
Washington, D.C. | fall 2019

In a city full of politicians, entrepreneurs, and average joes, Hanna Lisenbe, that’s me, and my five roommates try to do the impossible, create a guide that will help you survive DC.

If you’re anything like me moving to DC is a major change; I went from 10-hour days in a sheep barn to 10-hour days in an office and the transition was huge. The truth is if you’re coming from any type of Texas background DC is going to be a big change. It’s kinetic yet motionless, historic yet young, passionate yet heartless; DC is full of contradiction and somehow, I still love it.

The adjustment to the Metro was probably one of the hardest jumps I had to make. There’s a lot of freedom in having your own vehicle, being able to leave whenever, wherever, that you lose coming to DC. So, my personal recommendation is that if you have the option, most definitely bring your car. It’s more convenient to have your car if you want to go on a weekend adventure or even just pick up groceries (a very difficult task if you are a metro user). Without a car, the Metro itself is going to become your best friend whether you want it to or not. If it all possible try to make your first trip on the Metro outside of the crowded rush hours, because the people that know what they are doing do not want you in their way. My first few trips included a wrong way train to the airport, leaving my friend behind on accident (learning that Metro doors are NOT like elevator doors in the process), and finally mastering the Golden escalator rule (step to the right or face the wrath of the businessman who missed his train because of you).

Unlike the Metro, the weather has been one constant that has made me feel at home here in DC. Just like College Station, DC has a certain humidity level that can make you sweat off your makeup after a mere five steps out of your front door. Beyond the humidity DC’s weather tends to have the temperament Texas weather as well. One day it’s 95 degrees with 100% humidity and the next day it’s 70 degrees and sunny with a nice breeze; I am sure ice and snow are next in the queue. My point here is to make sure you bring layers, check the weather app before you leave, and always carry an emergency umbrella.

Besides the policy process that I love and came to the city to experience and learn more about, I’ve also grown to love all the fun that the city of DC has to offer. One of the best things about the must-see spots in DC is that they’re almost all free, so for an intern on a budget, like me, it’s perfect. Of course, some tours require $20 here and $15 there, but you can choose to trek on foot, free of charge, up and down the National Mall, to every museum, to Arlington National Cemetery, to the Capitol, and everywhere in between, you can see a huge part of our nation’s history, talk to the locals, and begin to understand what DC is all about. I enjoy the weekends in DC because people lose their masks and put away the diplomacy. Late weekend nights at the Lincoln memorial are a must, not only are the monuments beautiful at night, but they are also less crowded, filled with locals rather than tourists.

Finally, and probably most importantly, I recommend you gain a taste for coffee if you don’t already have one. In DC, coffee is more than just a fuel to keep you going throughout the day, it’s a networking tool. If you get here and you find somebody that has an interesting position or history, even if it’s just someone you want to get to know better, I cannot stress this enough, ask them to coffee. It may only be a 20 to 30-minute conversation, but it can be filled with valuable information and help you develop connections that will serve you in the future. Along the same lines try to stay up to date with current news and policies because like I said this city is, at its foundation, about our government and politics. Whatever you’re doing, being well-informed will just make you that much more marketable.

At the moment I’m surviving in a city, doing what I used to think was only a pipe dream for me. I’m getting the opportunity to work in our nation’s Capital. I am so lucky to be a small part of the big picture that changes lives here in America. It’s not fast, easy, or perfect, by no means (listen to Schoolhouse Rock “I’m Just a Bill” if you don’t believe me), but for the most part it’s filled with people working, not only to make a living, but a difference. Those are the people that I love squeezing onto the crowded Metro with every day. I have an open mind and I’m taking every experience thrown my way. If you get a chance to come to DC, live it up, and try to make a difference in your own way; DC will give you countless opportunities you just have to reach out and take them.

Hanna Lisenbe
Office of Congressman Kevin Brady
Washington, D.C. | fall 2019

Moving to a new city is one thing but, moving to a new state is very challenging. From never really traveling outside of Texas to moving 1,187 miles away it has been an adventure.

Learning the Metro did not take long. It is tricky but once you get the hang of it, it is a breeze. My first day in the city my roommate and I went to check it out and she got on and the doors closed right behind her so, I was left on the platform. To say I freaked out is an understatement. Once she got back everything was good, and we learned our lesson- Jump Fast!! I have been here for going on three weeks and I would like to consider myself a natural

Before I moved here, I knew in my head what I wanted to see and do. I suggest making a list but, going with the flow. Almost every weekend we (my roommates and I) have made plans for what we wanted to do. And, every weekend we have strayed from the plans and ended up doing something completely different and that’s ok. We have made a list of everything we want to do while we are here so straying from plans never hurts.

Sleep… Oh how I miss sleeping in or going to bed early. Even though I am tired I still wake up and start the day. Coffee has become my best friend again. When I think I am going to go to bed early life hits me with an opportunity and I try to go with it. Some things only happen once so why not lose a little sleep.

Carley Casbeer
House Committee on Agriculture
Washington, D.C. | fall 2019