The east coast is home to so many intriguing historic events. Washington DC is the heart of it all. Don’t be afraid to expand your curiosity outside the city and take a day or weekend trip to see what the surrounding areas have to offer!

Philadelphia: Only 2.5 hours away, it is home to the Liberty Bell, and, arguably more famous, the Rocky steps. Here you can take a bite of an original Philly cheesesteak at Pat’s King of Steaks (cheese whiz is a must) or take a stroll around Britain House Square.

New York City: When can you ever say again that you are only a mere 4-hour drive away from New York. Take time to see the hustling city on a weekend. The city is filled with endless things to do: see the 9/11 Museum and World Trade Center Complex, visit the Rockefeller Center, step inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral, ice skate in Bryant Park, get lost in Macy’s at Herald Square, get a view of the Statue of Liberty, or simply be dazzled by Times Square.

National Parks: There’s plenty of them. Shenandoah National Park, Gettysburg National Military Park, and Prince William Forest Park to name a few. If you miss the Texas peace and quiet, take a drive out of the city and explore the beautiful nature on this side of the nation.

“Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.” – Anthony Bourdain

Loryn McFall
Office of Congressman Randy Weber
Washington, D.C. | spring 2020

As an incoming intern on Capitol Hill, I believed that being in the office, learning the ins-and-outs, was going to be the way to maximize my experience. Future interns be warned, take advantage of and go to every event and opportunity that comes your way.  From ‘Aggie Astronauts’ to puppy playtime, what will the Hill throw your way?

I am lucky enough to be in an office that welcomes interns with open arms and encourages us to make the most of our precious time in Washington. After being here for just over a month, I am learning all about the innerworkings of a congressional office, while also witnessing some of the more influential events of my lifetime. Events like:

• Sonny Perdue, the United States Secretary of Agriculture, introducing the USDA’s new ‘Innovation Initiative’
• Attending the Impeachment Trial of President Donald J. Trump
• Meeting Mike Fossum, Texas A&M’s “Aggie Astronaut”

These are simply some of the highlights of my time here so far, but what are not listed are the countless experiences that occur when you least expect them. Meeting one of your senators while giving a constituent tour, sharing an elevator with a member of congress (don’t even get me started on the elevators here), or joining the countless other interns on the hunt for a celebrity when they make an appearance in the Capitol.

Capitol Hill is a hodgepodge of politicians, celebrities, your everyday staffers, and interns from all over. Each day is unpredictable, but that is the beauty of it. You take each day as it comes, and hope that you have either your physical or mental camera at the ready.

Hannah Followill
Office of Congressman Filemon Vela
Washington, D.C. | spring 2020

I was a deer in the headlights coming to D.C. with very little knowledge of the city or what I would be doing in my hosting office. I figured my internship would consist of getting coffee, making copies and taking notes on anything and everything. When my hosting office informed me that I would get to go with them to their annual convention in Nashville, Tennessee, I knew that I was getting the opportunity of a lifetime.

Packin’ it up: My first month with the National Turkey Federation was spent getting things ready to host over 500 people at a 4-day long convention. Everything from the food members would eat to getting a hold of guest speakers like Secretary Sonny Perdue rested on the small but mighty staff of nine at the National Turkey Federation. My day to day tasks included making the nametags, contacting restaurants, and working with my supervisors to make sure everything was shipped in a timely manner to meet us in Nashville!

Hot Turkey and Honky Tonk Highway: When I got to Nashville, it was nothing but go, go, go for 6 days straight. We were responsible for setting up the convention space to make it “team turkey friendly.” My favorite part of the entire convention was meeting the members. From producers, to processors, to allied members, I was meeting people that I had heard about even in my studies at Texas A&M. I had the opportunity to build relationships with major players in the turkey industry. On top of the workday side of convention, I was able to spend informal time with staff and members, my favorite being enjoying the famous Nashville Hot “turkey” on Broadway Street!

Networkin’ and Boot Scootin’: I knew before even arriving to Nashville that I would be given an irreplaceable opportunity to build my network with potential future employers. I always kept my business card on me and took every opportunity to get to meet new people, even when it meant boot scootin’ through receptions and stepping out of my comfort zone.

My time in D.C. has been a once in a lifetime opportunity but experiencing Nashville in a business setting was the experience that I never thought I would get. The conversations and advice I got from our members are irreplaceable and I have a completely different outlook on the turkey industry now that I’ve met the wonderful people who make it happen.

Leeandra Bobo
National Turkey Federation
Washington, D.C. | spring 2020

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, within you is the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars, to change the world.” -Harriet Tubman

As an intern, you must constantly remind yourself why and what brought you to D.C., why you are working on the Hill, association, or lobbying group. It is easy to get sucked into the foggy layer of negative thoughts in the capitol city. When these thoughts start taking root in your mind, take a second and remind yourself why you chose to come here, and reflect on the lessons learned thus far and establish goals to guide the remainder of your stay.

The person leaving D.C. will not be the same as the one who landed. The time you spend in D.C. prepares you for life beyond politics and bureaucracy. You more than likely will not make a monumental change drastically altering the course of politics forever. However, you will leave equipped with tools to be an agent of change in your home, community, state, and beyond.

The most valuable piece of advice I can give you is to stay true to who you are, do not allow others to pressure you into believing or doing something you do not morally agree with, and take time for yourself. Whether that means jogging around town, walking on the treadmill, or sitting in bed with a book or watching Netflix. Your time here is valuable. However, you will be unable to take full advantage of it if you do not take care of yourself.

You once dreamed of working and living in D.C. and even if it does not live up to your expectations, treat it as a learning experience, make the most of it while you are here, and approach every day with a positive attitude.

McKenna Bush
House Committee on Agriculture – majority office
Washington, D.C. | spring 2020

Moving into a different environment is a task that most people tend to struggle with mentally, especially in an intern situation. You’re essentially uprooting your entire life and leaving your friends and family (including your dogs- arguably the hardest part) to temporarily take up residence in a new area. As for myself, I had never been to DC, but I knew it was going to be a major change from the small town in Texas that I grew up in. As a junior agricultural economics student, naturally I’m an outlier in the city, but I’ve found ways to cope with that:

• Perhaps the most important thing is to be satisfied with what makes you stand out from the crowd. The city, especially Washington, D.C., is a melting pot of people from all over the world that come here to work at the epicenter of American democracy. Each distinctive individual difference is what makes D.C. so special. Be comfortable with your own uniqueness and understand that it’s okay to not conform to certain groups.
• Lean on the other Aggies in your cohort. All of the TAMU interns in the student housing are essentially in the same situation. It’s okay to reach out to another intern when you’re feeling homesick or maybe you’ll need to empathize with them when they’re feeling down.

As Aggies we have made a nonverbal agreement to subject ourselves to a lifetime of learning and broadening our horizons. That dedication is proven through acts that encourage us to adapt to change and make the most of a situation. However, some people handle change better than others. I, like many others, have good days and bad days when it comes to being away from home. However, if you take care of yourself and call home regularly, your internship will be smooth sailing until it’s time to come home.

Marcus Frazier
Office of Congressman Bill Flores
Washington, D.C. | fall 2019

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