What Does Your Reflection Show?

On June 2nd, 2014, I began my first day as an Intern at the Alzheimer's Association Public Policy office. Little did I know just how much of an impact this place and the staff here would have on my life.

Over the past hour, I've sat in my cubicle, on my exercise ball (& yes, that is my office chair! haha), with my fingers frantically hitting the 'delete' button on the keyboard as I attempt to type my last blog post of the summer. Never in my life have I had so much trouble putting my emotions on paper before; I wish that I could put into words, how I feel about the experiences I've had over the last 3 months of my life, but nothing that I type seems to do it justice. There are only two words I can think of that could even come remotely close to describing the impact this opportunity has had on me.......LIFE CHANGING. 


For the last 22 years of my life, I have been the planner, a girl with her 5-25 year plans written out in complete detail; someone who was afraid of the unknown and terrified of failure; a person who couldn't be satisfied with anything less than perfection in life; an individual who desperately needed a reality check.


My Time with the Alzheimer's Association 

Attended:
       -2 congressional hearings on Capitol Hill 
       -National Alzheimers Project Act meeting @ the Dept of HHS
       -Grassroots Advocacy training @ the Public Affair Council 
       -Medicare Seminar at the Kaiser Family Foundation
       -Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reception
       -Council on State Gov meeting for Suggested State Legislature

Faced My fear of Failure/Perfectionism/Unknown:
       -Starred in a video while discussing the importance of the Alzheimer's Advocate/Ambassador Program and providing enough video footage to create a 25 min film full of nothing but bloopers! 

       -Wanted to bang my head against the wall multiple times after learning how difficult it is to research state legislation for my 'Silver Alert' legislation spreadsheet and map project

       -Was terrified when I was told that I was going to better my public speaking skills by hosting a 1 hour monthly conference call with 150+ Alzheimer's Ambassadors on the line

       -Managed to find a way to take 8 hours worth of information that I learned at the Medicare seminar, and condense it to an 8 min power point presentation for all of the staff at the Alz office

Other Amazing Projects: 
       -Updated multiple spreadsheets/calendars for both the Public Health Team and Federal Affairs team

       -Conducted data analyses for various projects with the State Affairs team 

       -Given the opportunity to share my thoughts and suggestions on several of the programs here at the office 

       -Participated in our staff outing to the Spy museum for a Scavenger Hunt (Team Charlie for the Win!) 

       -Plus MANY more amazing projects 

I came into this internship, not knowing if public/health policy was something that I could ever see myself being passionate about. After 64 days of being completely immersed into the world of Public Policy in Washington, DC, I've completely fallen in love with it, and know that I have finally found my calling in life. 


My Summer Adventures & Challenges in DC

- Became an expert at asking for directions after getting lost countless times on the metro, in buildings and on streets in the city.     
  
- Faced my fear of getting hit by a car or hitting a pedestrian and FINALLY rode my bike to work on my VERY LAST DAY as an intern

- Got up the courage to venture out to a happy hour by myself and met an AMAZING group of friends in the process! (Shout out to the Brothel!- 4 guys and 4 girls all in their 20's and living in one giant house...what else would you expect them to call their-selves? haha)

- Went drunk river tubing (with 50 people) down the Shenandoah river...in which our group of 5, 'Team Terrible', managed to break 3 sandals, lose an iphone, a pair of ray bans, and leave a trail of empty beer cans floating down the river behind us. Even better than that, it started pouring down rain on us && we had an 1.5 hour bus ride home with a blown tire. <- What an adventure!

- Still haven't learned to wear sneakers to walk to work like the rest of DC (& that's after 60+ blisters over the last 3 months)

- Managed to make it through my trip back to DC from NC after blowing a tire on I-95 in Richmond at 8:30pm, having every decent hotel within 15 miles be sold out due to a ONE NIGHT baseball tournament being in town (finally finding one available in Ashland, VA), finding a shop to get a new tire the next morning and finally making it back to DC after 16 hours of traveling.

- Managed to locate the ONLY Chickfila in ALL of DC!--A Chickfila food truck! and purchased 3 sandwiches so that I could savor them for my times of 'Southern Withdrawals'

- Packed up my life multiple times as I had to move to new housing 3 times in a matter of two months. 

- Starting a new job this coming Tuesday with No place to call home right now, as I have to move out of my current housing this weekend and have yet to find somewhere new. (Here's to crashing on couches the next week or two! haha) 


Throughout my crazy adventures in DC and my experiences with the Alzheimer's Association, I've been challenged in every single way I could imagine...and have had my life changed completely. 

When I blow out 23 candles this Sunday, I will be saying goodbye to 22 years of 'my fears' and 'never being able to just go with the flow in life'...as I reflect on the moments in these last 3 months that have made that possible. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this experience with me; welcoming me with open arms, pushing me to overcome obstacles, giving me some of the most amazing life advice I could ever hope for and helping me to find myself in this world. 

Today, I began my very last day as an Intern here at the Alzheimer's Association Public Policy office. As I leave today, I will leave as an official Young Professional in the Public Policy world...Alz. Association staff: don't think that you are getting rid of me completely now, cause I'll be back! haha--My DC adventure is just beginning :) 

Cheers! <3