Almost there...

On Sunday, I will leave for my internship. I've known about it for so long it's hard to believe it's really happening. First it's two weeks in training at the University of North Carolina (this is a national internship so they train people on a regional basis), and then on June 22 I head off to DC.

I have a place to live in what I'm told is a fabulous neighborhood (I tried to google map it to put a link, but that doesn't seem to work). I'm on the same street as the Capitol and Senate offices(Constitution Ave. What a perfect address for a journalist), across from the Supreme Court, and a few blocks away from the Library of Congress. Work is about two miles away (only three subway stops, I'm told), just a few blocks from the White House and the Washington Post buildig.

As much as I'm panicking in a "I only know two people there! I have to leave my cats for three months!" sort of way, I'm getting really excited. This is going to be an amazing opportunity. As much as I love History, it's going to be amazing to be in a place where I can really be immersed in historical documents and places. I can't wait to tour Congress and hopefully see them in action. I'm sad that I won't get to hear oral arguments at the Supreme Court, but it'll be fun to see the building. I have never described myself as patriotic, although I am really interested in politics and history, so I think this will be a great place to "learn about America."

I have an idealized notion that this trip will give me a deeper understanding of this nation and the government. I certainly won't change my core beliefs, and the things I'm most upset about with this government will still be instilled in me, but I imagine politics are more interesting up close in the city where everything's happening.