Monday, August 5, 2024
By:
So, this is the last week, huh? As a recap, I've been here for just under 4 weeks due to circumstances beyond my control. Despite the short time, I'm grateful for every small project I worked on because it's better than doing nothing—something I really dislike. These past few weeks have been amazing. The people, the food, everything (except for the humidity) has been great. I've made friends and acquaintances, and I've gotten into a nice routine: waking up, making an omelette, having breakfast while watching an episode of a show (most recently, 'This Is Us'), packing up, walking to the metro, doing the Wordle of the day, getting to the office, preparing a cup of coffee and drinking it while reading the NYT, and then working… you get the idea.
However, there's one thing I still need to get used to—presentations. Truth be told, I've never been a fan because I get too much in my head about them. Are the slides good enough? Am I conveying the right message? Given my short time in DC, I was hoping to avoid presenting, but alas, I had to. Fortunately, my supervisor, Alejandro, was kind enough to offer some concrete advice on how to tackle my presentation, considering the brief nature of my internship. The practice session before the final day also helped ease my nerves, and I think I did well. I'm proud of what I was able to accomplish in the short time I was here.
Reflecting on my time in DC, I will cherish the moments spent with my fellow interns who became friends—the intern Olympics where I discovered my love for spike ball, the small conversations we had while walking to and from different places. It's the little things that stand out. DC has been a fun place, but it has also reaffirmed my love for the quiet suburbs. However, I will surely miss the highly interconnected metro system. Oh, if only I had a car.
It seems the city wasn’t quite ready to see me leave. My departure from DC, originally set for 6:24 pm, turned into a 10:45 pm departure. I can't really blame Delta this time because, as far as I know, the delay was weather-related. Although I was visibly frustrated for about 10 seconds, I quickly cheered up. We should be thankful that we live in an era where a tube rises from the ground and transports us through the skies to our destinations faster than ever before. It's understandable if that tube can't handle a severe storm. Due to the storm, I missed my connecting flight, which meant an extended layover of over 8 hours instead of the planned 40 minutes. But hey, I got a chance to binge-watch 'This Is Us' and read 'Quantum Supremacy: How the Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything' by Dr. Michio Kaku, a gift from Kayla and Mikayla.
I will always cherish my time in the DMV area. It's time to begin a new chapter in my life, but who knows? I might return here someday for a longer stay.
Collins Kariuki