Saturday, June 3, 2023
By:
For the first time in all the times I have visited DC, I am no longer a tourist!
Welcome to Part 1 of 10 in a series filled with tales of new adventures, both fun and educational. As someone who only knows the suburbs, it has certainly been an adjustment moving to DC. However, it gets a little easier each day and I am having a lot of fun exploring the city and the lesser known attractions here. I am writing this happily full of good pizza from a place I would have never seen back home.
Week 1 actually started with my birthday! It was strange - in a good way - to celebrate my birthday with a bunch of people I had never met before. I mentioned it once in our intern group chat that my birthday was the day before orientation, and they took that and ran with it. Imagine sitting at dinner in a restaurant with 15 other people you only met 30 minutes ago, and then, all of a sudden, they start singing happy birthday to you AND give you a signed card. It was one of the kindest gestures I have seen in a while, and I will NEVER forget it. If any of the interns are reading this, THANK YOU! <3
Work Stuff: This week was really exciting and a little nerve-wracking, as a new job can be sometimes. The great thing is, everyone here, mentors and interns included, is extremely kind and wants to help. I am working with Physics Today this summer, and met some really great people on the team that I am excited to get to know better and collaborate with this summer. I am currently trying my hand at an article-drafting exercise, which is both challenging and really interesting. I have a LOT to learn about science journalism, but I find a lot of joy in it and am looking forward to seeing how the process works. Communicating science in an informative and creative way is really important to me, so I want to keep that sentiment in mind as I encounter difficulties and struggles along the way. I look forward to the frustration that will inevitably come with the learning process.
Fun Stuff: All of us interns have been hanging out quite a bit and it has honestly been really eye-opening to hear about everyone's internship experiences. We have all been taking turns talking about our days, and it makes me happy to hear about how many ways people use physics in their daily lives. On a completely different note, some of us went to the zoo on Saturday! I hope you enjoy the animal pictures below (including my slightly fuzzy picture of a baby meerkat). A lot of them were sleeping and ignoring everyone which I found to be hilarious. I would probably do the same if I were them.
Thank you for taking the time to read this! I am excited to move into Week 2 and keep exploring the city, friendships, and journalism.
Hannah Means