Sunday, June 18, 2023
By:
I’m back again off of another fantastic week in DC. This time, I’m actually starting to feel like I’m not aimlessly wandering without any sense of direction. It only happened twice this time!
Work has been interesting. I say that because I don’t know of any word in the English language that can correctly encapsulate the experience. I spent the week exploring dairy-free cheese recipes and trying to recreate them. The process of making them was very enjoyable. The smells that came with them, however, were quite the opposite. My advice? Save yourself the time and the tastebuds and don’t fix what’s not broken.
Other than the smells, though, it was very interesting to dive more into what about cheese makes it behave the way that it does. I’ve been looking into casein protein structures and how they dictate the rheological properties of the material. I’m currently trying to figure out if there is a way to obtain the same structural properties without any dairy present. So far the answer is no. But, I’m optimistic!
Life outside of work has been pretty grand. On Monday, I went to my first open-mic comedy show with Jaden and felt a level of second-hand embarrassment that I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy. Tuesday night, Gizem and I went on a 3 hour long grocery adventure that resulted in some of the best pasta to ever cross my lips. Wednesday, I’m pretty sure was the day I worked with MJ and Tiffany at a coffee shop ( 20/10 recommend bourbon coffee by the way). We also went to a reggae event at the wharf where me and Devin absolutely obliterated Eva and Julia in bean bags. On Thursday, the interns were invited to a SPS Executive Board Networking Event where I was introduced to several amazing individuals that created the positions we’re in today. It was incredibly inspiring to meet other past-interns and see what they were able to accomplish through the opportunities provided by SPS. Friday was supposed to be another round of Jazz in the Garden, but, unfortunately the weather would not cooperate. Instead, a group of us hung out in the dorms for a bit and played some lively card games. On Saturday, we had another SPS sponsored event. This time we attended an orchestral performance with Jack Hehn, one of the founders of the SPS intern program. We all agreed that that was one of the best events of the program so far, even if a few of us might have fallen asleep during the performance.
I have no idea what this next week will bring but I’m excited. So far, there hasn’t been a single day that I’ve been bored or found myself with nothing to do, and I hope that doesn’t change.
See you next week!
Brynn Schierenbeck