Hey TWC,

We are in the twilight of our internship. Make the most of it!

I think that many of us have reached the point where we are somewhat complacent with our experience in DC. I’m not suggesting we are not enjoying it. I think we have all learned that it is possible to become used to Washington, as amazing of a city as it is. Personally, I can understand this. Whenever family or friends visit in Ottawa, we are forced to participate in the repetitive parade around Ottawa to see all of the monuments and museums. While they can be very impressive for visitors, they are endlessly passé for those who live there. My dad, who is from Cairo, is the exact same way when it comes to visiting the Pyramids, Sphinx, etc. At the same time, when we have visitors, we hopefully by this point possess the knowledge and awareness of DC to show them around. My mom came down for a weekend and I even surprised myself with how much I knew about DC. So far I have picked up a few visitors from National Airport (nobody calls it Reagan, apparently) and, without fail, I give them the Metro directions to all the sights in DC on the Metro map on the train back to Braddock Road. As much as I feel like I know the city, Washington is so complex that I still get lost. If you can swing it, make sure you have a smart phone with Google Maps or some type of GPS on it. It was a total lifesaver for me and many others new to Washington. The previously mentioned Metro app for iPod and iPhone are also invaluable.

July was perhaps the most hectic month for all of us for TWC stuff. We had our final portfolios due this past Monday. The final portfolio is essentially a collection of the most important work we had done while in DC. Our civic engagement project reflection was one part of the portfolio, which is essentially our explanation of how we have been engaged in our community, whether it was at home or in DC. Some people volunteered around the DC area or met with their Congressman to discuss an issue. I wrote about some of the events that I was planning back at Carleton for Academic Orientation Day, which is part of Frosh Week. One of the most important pieces in our final portfolio was our final defence letter, which is addressed to our advisor at our home institution. It is an apologia of our internship experience in Washington and a justification that our university or college should grant us credit for the internship. Also included were our resumés and work samples from our internship placement. Being a little behind on my work, it took me about eight hours to finish some documents, proofread, and organize them into one document. The portfolios are usually about twenty-five pages long, although some that I saw were closer to fifty pages.

This past Monday was TWC commencement at the Department of Interior. The president of TWC, Michael Smith, spoke about what an astonishing accomplishment this internship has been for each of us and how proud we should be to have finished it. While I usually was not the most attentive at TWC-wide events, he actually made me reflect upon my time in Washington more than I had so far. I’ll be posting a wrap-up in a bit with my final thoughts, but he did put that thought process in motion for me. More than anything, it made me realize just how tired I was. This internship has been more demanding than perhaps anything I have done in my entire life. Hyperbole aside, I think I will sleep for a week when I get back to Ottawa. We received our diplomas from TWC, and in what was perhaps both funny, awkward, and cathartic at the same time, we all pretended to stand up and throw our graduation caps into the air.

This is my last “week-to-week” update on the internship. I’ll be posting a list of things I wanted to accomplish in DC, both in sightseeing and experiences, as well as a two-part reflection. But for now, TWC, party it up, say your goodbyes, and enjoy the 100 degree-plus weather for our last few days.

Hashem