Submitted by Gillian Williams on the 2019 spring semester program in Washington, D.C. …
This week was the perfect definition of transitioning and re-acclimating to a new environment. Move in went surprisingly well and with less nerves than I thought I would encounter. I think that DC will be challenging to me. From the outside, everyone in the city looks like they are working all of the time and consistently in business professional, rushing from one meeting to the next. This makes me question my own abilities and confidence. My outsider’s view sees that everyone knows what they are doing and is climbing the ladder, while I don’t even know how to answer the phone or scan paperwork. I bet that they all started where I am now and had to learn just as I have to now. I just have to reassure myself that this is a learning process and that I will not be perfect in the first couple of days or weeks. It is all about the growth that you show throughout this experience. I find myself trying to impress those in my office and I don’t think I’m living up to their expectations. I hate to feel like I am in someone’s way or making their life more difficult, which is how I feel about working with my Staff Assistant. My daily reminder to myself is to be patient with my growing process. I am excited to keep building relationships with my housemates and explore the city. I am taking a peak into a potential future for myself which is sometimes overwhelming, but should be very refreshing. Overall, I feel comfortable in my surroundings and my abilities. I will become more resilient through this process and I am interested to track my growth.