Week 5 in Washington

Hard to believe that summer is about to come to an end.  With only three days remaining in my Washington, DC internship, the bittersweetness is definitely starting to set in.  Even though this was a short summer internship - just under six weeks - I’ve definitely learned a ton.  Rep. Olson and his office have really helped make this a great experience.  They’ve given me and the other three interns the chance to draft letters and emails, explain the Congressman’s viewpoint on hot-button issues over the phone, and the opportunity to lead many tours of the nation’s Capitol Building.  The other interns have definitely made the experience too.  All of us get along really well and share many of the same interests, and it’s been really fun getting to know them at work,  touring the city, and going to evening receptions.

Spending nearly six weeks in the Capitol also has given me lots of free time to explore the city.  After seeing nearly all the Smithsonian museums - the most incredible museums I’ve ever seen - it’s made me realize how little I really know.  Knowledge just overflows from those museums.  Gemstones, volcanoes, antique planes, 9/11 remnants, 14th century art, animals from every continent - all of it’s right here, within a 1-mile radius of Capitol Hill.  If anything, it definitely has given me a sense of how much more there is to learn.

Interning in DC also makes me incredibly grateful to Texas Tech.  Because of the foresight that our University President had 13 years ago, Texas Tech has one of the best intern programs on Capitol Hill.  At any given time in the year, there are more than a dozen interns from Tech interning in Washington.  Equally good planning led the University to buy a house less than two blocks from the Capitol.  Some interns have to commute more than an hour each way to work every day. We have to walk about five minutes.

This experience has definitely given me a perspective of politics that would be impossible to achieve any other way.  For that I will always be grateful.

Fellow interns John and Olivia and Congressman Olson

Standing with the man of importance

I'm going to miss this view every day!

Week 4 in Washington

Week 4 was a great week, just as the first several have been.  I show up to work every morning and think to myself, “Wow, I can’t believe I’m really working here -- in our nation’s Capitol -- in the heart of the world’s most powerful city!”  And every day I’m re-encouraged to give my best effort in everything I do.  As the internship has progressed, Congressman Olson’s office has tasked me with projects of increasing levels of responsibility.  For example, I’m now helping to draft constituent correspondence in addition to explaining the Congressman’s position on hot-button issues over the phone.  I also really enjoy giving Capitol tours.  I’ve given nearly ten tours now, and every one gets easier.  After tour #1, I felt confident enough to give them without carrying my “Capitol Tour Handbook.”  All the tour experience for Texas Tech definitely helped give me confidence here.

Because my office has four interns and only three intern desks, each of us gets one day off every week.  I spent my day off last week touring the Holocaust Museum.  Learning about the Holocaust in history class was one thing - walking through an actual railcar that hauled thousands of Jews to their deaths in concentration camps was another entirely.  It was gripping, informative, and appalling; I will never forget the museum and its recurring theme of “never again.”

I have never really been interested in museums until now.  When I was younger, I just got tired of spending more than an hour or two inside one building.  Here, I have no reservations spending three, four, five hours in a row at some of the museums.  The museums in DC are the best I’ve ever seen.  Last weekend, I toured the “Newseum” with two other interns in my office.  The Newseum is the only museum in the world focused exclusively on news.  It depicts the most significant events in American history from the media’s perspective.  It’s a 5-story, sleek, ultra-modern museum with phenomenal exhibits.  A few of my favorites were the Pulitzer Prize photo gallery, the FBI exhibit, and the 9/11 exhibition.  Another of my favorites was the “News History” gallery with front-page headlines from the most important events every year in American history.

All in all, this internship has exceeded my expectations in almost every way.  The office situation is great, the hearings are super interesting, and there’s always an abundance of things to do around the city. To top it off, just yesterday I got to meet Paul Ryan! Now with less than two weeks left, I’m realizing how much stuff I still haven’t seen. Time to get busy.

                            One of my favorite pictures so far! 

Week 3 in Washington

At what point in an internship can you say you’ve conquered the initial learning curve? My last week was dotted with a variety of mini-achievements; I managed to get through the week without slamming my arm in a metro door, getting lost in the web of tunnels underneath Capitol Hill, or arriving late to work because of massive security lines. A trifecta of progress, to be sure.

My office’s other three interns and I have gotten into a routine for handling mail, phone calls, and news.  Because we’ve become more efficient at getting things done, it’s left more time for fun activities such as congressional hearings, receptions, and speaking events.  We also get one weekday off every week, so that leaves even more time to see the DC sights.

Last week’s highlights were attending a reception for the 69th anniversary of Guam’s liberation (when US forces won back the island from the Japanese during WWII), attending a hearing on EPA regulations by the Energy and Commerce Committee, and visiting the National Art Gallery and the Museum of Natural History Smithsonian.  It was a good week for sure!  There's so much to do in this city.

Smithsonian Castle

South American Monkey

World's largest rodent - the capybara

Jaguar

  

Dancing on stage at the Guam Reception

Jazz in the Garden

Week 2 in Washington

"If you enjoy your job, it’s never really work"

Yes, I totally just butchered that quote, but y'all get the point. The second week in DC was even better than the first! Washington is a completely different city when Congress is in session.  Not only can we see more Representatives roaming the halls and tunnel system, but the work becomes more interesting and it’s neat to see legislation actively produced.  The staffers send me to Congressional briefings several times a week and use my summarized notes to help craft talking points for the Congressman.  It’s exciting to be part of the policy process firsthand.  I have always held a passion for following current events and it’s incredible that everyone surrounding me on the Hill shares this same interest.  Few careers are as influenced by news as those in politics, so it’s important that everyone be well-versed in trending topics.

People on the Hill are also incredibly friendly even though the work environment is the most fast-paced I have ever experienced.  There are few times during the week when I have nothing to do.  Some of my frequent tasks include answering phone calls and recording constituent opinions, giving tours of the US Capitol, and taking notes at Congressional briefings and hearings.  

My favorite part of work so far has been attending the briefings and hearings.  It’s entirely more cool to hear about US drone policy, energy exploration and production, and Chinese-US cybertheft directly from leading experts than through the censored lense of modern media. It’s also neat to be able to roam unescorted through the tunnels underneath the Capitol and the various office buildings to travel to/from briefings and hearings.   

Last weekend some friends and I took a spontaneous hiking trip to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.  It was definitely one of the prettiest hikes I have ever taken - five miles alongside a rolling mountain stream that formed waterfalls at several points along the trail.

Now it’s time for week three!  Below are some of my favorite pictures so far.

Energy and Commerce Committee Hearing Room

Candid Office Pic

4th of July Fireworks Over the Washington Monument

Shenandoah National Park

Waterfall at Shenandoah

WWII Memorial with Washington Monument in Background

First Week in Washington, DC

My first week in DC has been a whirlwind of activity. The internship with Congressman Pete Olson (TX-22) started last Monday, July 1.  During the first day, the two other interns in my office and I spent the morning at US Capitol tour training.  During the afternoon, we got acquainted with the computer databases that handle constituent letters, email, and phone calls.  Wednesday was eventful because I got to give my first Capitol tour -- to eleven people. It went really well but there’s just so much history and detail about the Capitol to remember.  

The highlight of last week was getting to see the July 4th celebration in Washington, DC.  In the morning, I watched the Independence Day Parade from the steps of the National Archives.  After relaxing (and cooling down) a bit in the afternoon, I spent the evening watching the Capitol Fourth Concert on the west lawn of the US Capitol.  Some of the performers included Neil Diamond, John Williams, Barry Manilow, Jackie Evancho, and the National Symphony Orchestra.  After the concert, fireworks exploded over the top of the Washington Monument in one of the most spectacular shows I have ever seen. It was definitely one of the best 4th of July’s ever!

I expected the internship to be relatively slow-paced and involve a fair amount of the routine “grunt work” that provide interns job security - cleaning, making coffee, running errands, etc.  And I prepared myself for this -- and to do everything with a great attitude; afterall, living in DC for five weeks is a great opportunity and provides lots of time to explore the city!  Thankfully, all my work so far has been really exciting.  I have already started conducting energy policy research for my office in addition to helping handle correspondence on immigration, gun control, and the recent NSA leak.  This week I will attend my first Congressional Hearing, which happens to be on cybersecurity.  

One great benefit for DC interns is the wide variety of educational events the city offers, particularly in the evenings.  Last night one of the other office interns and I went to a lecture by former CIA Director James Woolsey.  He talked about the national security threats caused by US reliance on foreign fuels and the vulnerability of the current US electrical grids.  It was fascinating.  Today, Texas Senator Ted Cruz shared some of his policy goals and the recent immigration legislation in the Senate.  

Although working in the office has taken up the majority of my time since arriving, there are tons of sights to see in Washington, DC, and I’ve tried to hit up as many of those as possible.  So far there are a few Smithsonians, the Library of Congress, and most of the memorials checked off the list.  

Interning in DC has also made me sooo happy to be here with the Texas Tech program.  The University bought and renovated a building a couple blocks from the Capitol, and it’s fantastic.  Living literally right on the Hill saves so much commute time and money.

My first week on the job has been absolutely incredible, and I cannot wait for another four weeks of this internship!

Final Study Abroad Thoughts

Nine European cities, one class, countless memories. Now, thirty days after the adventure began, I’m writing my final “study abroad” blog from the airplane heading from Madrid to Dallas! Hard to believe. This last month has been one of the best trips ever, and I would recommend anyone considering studying abroad to definitely take the plunge. It’s worth the cost many times over. I learned a lot about Spanish culture and international commerce and how to navigate foreign cities. I also made some great new friends!


This last week in Spain has been remarkably different than the first several. Instead of the week being jam-packed with daily excursions, I’ve had a lot more time to relax, enjoy exploring Seville, and study for my final. The final exam on Friday went really well. Through taking the class in a team environment (with two other people on my team), my team skills have definitely improved. I’m not normally a fan of group projects in school because it’s hard to find a group whose members pull an equal share of the weight, but the team environment in this class worked extremely well.


Because the last week has been more relaxing, I had time to visit several other sights in Seville and go shopping for some souvenirs. One of the coolest places I visited last week was Plaza de Espana, best known as the movie set of the planet Naboo in Star Wars.

                   Plaza de Espana in Seville


Another fun part about last week was getting to visit with some long-time friends who happened to be vacationing in Seville during my last day there. Since it had been five years since our last visit, it was particularly cool to see them here in Spain! They live in Virginia now, so hopefully we’ll be able to meet up again while I’m working in Washington, DC later this summer.


One of the hardest parts about leaving Spain was saying bye to my host mom, Teresa. She is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met, and while my roommate and I were staying in her apartment, she treated us like family. She cooked three (very good) meals a day for us, helped us learn to navigate Seville, told us we were blessed with good looks, etc. The whole works. If there were a “host family of the year” award, she would win it. On our last day in Seville, Sagar and I bought her a box of chocolates and a bouquet of her favorite flowers. She was so excited that she immediately called three of her friends to tell them. Mission accomplished.

             Mama Teresa


Although I’m fairly good at planning trips now, I certainly wasn’t before studying abroad.  I was so inexperienced that I didn’t notice I had a 22-hour layover in Madrid until after I had booked the plane ticket. At first I was planning to spend all 22 hours in the Madrid airport (which was a terrible idea to begin with), but after learning about the prevalent pick-pocketing across Madrid, I decided to stay in a hotel near the airport. My dad stays at Hilton hotels almost every time he travels, so he was able to negotiate a free upgrade to the “executive floor." 


This hotel was legit. And not excessively expensive either. Easily one of the nicest hotels I have ever been. The service was great, the people were friendly, and staying on the executive floor was simply awesome.


My friend and I put on our nicest clothes and spent most of the evening in the executive lounge pilfering a variety of snack foods for dinner. I'm sure we blended right in...


                          Executive Lounge


While we were hanging out in the lounge, a guy sitting across from us struck up a conversation. Turns out he’s a current college professor at the University of Arizona, former US diplomat to several countries, and Harvard graduate. We had a great discussion about everything from foreign languages to college to Washington, DC politics. It was great.


The Hilton breakfast was my last meal in Spain - and it was easily the best breakfast of the entire trip. If I ever stay in Madrid again, the Hilton will be at the top of my list.

After traveling for a month though, I’m ready to be back in the United States. Many of the great things we take for granted in the United States rarely exist in Spain. Things like peanut butter, cold milk, large breakfasts, cars the middle-class can afford, showers bigger than 3 square feet, and air conditioning. And on a more serious note, things like the United States’ (relatively) low unemployment rate, vast business opportunities, and quality of college education. I’m glad I studied abroad in Spain. I wouldn’t change any of it and I learned a ton; however, studying abroad has also made me feel more fortunate to live in America.

Gibraltar: A British Land of Caves and Monkeys

Wild monkeys. Caves. One of the world’s best viewpoints.  Welcome to Gibraltar.  This is where I spent my weekend.

Where is Gibraltar exactly?  It’s a small British colony on the Iberian Peninsula to the south of Spain, also 12 miles from the north coast of Africa.

My travel group consisted of my Spanish roommate, Sagar, and three other friends - Brooke, Hannah, and Kate.  It was an awesome bunch so I knew we’d have a great time.  

The Rock of Gibraltar

Our bus got to La Linea (the Spanish city bordering Gibraltar) fairly early Friday evening, so we did some basic surveying of Gibraltar on Friday night and went to sleep at a reasonable hour so we could wake up early on Saturday. Walking into Gibraltar was really cool because the only way to get through is by walking across the airport runway.

I loved every minute of my time in Gibraltar.  It’s a British colony, so from the second we stepped across the Spain/Gibraltar border, everyone spoke English - and with a British accent.  It was great. I fancied every “blimey,” “bloke,” and “cheers” I heard.  The phone booths were pretty swell too.

Our first mission Saturday morning was to order an English breakfast.  Spaniards typically don’t have large breakfasts (it’s usually just toast), so eggs, bacon, coffee, and orange juice was a nice change in pace.  It was also delicious.

After breakfast, we found a tour guide for the Rock of Gibraltar.  The rock is massive, and we were fairly limited on time, so the additional 12 euros each for a guided tour was well worth it.  Our objectives: to see the caves, monkeys, war tunnels, pillars of Hercules, and viewpoints in less than two hours.  Mission accomplished!

St. Michael's Cave

Eating Carrots

Monkeys on the Rocks

 

Chilling on the Tour Guide's Car

 

Hold a Wild Monkey: Check!

 And the other sights...

Pillars of Hercules

Former War Tunnels

Antique Cannon

View of Gibraltar

Gibraltar also has one of the world's most amazing lookout points.  From the top of the rock, we could see Gibraltar, Spain, and Morocco - three countries, two continents.  Breathtaking, no doubt.

After the tour, we had the obligatory British fish & chips for lunch. Then we shopped around for a while, relaxed for a bit, and then hopped on the bus back to Seville.  The length of the trip was just about perfect, and the weather could not have been any better during our rock tour.  Gibraltar will definitely be one of my favorite memories of study abroad.  And I’ll definitely never forget those monkeys.

Portuguese Splendor

Hola!

My time abroad keeps flying by quickly.  Hard to believe there's just over a week left!  This past weekend was my favorite so far.  From Thursday to Monday, my group took a trip from Spain to Portugal. There are many similarities between the two countries, but I might like Portugal more overall.  It was remarkably easy to communicate over there and the Portuguese were really friendly to Americans.

View of Lisbon

The Portugal trip started in Lisbon.  Lisbon definitely has more of an older-town feel with some aspects of a newer city as well. I really enjoyed the view of the city atop one of Lisbon's nicest hotels (we bought drinks on the roof as an excuse to go up)!










One of the highlights of visiting Lisbon was a company visit to Portugal Telecom (PT), an international telecommunications firm with operations in Portugal, Spain, Brazil, and other South American countries.   It was interesting to learn how Portuguese businesses operate; surprisingly, there seemed to be many similarities between PT and American technology companies.  They have a team-focused, relaxed work environment that reminded me of operations at Microsoft or AT&T.  They are also building one of the largest data centers in the world to support cloud computing, so PT seems to be keeping up with the times.  I’m excited to see how the company will fare in the next few years.

One of the most impressive qualities I noticed in the Portuguese was their incredible knowledge of English.  At Portuguese Telecom, for example, company reps said that nearly 100% of new hires (many of whom are just high school grads) can speak fluent English.  I found this to be true throughout the country as nearly everyone in restaurants, hotels, and even on the street spoke almost perfect English.  It would be fantastic if schools in the US could also teach languages that well!

The highlight of the Lisbon trip was watching Portugal win

against Russia in a world cup qualifying soccer game.  It was one of the most exciting sporting events I’ve seen, and I was thrilled when Portugal pulled through 1:0.

Lisbon, Portugal's Soccer (Futbol) Stadium

Part of the group at lunch in Lagos

After Lisbon, my group went to Lagos for a few days.  Lagos is probably my favorite city on the trip so far.  It has a coastal feel with temperate weather and beaches that rival America’s best.  Compared to other tourist beach-towns, Lagos is relatively small and never felt too crowded.  The food was also probably the best of the trip. Lagos is even home to one of the world's top 50 burger joints.

The "End of the World"

Another highlight of the Lagos trip was getting to see Cape St. Vincent in Sagres, Portugal - once considered the "end of the world" before the discovery of the Americas. Hard to believe that people once thought only sea monsters were beyond this point.

My favorite part of Lagos, though, was hiking to the beachside cliff formations and admiring their splendor and uniqueness.  The caves, grottoes, and sea arches formed naturally over millennia.  It was quite possibly the prettiest place I have ever seen in my life.

Part of the Ponta de Piedade cliffs in Lagos

With all the traveling associated with this program, several of my friends have asked if I’m actually “studying” at all, and the answer is yes!  I have class for 3 hours almost every day.  On days that I don’t have class, there’s usually a company visit or another class-organized excursion.  I’ve just had to spend my time more productively and to work together with my team to get our work done.  My professor is teaching the class (Operations Management) in a way that requires lots of teamwork and collaborative learning, and much of the course also incorporates case studies and our company visits.  I’ve learned quite a bit from the class so far.  I just wish that all classes were this enjoyable.  It’ll be tough going back to normal semesters. Heck, it'll be tough going back to real life.

Week Two: Italica, Cordoba, Granada, and More!

Hola!  

Hard to believe another week of study abroad has flown by.  Every day of this trip has brought something new, and I love that aspect.

On Monday my class took a trip to ancient roman ruins outside Seville.  Italica was once the site of a civilization of more than 10,000 people.  The intricate architecture and brilliant engineering made it a really fun site to visit.  For being nearly 2,000 years old, it has held up remarkably well.

Tuesday we got to visit the massive cathedral in Seville, the largest Gothic structure in the world and the world’s third-largest church.  It was initially built as a mosque but was converted into a Cathedral and expanded by the Catholic Church in the 1400s and early 1500s.  It is also the burial site of Christopher Columbus.

Later in the week, I got to see a Spanish bullfight.  It was definitely a unique cultural experience, but I am thankful for laws in the United States that protect animal rights.  Bullfights are savage spectacles in which the bull is teased, tortured, and then slaughtered in front of thousands of fans.  According to my host family, Spaniards use “Spanish tradition” as the main justification for bullfights, and to me this reaffirms the issue of blindly following tradition in general.  At any rate, I am glad the United States has a more developed position in regards to animal rights.  

The group took a Friday trip to Cordoba, Spain, which was about a 1.5 hour train ride from Seville.  It was interesting to see the massive mosque in Cordoba and some different Spanish architecture.  The mosque (mostly converted into a church in the 1200s) has hundreds of elegant columns lining the structure.  

This weekend my class joined a group from OU to head to Granada, Spain.  Granada is on Spain’s southwestern coast, about a 2 hour bus ride from Seville.  The bus left from Seville’s train station at 7AM, which meant I had to wake up at 5:30 to make the 6 o’clock bus to be at the train station before 7:00. This entire trip has been full of late nights and early mornings, but it’s been a blast!

The first stop in Granada was the church where Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand are buried.  In this church, we also saw the spot where Christopher Columbus prayed before heading out on his New World expeditions.  It was fantastic.

The highlight of the Granada trip was seeing the Alhambra Fortress. Well over 1000 years old, the Alhambra was absolutely awesome.  It took us a couple hours just to walk through it and see the rooms available to visitors. The pictures definitely don’t do it justice.

Saturday night I went to the gypsies’ part of Granada to see a Flamenco dance show.  Flamenco dancing is sort of like tap dancing but it also involves ethnic music and some storytelling.  Although I couldn’t understand most of the stories because they were in Spanish, it was an interesting experience and I’m glad I went. Most of the group felt the same way.

I’m getting excited for the trip to Lagos and Lisbon, Portugal later this coming week. I've heard that's the best trip of the program!

Adios!

Joseph