After a phone call from the Mothership back home I have been instructed to update my blog more often...
After nearly 7 days of work in the centre of political life in Washington DC I have decided to journal my day-to-day life in the office of Congressman James T. Walsh. (Please appreciate the fact that I am currently battling with the spell checker over the spelling of the word 'centre') I cannot overstate how welcoming the staff in the office and Mr Walsh himself have been towards me.
My first day was slightly awkward, I'll be honest. I arrived early (after getting lost) and my supervisor wasn't coming in until 9:15 that morning so I had a good half an hour sitting facing the staffer on the front desk trying not to look awkward and trying my best to look like a professional twenty-something. I am pretty sure I failed in this as I sifted through the discarded pages in my bag and stared intently on every picture in the room. Awkward turtle.
My supervisor arrived and I was introduced to all the staff (a consequence of a combination of being both blonde and nervous was that I automatically forgot them all and had to play guess work for the first few hours on peoples names. I was surprised to find that I am the only intern in the office so as a result I get spoilt!
My first day wasn't too busy- I did a little bit of letter writing and was allowed to watch a few votes. Each room has a clock with lights and a buzzer on it to let us know when there is a vote. Ha! Just as I finished that sentence the clock started buzzing! I still haven't worked out how exactly it works, as one light on the one in my office is broken so I can't exactly calculate the time until the next vote!
That first afternoon Mr Walsh came and introduced himself to me and said that he would usually see me around that time of day as he always comes in to get his afternoon cup of tea. I was slightly mortified when he first came over as I was slouching in my seat and I got the chair stuck on the table as I tried to stand up and greet him.
Upon leaving the office was when I was invited to the President's Dinner the next night so he obviously wasn't too unimpressed by my afternoon office etiquette!
On the morning of my second day of work I felt like I was starting to find my feet. Well by this I mean, I was impressed I found the office and was safe in the confines of my wee desk. This was until I was given my passport and told to go to Canon 321... No directions.... Just Canon 321.
I think they sensed my look of sheer panic (remember this was the girl who had issues reading signs in plain English the day before!) and they smiled and told me all the interns and staffers had to do this on their first day. It was a type of test to see if I could navigate my way around the buildings. This didn't reassure me at all. On my first day I had got lost in one building... this trip involved navigating three buildings underground and then finding 321 in the Canon building.
I was not hopeful.
I surprised myself by finding my way to the room no problem. I did, however, have issues with ID services. Firstly with the fact that my Passport number was written down as my Social Security Number and secondly as I got confused by the camera and was looking away from it when it clicked.
Anyway picture taking aside, I was really pleased with myself for making it all the way there and thought heading back would be no problem. Sadly, pride does come before a fall, and getting back took a while.
All the House buildings have some areas which are members only during a vote such as the subway and the elevators. I was well aware of this but I became slightly disorientated and found myself in a members elevator. I had walked into the elevator, saw there was another intern, smiled as my Northern Irish upbringing taught me, went to press the floor button and to my horror saw the 'Members Only' button light up as a vote clearly had just been called. In walked two Congressmen and one of their wives. I was seized with panic- should I walk out? No, I would have to push past them to get out. Should I act like I was a very important Congresslady? No, I clearly was too young and unprofessional for that. So I fired a 'Oh mate we are dead!' look at the other intern, put my head down and blended into the walls. I think I stopped breathing to appear less noticeable. I managed to achieve this and once the Congressmen left the other intern and I finally breathed out and looked relieved at each other.
I escaped the elevator and made my way to the office. Obviously the lack of oxygen to my brain had not helped and I found myself at the other side of the building....
3 days later I finally arrived back at the office... okay, slight over-exaggeration (I know that you are shocked as I never, ever, ever over exaggerate!)
Apart from my slight disorientation every so often I have started to work out the mysteries of the Rayburn Building.
Day-to-day I normally answer phones, send mail, track news events for Mr Walsh, research taxation methods and yesterday I researched a bill for Mr Walsh onto which he has decided to co-sign. I also have been to a Subcommittee Meeting on Appropriations, a Full Committee Mark-up on Appropriations and the staff usually pull me up through security and sort me out with good seats. Last week in the Subcommittee I got to sit away from, what my Dad would call the 'pond life' seats for the public and got to sit beside the press.
I have started going on tours with other members of staff and they have allowed me to lead a few sections of it which will be good practice for when I need to take them alone. We gave a tour to a lovely Irish family called the Curran Family and last Wednesday I helped lead a tour with two Irish TD's- John Perry, the Chairperson of the Joint Committee on EU Scrutiny (I tried to avoid the Lisbon Treaty topic!) and Noel O'Flynn, Chairman of the Working Group of Committee Chairmen and of the Committee on Members' Interests, along with members of the Embassy.
I usually leave the office at 6pm (5pm on Friday!) and meet up with fellow WIPpers or head home. I don't think I have ever done days as long as this- I get up between 6am and 6:30am (today I had a slight issue with the alarm and slept in til 7:20am!)
Sleep is now becoming my only activity outside the office. I feel a bit like a grown up working a proper job! It is a nice feeling but I am absolutely drained to say the least!
Tonight is the Host Family Pub Quiz in Virginia which should be brilliant!
Looking forward to seeing my fellow WIPpers and Host Families.
To those at home- I hope you are all keeping well and I promise to write again soon!
Lauren
