After a day of teambuilding activities which involved breaking the boundaries of any sort of concept of personal space, I can safely say that we're all much more acquainted with each other than we were three weeks ago. We spent the day yesterday at Hemlock Overlook Centre for Outdoor Education (to give it it's full title) and swung down zip lines and walked blindfolded through mazes as we really got to know each other - some much better than others! The barbeque which followed at the O'Hara's was fantastic and the day was perfectly rounded off by a slightly..energetic..sing-a-long on the bus home. Who knew Alan Ralph had it in him?!
With two weeks of our internships already completed, we've definitely picked up the pace as days of work are now followed by evening events. Last Friday night was a night to remember when a select few of us decided that in the WIP spirit of adventure we'd give contra dancing a go - an experience if ever there was one!
I'm really enjoying my internship with Management Concepts. Having braved the buses and metro to get there and back I'm finding myself settling into a routine and life at the office. Last Thursday I even attended the annual company picnic (us Wippers know the best time to arrive!). It was at the picnic that I found myself having a very surreal moment as I was helped on to a horse by a man in a cowboy hat on a ranch in the middle of Virginia. I couldn't help but think that this was possibly the furthest I could get from any image I may have had of what my internship was going to be like before I left home. I'm definitely not complaining though and if anything, it's showed me that WIP is most certainly about being open to new ideas!
Every now and then, just being here with everyone, it suddenly hits home that we've actually made it to Washington and it seems so long ago since interviews and orientation. In the last three weeks we have crammed so much in that even though the weeks seem to be flying past us it seems like a lifetime ago since we all met at Dublin Airport (and on that note, I was not late despite what you may have heard!) It seems hard to believe that three weeks ago we hardly knew each other at all but already, in such a short space of time, firm friendships have been established.
