OUT ON THE HILL is the official blog of the Victory Congressional Interns. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of LGBTQ+ Victory Institute. Learn more about the internship at victoryinstitute.org/vci.
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I’ll be honest—throughout most of my internship, I was taken aback when I heard my cohort and fellow interns talking about how much they loved DC. I was stunned to hear that one of my close friends from Chicago liked the city so much that she wanted to live here post-graduation. While my internship experience has been exciting, I had been feeling unenthused about the city itself. The free museums are wonderful, but something about the city just didn’t feel like home to me. Maybe it was the lurking sense of evil (manifested in the myriad of defense contractor advertisements and headquarters throughout the city, for instance), or perhaps the relative lack of green spaces along roads and throughout neighborhoods—I’ve been spoiled by Chicago’s greenery and wonderful parks system. Or maybe it was the transient culture.
In DC and especially on the Hill, the population is dominated by young adults starting their careers who come here, work a few years, and then leave. In addition, the zeitgeist of the city is hyper-focused on politics. It makes sense that the nation’s capital is a hotbed of political discussion, but it can get old. Most off-putting to me is the transactional social climate on the Hill. Often it feels like people are more interested in seeing what they can get out of you than truly getting to know you—it’s a place of networks, not community. As a Midwesterner from a small town full of good, simple people whose biggest concern is taking care of their families rather than climbing up the ranks of government, this culture has come as quite a shock. Lastly, I’ve had to grapple with the fact that I have values not shared by many people in my generation—permanency being at the forefront. It’s ok that not everyone wants to settle right away, but I have found that I personally prioritize building roots over pursuing a given career.
As my internship comes to a close, I have gained more perspective on why many of my fellow interns have come to love DC dearly. In the past week, I’ve taken time to explore new areas of the city. I loved the blooming lotuses at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Trip and the tranquility of a lesser-traveled trail in Rock Creek Park. After being surrounded by the most concrete-ful part of the city, it was very restoring for me to be in nature. As one of my friends who loves DC pointed out, it is rare to find such secluded areas of woodland in the middle of a city. I’ve also come to learn that the culture in DC is much more diverse than what is reflected by the Hill. When I discussed my qualms about the city with a staffer in my office, she said she had a similar experience, but that it is helpful to have friends who aren’t tapped into the Hill and politics in general—people met via hobbies rather than work friends. In addition, the weird vibes of the parts of the city that I frequent (due to my housing and workplace) may be partially due to DC’s significant racial segregation.
Ultimately, in the past week I have realized that in the bubble my Hilltern lifestyle puts me in, I overlooked that the city’s neighborhoods vary greatly in terms of natural features and culture. I’ve turned my sour stance on the city into one of grudging respect and appreciation. While I intend on living and working in the Midwest, which will always be where I feel most rooted to place, I’ll be happy to visit my newfound friends as they grow their careers here. DC may never be my home, but it will always be familiar, and for that, I am grateful.
