hello, real world.

holland, michigan

in the last week and a half, i've only been home two days. in less than forty-eight hours, i went from sleeping in a tent to sleeping five minutes from the White House.  my trip to Holland can be blamed on the boyfriend. but the trip to DC is because of my job.  that's right.

a job.

in some ways, i feel i have hit the real mark of adulthood.  i'm now a respectable adult who can make her way in the world with a job that does not entail wiping snotty noses (though i really do love babysitting), flipping burgers or folding clothes. although i must admit: my maturity as an adult is actually debatable.  upon my arrival in DC, i was dumped into this underground city that was musty and dark. most americans would call this dark, musty place the Metro, but i digress. once i figured out how to purchase a ticket and find the right metro, i dumped my luggage at a hotel five minutes from the White House (that's what's up) and set out to discover what might be my most favorite american city.  if you're looking for a guide on how to see every major landmark in washington in under two hours, i'm your girl.

national archives, washington dc.

and then i spent the next day in meetings. because i'm a big girl with a big girl job.  hello reality.  it was weird to wander the streets of washington in a business suit like the rest of the real world, and carry a folder with briefing notes.  (in one sense: i was in heaven. a city of people who were policy nerds like myself.)

after graduation, a job was what i least expected to find, let alone one in my field or one that would interest me.  i suppose i was in the right place, at the right time and knew the right people because an internship landed me a job with a think tank i never dreamt of working for until after my Masters.  i feel like this quote from john steinbeck is applicable here:

"If it is right, it happens—The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away."

i could've taken another job. applied for graduate school.  traveled overseas (well, i still could).  there have been so many moments in the last four months where i've wanted to rush things along and take matters into my own hands, but i forced myself to pause.  and i'm glad i did -- i am gainfully employed and i have a boyfriend who treats me like a princess.  a move to washington, a trip overseas and graduate school may still be in my cards, but for now, i'm happy and content that i can spend one day on the beach and the next, discuss foreign policy in our nation's capital.

God is good.