Sarah Blugis, a junior majoring in political communication, is The Hatchet’s contributing opinions editor.
I love making cheesy Spotify playlists – for parties, breakups, road trips and countless other events in my life. I’ve started working on my newest playlist for my very first summer in D.C. Obviously, the leading song will be a classic: “Summer in the City” by The Lovin’ Spoonful.
I’m excited to spend my first summer here. I’ll intern, pick up a second job and sign the lease for my first apartment. I don’t just feel like I’m pretending to be an adult anymore – I pretty much am one.
Though I don’t have personal experience with D.C. summers, I expect they’re just like the city during the school year: busy, crowded and stressful – as well as far more humid.
Each summer, D.C. makes a spectacle with the “running of the interns,” where interns sprint to the Supreme Court to get rulings. It’s a tradition that exemplifies the stereotypical political internship, but a summer in the District doesn’t have to be quite so fast-paced. Just because you’re interning here doesn’t mean your summer can’t also have some of the relaxations and comforts of home.
I refuse to let my summer be taken over by stress. It was a long year for me, filled with increased responsibility and tough classes. I’m going to work hard during the summer months and give my best at my internship, but I’m also going to take advantage of the season.
For me, this will include lazy Saturday afternoons at the pool on the Mount Vernon Campus, nights spent at 9:30 Club concerts and meeting some of this spring’s graduating seniors for drinks after work.
GW’s culture of ambition and forward-thinking dictates that we start staying here year-round as soon as possible to boost our resumes with internships, and most of my friends have already done it at least once.
It might seem strange that as a rising senior, I’m only just now spending a summer away from home, but I held out for so long because going back home has been important to me.
The summer after my freshman year at GW was the best I’ve ever had. I interned in my state senator’s office in the Pennsylvania state legislature all day, and nights were spent sitting by the lake or playing miniature golf with friends from high school. I made money and added something useful to my resume, but I also enjoyed the summertime the way you’re supposed to enjoy it.
Don’t get me wrong – internships are the reason many of us came here and will put us ahead of students who have little experience by graduation. I recognize that the opportunity to intern in D.C. over the summer is one that students shouldn’t miss out on if it’s financially feasible for them.
But we already spend too much of our time being stressed, and each and every one of us deserves to give ourselves a little bit of slack now and then.
This summer, I can’t go tanning by Lake Wynonah in my hometown with my best friends. My dad can’t come home early from work to take my brother and me to Knoebel’s, our local amusement park. I can’t drive on back roads with the windows down listening to my cheesy summer playlist.
But I can let myself have a little bit of past summers, and you can, too.