I Did It!

I have gone for a run on the National Mall.
I have bought groceries from Wholefoods on the way back from a run.
I have secured a room in a group house in DC.
I have brought comfortable footwear to work, to change into from heels after work hours.
I have collected a wad of business cards, and established contacts.

In short, I have achieved the lifestyle of a young professional in DC. Haha

So I wonder if my colleagues loathe me for my aggressiveness. We have a business card competition among ourselves which Andrew our boss created (which I love), and I've seen my competitive alter-ego rage. I'm definitely winning the competition- well, Maíra might be doing better. But she has a real, urgent need for a job right now. Anyway, I can't help but want to go all out, especially since I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

On that note of having everything to gain, I've been thanking God so much for how perfect everything is going for me right now. I am so happy!! Intellectually, professionally, socially, emotionally, I feel pretty full. Some to work on spiritually, but for most part its well too!

This period in my career is really the most ideal.
- I have no reputation to maintain other than my own dignity, so I can go around and be intern-like, openly expressing my humble and probably often lame thoughts, without worrying about people judging me. Just all in the simple name of generating conversation. Neither do I seek a promotion of sorts at my job, so I'm free of politics. Of course I wish to impress, but all that is needed for that is my best, which is easy to give.

- I have no immediate need for a job, so I can get all the contacts I want to without the stress of that. Sure, the need will be real in a year's time but I'm thinking about Right Now.

- I have no professional affiliation, so I can criticize all I want. This has happened quite a lot, with criticism directed basically towards the World Bank. Marisa and I tear them apart almost everyday, especially after attending those internal Brownbag presentations at the Bank. But yes, such freedom, also the space to offer praise when we feel it is due. Again, I know nothing, so you can accuse me of being naive and not being informed. BUT I would beg to differ on this point. You wouldn't believe how dense/naive some people at the Bank are, how much of a lack of communication there is internally (lame!), how the development mandate of the Bank can be easily neglected by its staff themselves... Okay you get my drift.

- Freedom of exploration brings me to my next point, which is the one whole academic year before me that I have to do just that: Explore. This summer is stimulating a lot of thought, which I hope to channel towards academic research. I guess in academia the complexity fades away a little, the clashing personalities and bottleneck bureaucracy can be expressed in a few sentences instead of experienced in day-to-day frustration.

But I also know that He gives and takes away. As easily as all these have come my way, as quickly can they disappear. I just count my blessings everyday and seek His purpose in all these treasures I've been generously given.