Politics is a difficult industry to navigate sometimes. When I came out here, I thought that as a graduating senior I would be an unusual beast. But to my surprise, I've discovered that a lot of interns are graduating in May. There is strategy in this, and now that I see it, it seems so obvious. Hill jobs are not advertised. You know about a job opening if you already work on the Hill. But then how do you get your first job on the Hill? Well obviously, you intern. I can't believe I didn't see it before. You have to know people to get someone to forward you job announcements, but you can't get to know them if you don't already work there. It is infuriating when you think about it.

And I wasn't thinking about it. I had no intention of staying here beyond the semester. Anyone who knows me understands that I suffer from chronic homesickness. I am used to being here now, and I dare say I even enjoy it. But half of me is still stuck in Chicago, and I fear this might be a lifelong affliction. At any rate, I'm comfortable enough now to realize that if I were smart, I would have come out here with the intention of interviewing for jobs and moving here permanently. I am still not convinced that I want to work on the Hill or even in Washington, D.C. It is very far. Without friends, this is an incredibly lonely city. Lots of culture and great things to do, but that's a bit pointless if you have to do it all alone, isn't it? However, some day I may decide I'd like to come back. Or I may decide I should have stayed on now. And at that moment I'm going to realize that without connections who can forward me job announcments, I won't have a way back in. It is a predicament. To be continued, I guess.