by Annie Scott January 16, 2009 The first day at my new nonprofit job started normally enough. Snooze button, coffee, business casual outfit, NPR, parking spot. I was just settling into my new office, getting acquainted with my desk and computer, when suddenly I heard the excited barking of dozens of dogs outside my window. [...]

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by Annie Scott December 16, 2008 Even in the laid-back, perma-vacation bubble of Southern California, I’m not safe from political crossfire. As the auto bailout proceedings have unfolded in all their depressing glory, I’ve been hit by angry outbursts from all sides. As a native Michigander, former DC resident and relatively recent San Diego transplant, [...]

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by Annie Scott November 16, 2008 The Terminator’s voice on the bedside radio was the most jarring alarm I’d ever heard. Was I dreaming? Was it a nightmare? And why was the Terminator talking politics? Shaking off the morning brain fog, I realized it was my first morning in San Diego listening to my new [...]

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by Annie Scott October 16, 2008 Moving is never fun. While packing up my car for the second major move of my life, though, I realized it isn’t nearly as bad when you are extremely excited about the place you’re moving to. After three exhausting years of gaining “real life experience” in Washington, DC, I [...]

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by Annie Scott September 16, 2008 It was Alexander Graham Bell (of all people) who once said, “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” In my case, it took body blows [...]

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by Annie Scott August 16, 2008 “So that’s all you’ll need for the tour — the guest passes for security and this little map. There’s a ‘fun facts’ cheat sheet glued to the back with interesting info for each stop. If all else fails, just make something up — they won’t know.” The congressional intern [...]

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by Annie Scott July 16, 2008 When I first imagined moving to Washington, D.C., I pictured myself becoming culturally enriched. How could I fail to absorb incredible amounts of knowledge, being surrounded by so many icons of historical and intellectual achievement? I saw myself becoming a frequent visitor to all of the awe-inspiring monuments, museums, [...]

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by Annie Scott June 16, 2008 I went to work on Capitol Hill to boost my chances of making a difference. Unfortunately, I almost made a huge difference, nearly shutting down the United States Congress by contracting the now-rare and highly contagious disease known as “the mumps.” In industrialized countries, people my age don’t really [...]

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by Annie Scott May 16, 2008 Working as a Capitol Hill staffer, even as an intern, had its perks. There was no shortage of excitement and drama, plenty of high-profile events and fundraisers to attend (free food and drinks), perpetual networking, members of the press around every corner, a vast pool of intelligent and ambitious [...]

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by Annie Scott April 16, 2008 “What’s that noise?” I asked. My roommate looked over her shoulder at the living room window and, in a slightly alarmed tone, said, “Not sure. Sounds like a helicopter again, but it kinda looks like a…um…UFO. I know that sounds dumb, but look at it. It’s really weird.” The [...]

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