Gas Works Park 6/23/15 | It has a pulse and a rhythm unlike any city I’ve ever visited, surrounded by the magnificent mountains and saltwater of the Pacific Northwest. There is so much here that I’m excited to do: attend an MLS game with arguably the best fan base in the country, be a consumer instead of a tourist at farmers markets, adopt an active lifestyle and kayak, run, bike, and hike like the locals. And maybe I’ll ride the big Ferris wheel on Elliott Bay. But most of my experiences will be at work, so let me tell you a little bit about OneAmerica. |
The nuances of policy, education, and organizing are lost on me, and I feel like I’ll be playing a perpetual game of catch-up at work as I try to take in and implement everything that’s being thrown at me. But I’ll be partnering with an extraordinary nonprofit that will teach me about advocacy work, influencing positive change, and myself. I’ll be serving in challenging new capacities, in a city of uncommon natural beauty along with fifteen other Duke students doing the same thing. That makes for a pretty cool summer, don’t you think?
My time here is like a 24-hour, eight-week crash course on Seattle urban life for which I am underprepared and overexcited. It won’t be easy, but I will do and explore and absorb as much as I can and use what I learn to better inform my choices both while I’m here and after I leave Seattle. I hope we all do.