During the last few weeks, I have had to remind myself of the importance of taking time for myself. When I am working hard on a project or have committed myself to something, I tend to be like a dog with a bone. Until that bone is completely gone, I tend to work tirelessly without even remembering to take a breath. I have been going, going, going and I think it’s just as crucial to success that people take the time to recharge and load their batteries again to get the best out of themselves.
There are positives and negatives to being remote. One positive is that I was able to take my work home to Port Angeles at the end of last week to see my family and collect some sea glass. After a long walk and breathing in the ocean air, I am already feeling way more productive and ready to accomplish great things. As we are nearing the midpoint of this legislative session, I would like to encourage everyone in this wonderful team to do something to help yourselves recharge and get ready for the second chapter of this session. In all of the passion and excitement, it can be hard to remember that something as simple as a bubble bath can do so much for our mental health!
This week my fellow intern, Jacob Katz, and I had the opportunity to speak at the Workforce Training Customer Advisory Committee meeting and share our thoughts on the current labor market as college students. The group advises the State Board on workforce-related funding and programs. One thing on the back of my mind constantly as I move through my collegiate journey has always been finding a job after graduation. I believe I can vouch for a lot of my peers when I share that sometimes I fear that I won’t have enough money to support myself during the period between leaving college and entering the workforce. I worry that I won’t have enough experience or qualifications to be accepted at the places I apply to. The thought of finding a place to live is a daunting task to think about. Knowing that there are people out there who are passionate and want to help students like me during that transition was really awesome.
On Wednesday afternoon, Jacob and I also connected with the Student Services team. Meeting Jennifer Dellinger, one of the policy associates, and the other members of the team was a great experience. We started the meeting with a fun little ice breaker, and it sounds like I will be participating in a head stand competition in the future. Everyone on the Student Services team is working on amazing ventures (though some of them have scary coffee/tea drinking habits). As we move into the last week of the first half of the session, I am looking forward to connecting with them more in the future and joining in on some testimony to get student voices heard on bills they are following. Until I was thrown into the thick of it, I never knew how fulfilling advocacy would be for my soul.
I am looking forward to my next check in. Until then, make sure to recharge those batteries!
