Hey There!

     I've resurrected my blog and dusted off my keyboard because after being on the phone with so many different people this week, I realized it was a necessity. This way everyone who wants an update on my life while I'm interning in DC gets one. A good one. A good update that isn't the super-short story because I've already told so many people I don't want to tell it again and includes pictures kind. Except this week's might be kind of short... Sorry about that.

     First things first, let me lay out the story line for you. Hi, my name is Quinn. I'm from Idaho and have one semester left of my Economics degree at Brigham Young University-Idaho... Oh wait, this is a blog post, not an introduction. Sorry guys, that's how I've started basically every conversation I've had the past 9 days.
     So I am the Energy and Environment Intern at The Heritage Foundation, a prestigious conservative think tank right by Capitol Hill. I am part of the Economic Policy department, so I will be assisting with research and writing about energy and environment policies from an economic perspective. This is actually what I think I want to do after my undergrad, so this whole experience is an absolutely perfect fit for me! I am also participating in the Charles Koch Internship Program, which is an educational organization that promotes liberty and free enterprise. If you really want to know more about the places I'm at, feel free to click on the gray portions of the above sentences :)

     I live in a dorm building connected to the building I intern at, am about 1/2 a mile from the Capitol Building, attend Institute in the Senate Building during my lunch break, and am 1 block from Union Station. Basically, I couldn't live in a better location. My roommates happen to be two friends from the economics department at BYU-Idaho; we were so excited when we found out that all of us got accepted at Heritage. I also have a few other friends from the Econ department that are also in DC this fall for internships, so I have a large group of friends already here! I'm sure you'll see pics of them sometime or another.
     My first week here included a LOT of introductions and orientation. Last Sunday I was able to attend the Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults that was being hosted in DC and was on camera. So now me and my roommates are basically Mormon royalty... Not really. (I really enjoyed getting everyone's texts, btw). But it was an incredible experience to be in the same chapel as Elder and Sister Cook! I wasn't able to shake his hand, but he walked within 1/2 a foot from me and gave me a giant smile :) (Larger than that one.) I am so blessed to have a knowledge of the Gospel and have a strong testimony that we have living prophets on the Earth today. Elder Cook is certainly one of them.
     Guys! Okay. I was trying to be all short and to the point and sound like not a 14- year-old girl, but can we just pause for a minute? The first 7 months of the year were basically a nightmare. But I got through it, just like everyone else. And now I'm living in Washington, D.C! This has been a day-dream of mine for years and I can't believe it's actually a reality!! Alright, I'm done now.
     So anyway, this first week has been full of meeting new people, starting a new sort-of job, and some fun touristy things. Ford's Theater, the worst fortune I've ever received, a mile-long street festival near our building, and a super grainy group photo that you need to see so you recognize everyone I'm posing with in photos for the next three months. But not necessarily in that order.
     Till next week!