Missing McDermott's

Sitting at the Union Station getting ready to leave Washington for New York may have been one of the saddest moments of my recent life. You'll notice that actually happened quite a bit on this trip... I might want to think about seeing a therapist about this. But even watching a police office riding through the terminal on a Segway wasn't enough to life me out of my funk. And the source of the funk? Regret, I think.

The day before I had gone to visit the folks at Congressman Jim McDermott's office, where I interned in the Summer of 2002. To my surprise, nearly ever staffer still worked in the same office, three years later... which is really amazing for a Congressional office. Unfortunately, only one person was actually in the office that day because it was recess (compare against Smith's office, where Lindsay and her cohorts were required to stick around until 6pm). He welcomed me with open arms and we had a good talk. But he had to get going so it was a short meeting. I had hoped to go back there today, but something about lugging my luggage through the Capital metal detectors didn't really do it for me. Instead I called the office to wish my best to those who had come in, which was nice.

But I think that was the catalyst that got me thinking of my short abbreviated trip to Washington. Sure, I hated the heat, everything was expensive, and Republicans rule... but there is something about the city that calls me. Something tells me I am supposed to be here, using whatever particular talents I have for the betterment of the nation, or at a minimum my party. At yet I was leaving, and had no particular plans to return. There was always the joke when I was an undergraduate about the race to D.C.... who would get a job there first, blazing a trail for the rest of us. Two years out and only Lindsay has actually moved there, and she graduated two years after me.

It raises all sorts of difficult questions about what I'm doing in law school, where I'm going when I graduate, what is the point of my current way of life? I don't have answers, all I have is a strong feeling that I need to return to Washington and figure out why the city calls to me... maybe I'll find out it just wants to chew me up and spit me out, but at least then I'd know.