Week 7 - So much fun!

Tuesday

I love it here!

Washington, DC, has been so much fun. I want to include a little reflection, as I feel a lot has happened and I have done a lot. I have made so many friends and memories. Everybody in the CHCI program is so knowledgeable and have helped me grow so much. They are all so kind, and my literacy in different topics, including finance, has improved. I hope to continue to learn more. I am glad that I was given an opportunity to advocate for my community and give them a voice. This is my little spill about how much I love Washington, DC.

I started off my work day by going with Hannia Hernández-Mendoza to Capitol Hill for our congressional meetings with staffers. We had two office meetings, so we took turns facilitating in meetings. We both have gotten more comfortable speaking in meetings. After the meetings, Hannia and I headed back to the office. We finished up doing our work, and I practiced my testimony with Hannia. I will be speaking at a press conference regarding heat issues, which I am incredibly excited about.

As I was practicing, I heard a loud noise in the office. Hannia and I were concerned, but instead of going to check it out, we decided to stay in our area. I ended up going to the restroom, and I stopped by the conference to say hi to some of the interns at NVG. On the table, I saw a display of boxes with cupcakes and a banner saying "Happy Birthday." It was Amber's birthday, the Government Relations Manager of NVG. I went to stop by and say Happy Birthday. She gave me a cupcake. I felt like my sugar rush spiked because earlier I had eaten two sugary pastries. This is definitely not good for the heart. The cupcake was pretty good, but it was too sugary and heavy.

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Thursday

My Perfect Afternoon

Today was a tough day because of everything that is going on with the BBB. It's tragic that this happened. There is so much I want to say, but I will leave it at that. It only gives me the power to continue to fight for my community and our needs. I will continue to be a voice for them because that is what they need, and I won't give up.

Moving to a brighter note, there was a dog at the office. He was walking everywhere and dropping so many things. It was pretty chaotic because who let the dog in. I was not bothered by it, but I want to know whose dog it was. The dog was so friendly, and it brought me some peace of mind. After work, I headed home to my mentor, whom I met in Washington, DC. She invited me to attend an Acrobatic Shakespeare show later in the day. I did not know whether to go or not because I had a meeting. I ended up joining both. I was so excited for this! The show was absolutely amazing. I wish I could have filmed it, but they said not to take pictures with a flash because it distracts the performers. When they started moving their bodies and doing so many crazy acrobatic movements, I was in shock. I could tell they worked for months on this. So many times, their movements could have ended in a horrible accident. I am glad that none of my scenarios played out. They were jumping high and flipping. I think I got more anxiety than excitement. Anyway, I am so glad I was invited.

Later, we walked around Chinatown. My mentor had invited me to a fancy dinner. I was hesitant because she always invites me to eat. I could not say no, so I went. It was amazing. They brought various food plates for us, and I got dessert. I am so grateful to be able to be in such great company. I felt so happy and grateful that I met her in Washington, DC. HEP/CAMP students always tell me, I am across the country. And I quote "you're everywhere but your dorm, Yaisy." This is true, but I can't help it!!

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Saturday

My Washington, DC Highlight

I was invited by my mentor to go to Richmond, Virginia, to see the Frida Kahlo Exhibit. I was so grateful to be given this opportunity. She drove her friend, who used to be part of the Foreign Service, and I got to meet her. She was AMAZING. Her name was Beth, and I had so much fun talking to her. She shared with me her background and how she used to be a lawyer. I was able to share about HEP/CAMP and my experience coming from a farmworker background. She was so kind to me and shared that if I needed anything, she would see me as an ally. I then got to meet another one of my mentor's friends named Leslie. Leslie is so funny and involved. She is taking an improv class and plays soccer, which I thought was cool. She had me laughing the whole trip. They were all so kind to me. They took me out to eat in Richmond at Dim Sum. They then took me to eat dessert at this restaurant that was owned by a chef who had taken classes in Paris to bake. The molten lava cake was so good. It was so fresh, and they made it right there. I loved it so much that I was still thinking about it after I left Richmond. I tried to pay for this, but they were like "NO."

Later that day, we went back to the place where we were staying, which was very nice. It was so fancy! The hotel had a gym and offered many amenities that I had not seen elsewhere. The first floor was so nice because they had a pool, many board games, and different decorated spaces. They also had a bar and snack area. The hotel had free coffee and tea. It was so comfortable staying there. I had stayed up watching Frida Kahlo's documentary. The next day, I went to the Frida Kahlo Museum. Before then, I had breakfast at a Jewish restaurant. I loved how my mentor and her friends were sharing their culture with me. They treated me to eating out again.

By this point, I kept insisting no. They still paid. The food was amazing, and I was so full. Everybody kept telling me to eat more. I was stuffed... After this, we headed to see Frida Kahlo. Frida is so amazing. She embodies strength and bravery. Her works of art are so beautiful! I absolutely loved it here. I almost cried when I saw her artwork. There is so much tragedy and pain behind the art. I am truly grateful to be able to see and experience this. Hopefully, I will come back to Richmond, Virginia!!