Hope and change I am trying to believe in

Friends,

I write to you now from Washington DC, a city that has welcomed me graciously since my arrival on Sunday. Allow me to share with you a few of my achievements over the past two days: I moved into a house with three Davidson graduates, unpacked my two (2)* suitcases, taken a 48 minute nap, purchased a selection of groceries, rode the metro, ate 3/8ths of a mango, convinced a herd of Auburn girls that my middle name is Beauford, increased our nation's interest rates, challenged Barack to a game of hoops, and lost in a fierce arm wrestling duel to Hillary Clinton. As you can see, on all counts, I have been successful.

I have also found myself occupied by a summer internship that commenced today. I am working for an NGO that concentrates in international economic development. My first day in the office was a whirlwind of information, people, and mistakes. I managed to un-e-invite the CEO to a meeting he is hosting tomorrow morning and found myself at odds with the recalcitrant copy machine which seems to be possessed by an evil force. In a moment of technological hubris, I explained to a fellow intern what I had learned about how to put someone who called the office on hold. However, my advice was quite wrong, and in the process, I managed to disconnect a friendly gentleman from the World Bank.

Despite DC being an overwhelming and crowded place, my time so far has been characterized by a subtle loneliness. I've had moments that have been populated by memories of you all, moments of reminiscence, and moments where I have been able to consider the idea of community. Community is a peculiar thing - something that never changes but is always changing. On one hand it has the power to transcend time and space. On the other, it is constricted by the forces of proximity and distance. But while my mind is struggling to make sense of its paradoxes, I am certain of one thing, and that is that I miss you all very much.

This blog has been a blessing - let's keep it going!

Signed,

Banks