August 20, 2023
Summer is officially over. The season still has a little longer to go, but school is in full start. I spent the last two weeks of the summer not at home (as I lightly committed to) but rather in D.C. and New York.
D.C. was fantastic. I was in-person at IFP and met everyone (a great bunch, including SR, who I've spoken with virtually).
The city is not as exuberant as New York or even Toronto. The area I was staying in definitely was made for the young family; streets were wide, and nightlife was non-existent.
The quietness was actually really nice, but the walkability wasn't great. You definitely feel how people are just slightly older here. I went to the Union Station area and made a short stop at the White House, and it was crazy just how empty it was on a weekday evening, but it makes sense - staff members leaving to go back home, pick up their kids from school, run errands, etc.
Before, I kind of accepted that any 'impactful' job required some level of dissonance.
The energy that you're supposed to feel when you're making the world a better place or whatever just wasn't meant to manifest into anything visceral. But, if this is a feeling that you can feel, I got the closest to it in the past week.
I spent a lot of time talking to the rest of the team, and they seem very tapped into their personal theories of change. They meet with staffers and other relevant stakeholders, have high personal standards of accountability. This manifests into motivation to pursue the things I'm excited about and be more optimistic about policy, think tanks and coordinated efforts from a relatively small group to better the world. An eye for bullshit is not only tolerated but encouraged, and I really respect that. I was also reaffirmed in my conviction that the east coast is better suited for me, but I'll hesitatingly leave the argument open.
A work-week in the political hub of 'murica and I was off to New York. Interact (thx to SZ, TM, MN and HW in particular for the amazing vibes and the fellowship for being what it is) was what brought me to the city and specifically Brooklyn (which is my new love). The environment was interesting yet chill. Very cool people, but as one can expect, you don't talk to everyone. Having at least some points of familiarity (people) can make all the difference.
Now, I'm in Montreal. I'm in my dorm and have met some nice folks today, albeit not that many since people are hanging out with their families.
I've said my goodbyes, and we'll see what the future brings. My first impression is that people dress very well, Quebecois French is a lot more decipherable than it once was, and you truly don't need to bring that much with you when moving into a new place.
My internal experience doesn't mark this as momentous. It feels like just another day, but the schedule looks different. Personal landmarks are feeling a lot less discrete as of late; not sure what to make of it, but stability and routine will probably change this...not sure how.
All in all, it's a vibe.