Gap Year Blog #5

On one of my first days in Washington, I went out with a legislative staffer for coffee just to get some advice on what it is like to work on the Hill, what I should focus on, etc. One of the first things he told me was, “Don’t pick a side yet. You don’t know what you believe. I went into college on one side of the spectrum and came out the complete opposite. And remember, no matter what, we are all up here trying to do what is best for the country.” This really took me by surprise because I see people voting down party lines, not really looking at their own beliefs, and following exactly what their parties say they should believe. But time and time again, I get this same advice. On both sides of the aisle, people are just trying to do what they think is best for the country, and a lot of them are looking at both sides to choose, which took me by surprise.