I just got done with my 3rd semester of college, which unlike the last two, went very well. My GPA is up, my girlfriend is cute, and life is just peachy. I ended up taking 20 credits this semester, which is more like 15. Three of them were my internship this past summer with Agriliance, and two credits were for a 3-day class called Dairy Judging, which involved me traveling through the countryside of Minnesota and Wisconsin to judge cows. It was something I was hoping to succeed in, that is do well enough to have a spot on the team next year, well I did not. I used to be good, really, (Intermediate Individual Reasons Champion - 2001 MN State Fair, heck yes!) but I just stopped caring and trying. Anyways so my classes went very well, minus the fact that I was accused of cheating and having a "file of correct answers". I did not have/do either, and I ended up with a good grade in the class.
For break, I will be either home until Friday the 23rd, then at Alise's for her family's Christmas, and then back home from the 24th to the 27th. From the 28th until the 10th of January I will most likely be in the cities living at Alpha Gamma Rho and working at Williams Arena, which I did last year. It is a good time to log a lot of hours and really not do too much work.
I will leave for "AGR Recruitment School" which is the 12th and 13th in Kansas City, MO.
This brings me to the "big news" for me for this semester. I will most likely fly out of MSP on the 14th to arrive in Washington, D.C. to start my internship with the Honorable Collin C. Peterson (Dem, MN-07) and the House Agriculture Committee. This is graciously brought to me by the Renewable Fuels Association who is helping to differ some of my costs while I am out there. I start work on the 16th of January and end around the 19th of May. I will hopefully keep updating this blog close to daily as it is a good way to communicate with friends and family and cut down on the ol' cell phone bill. My duties should include answering phone calls, writing memos, and doing research and then taking in all the events and dinners that Capitol Staff usually get invited to. I am living just 3 blocks from the Supreme Court (4 from the Capitol) and and am really excited, yet a bit nervous at the same time. It is an exciting time as the Democrats won the house, which was good for me as Mr. Peterson is a Democrat and will now be the Chairman in a Farm Bill year. So, instead of the normal political schmoozing and pampering, I will hopefully be treated even more like a king. Just kidding, but hopefully.
I have really been overwhelmed by the number of people who, firstly, know someone that lives in D.C. working in the agricultural realm who are willing to get me as many contact numbers or emails so they can look me up when I am out there. And secondly the number of my closer friends and relatives who decide that "now would be a good time for a trip out there" (Cheap tickets through SunCountry Airlines). I look forward to it being my greatest semester of college, although I will miss out on a lot of stuff happening back at college. Of course I will miss my girlfriend, close friends and family, but thankfully EVERYONE was supportive of the trip right away and I basically forced myself to take the internship. I will miss all the little gatherings and Spring Jam, MN Royal and our brand new "Sweetheart Week," but they will be there next year. If enough people visit I can probably apply to be a tour guide for the summer or something, but until then, I plan on returning and either taking another internship or being a Full-Time student this summer.
The holidays are soon upon us. Merry Christmas!
