My first big trip started me on my personal development journey. In particular, I picked up valuable experience working in a professional office setting.
So, about my first big trip. Let’s rule out the recurring summer vacations to see family in South Carolina. Or, the local trips with family as a child to various places in Florida. You know, before there was an interstate highway system or air conditioned cars!
My first big trip came when I was in college. I was 21 and a co-op student at a government agency in Washington, D.C. I would work one academic term, then return to college for the next academic term. Off and on, I spend an entire academic year in D.C. but still was able to complete my undergraduate degree in four years. Co-op, by the way, is shorthand for cooperative education.
The Adventure Begins
The co-op program was handled through the university. They managed the pairings between students and employers. However, students were responsible for their own transportation and housing arrangements.
The positions were paid. Thus, by living with roommates you could cover food and rent, then have some funds left to help cover college expenses.
At the time, I was living at home in Tampa, Florida while commuting locally to the University of South Florida. I drove the 900 miles to D.C. and back each term. Since I had been working while in high school and in college, I already had funds saved to help with travel costs and the rent deposit.
Interestingly, I watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon in 1969. Then, about two years later, I was working in the U.S. space agency, NASA, that put that man on the moon.
I chose the program, in part, as a way to get some work and living experience outside of where I was at the time.
Actually, I already had several years of part-time work experience in a small, retail store. But, I didn’t have the experience in a professional setting that was provided by living away from home as a co-op student.
Some Firsts
Living in Washington D.C. was my first time away from home for any extended period.
It was my first time living in a major metropolitan area. My first time getting lots of parking tickets! Watch those No-Parking signs during rush hour.
Unfortunately, I had my first car wreck there, on the way to a church-league softball game. I wasn’t very good at softball according to one of my roommates! Don’t worry – no one was hurt in the accident, or the softball game!
In a very brief attempt at living on the wild side, I bought a pair of bell-bottom slacks and let my hair get (sort of) long.
D.C. was the first time that I used public transportation to commute to work.
Also, my first time around large crowds in a public setting. Moreover, the first time for me to see snow and dig a car out of a snow bank!
Finally, it was my first time working in a place where people walked into offices off the street and stole things out of the desks during regular business hours.
The Trip Itself
I made the Tampa-to-D.C. drive by myself each academic term. Once you have completed the round trip, the following trips are much less exciting.
I was driving an early 1970’s Ford Falcon Futura. You know, four cylinder, no AC, manual-crank windows, and a push-button radio. Good, reliable transportation!
The initial time making the drive was my “first big trip.” I used a paper map to get to where I was going. Remember those?
At the time, there was no GPS, no Wi-Fi, and no cell phones! Worse yet, I knew my roommates, but we had not finalized rental arrangements on an apartment before we arrived in D.C.
None of us knew anything about cooking, or about purchasing food. Our only attempt at frying chicken was a complete bust!
It’s true, we were young, dumb, and really naïve! All that said, we were really self-confident.
Living Arrangements
The weather was cold. I was from Florida. Somehow I survived.
Our first term there we rented an old house in the District from the owner of the Blue Flame Valet. No, I don’t have a clue what the business was and never asked!
We rented the first floor; other renters lived above us on the second floor.
There was a Baptist church across the street where I attended on Sundays.
During our last night in D.C. the cops picked up someone off of our back porch who was working the neighborhood, looking for houses to break into.
Over the course of our academic terms there we lived in D.C., Virginia, and Maryland. Apparently we were a fairly dull group as there were no wild parties. We did manage to take in some of the local historical attractions on the weekends, as well as a Washington Senators baseball game.
Where NASA headquarters was situated in the center of the D.C. mall, I could walk at lunchtime to the National Gallery of Art and the National Archives.
Later Trips to D.C.
Decades later I would return to D.C. three other times. The first visit was a family trip to visit my wife’s brother and his family in Virginia. At the time I was in my Ph.D. program.
The second time was our youngest son’s 5th grade trip, which stopped in both D.C. and New York City. As expected, we visited historical sites in D.C. on that student trip.
The third visit was when I interviewed for my ACE Fellowship. The American Council on Education is headquartered in D.C. My fellowship was at Berry College during the 2013-2014 academic year, while I was also serving as interim dean of the business school at Georgia College.
As expected, the family trip to D.C. was by car. The school trip was on a very noisy tour bus. Are we there yet?! For the ACE visit, I flew into Baltimore, then took an Amtrak local train back into D.C. Union Station followed by a short cab ride.
Apparently, psychological and emotional stability isn’t a requirement for being a D.C. cab driver!
Teach us to carefully use our time for precept-driven character transformation. Psalm 90.12 paraphrase. proverbsforprofessionals.net
Some Takeaways
My first big trip started me on my personal development journey. In particular, for the first time, I picked up valuable experience working in a professional office setting.
I observed both good and bad in regard to interpersonal interactions among the permanent employees at that government agency. One conclusion – some people are simply incurable jerks who see no problem in the way they behave!
Occasionally, being clueless works out. That is, when you don’t know what you don’t know you just push ahead and somehow figure things out.
Finally, it’s Ok to be clueless when you are 21. However, it’s not Ok to be clueless when you are 31, or 41, or 51! At some point you must grow up and become responsible.