This should be an educational summer, and not only because of the two classes I took. I’mreally doing history this summer,  interning for the National Park Service at Heritage Education Services, and working for them as well, up at Arlington House, a part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. I’m enjoying both experiences, far more than I expected actually, and they are both going to be fantastic for my resume!

So what am I doing exactly? HES is a sit-at-the-computer all day type of job, but for now I’m working on editing the Discover Our Shared Heritage travel itineraries. When the Route 66 one comes out, which won’t be for a couple months I think, you will be able to read my words. I’m definitely utilizing those Internet skills Jeremy taught us this summer in class, I can successfully play in the code section of Dreamweaver and impress my supervisor! The people in the office are great, and I’ve now learned all about different programs NPS runs, especially focusing on historic preservation. They have so many fantastic programs that do so much!

Arlington is such a different experience. At ARHO, as it is officially designated, I’m technically a part-time “visitor use assistant” but for all intents and purposes I’m a park ranger; uniform and hat and all (if I actually wore the hat…). Part of my day is up at the house, telling people all about George Washington Parke Custis and Robert E. Lee, and for the rest I get to sit in the air conditioned office working on projects or reading/researching. My co-workers are fantastic, and I amuse myself at the house by trying to decide the silliest question asked by a visitor throughout the day and counting how many times someone asks where the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is.

I’m very glad HES and Arlington are so different. I’m not doing the same thing all day, every day, but at both I am educating people, or at least giving them the materials to be educated with. And for myself, I’m learning and improving  such two very different sets of skillls. I’m also learning what I  want to do, and what I don’t. I’m liking interacting with visitors on this level so much more than I anticipated, and what past experience had prepared me for. I love it when they ask questions about what’s in the house and I can actually educate people about their country’s history. And when kids ask questions? It’s fantastic! At the same time I love the 9-5 of HES though, when there’s no weekend work and I don’t have to wear the uniform. I like knowing that people are going to use what I work on out in the “real world.”

I’m very much looking forward to the rest of the summer, even if I’ll be starting to prepare for comp exams and writing internship papers and wearing unflattering uniforms. Oh the things we do to do what we want to do!