Parliamentary Intern Blog: Grant McLaughlin
Is it over already?
It's hard to believe it, but it's true. Our action-packed study tour of Washington DC has indeed come to an end. By the time you read this, us Parliamentary Interns will be back on our Hill, working away in our offices like before.
Even though we'll be back to business as usual, we will not soon forget our time in the US capital. I don't think it will come as any surprise when I say that the APSA Fellows really outdid themselves. As my colleagues described during the past week, in just five short days, we managed to meet with lobby groups, think tanks, journalists, elected officials, and many other amazing people. Every meeting was interesting, and each one offered different insights into how the American political system functions -- which is exactly what any good study tour should do.
Of course, the APSA Fellows were not merely content in setting up an amazing week of meetings for us visiting Canadians. They also wanted to make us feel welcome. From the moment we landed, the Fellows were there to help. They met us at the airport and bused us to the doorstep of our hotel. They hosted a potluck dinner for us our first night in town. They met us every morning and escorted us to every meeting to ensure we arrived on time and did not get lost. They arranged for us to enjoy some Washington culture when we attended Sucker Punch at the Studio Theatre. They hosted us for a pizza dinner on our final night to share our thoughts on how the whole thing went. The list goes on.
I know that we PIPsters will definitely enjoy all of the meetings we had and the many things we learned about American politics. But we'll also remember the kind and generous people whose hospitality made it all possible.
Thank you very much. We look forward to returning the favour in May.
Grant is taking part in the Parliamentary Internship Programme. For more information on the Programme, please visit their website!