Many Appreciations

July 21, 2014 Posted by: A Bald

This week, I came to a nice realization. I enjoy my loca lNational sites and parks just as much as Yosemite or some of the other big, popular parks that I've visited over the years. Even in my third week as an intern at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller, I had held onto the idea that Yosemite,which I visited last August, was more enjoyable, and much more breathtaking. However, after visiting Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in New Hampshire, I think my perspective has changed. Saint-Gaudens does not just exhibit the work of Augustus Saint-Gaudens. The very site itself is one big work of art. In walking around the site, visitors can enjoy the gardens and magnificent art work without dealing with terrible crowds and commercialization. The setting is peaceful and the artwork is meaningful, which in my mind places Saint-Gaudens very high on my list of favorite historic parks/sites.           

I've also been nicely surprised at how this internship fits into my summer activities.Tuesday through Saturday, eight hours a day seems like a lot, but I have been taking great advantage of my days off and my evenings to catch up on various applications and summer pursuits. I'm never too tired when I get home, and I've been able to hang out with the regional interns at their condo quite a bit.It's definitely a good fit.           

Week 3 was the week I came up with ideas for my own Leadership Development workshop to be facilitated during Week 4. I had a bit of trouble at first, but took some ideas from other trainings we have had and came up with a theme: global inequality. My idea is that leaders, local or national, should always be aware of their place in their country and their world. If leaders forget about the millions or even billions of people beneath them, there can be disastrous consequences. I hope that my training will help show myself and the other interns how to lead in a world of widespread inequality.