It feels amazingly good to be back in DC and in the House. Familiar buildings, faces and the weather. DC doesn’t let you forget the humanity. The Fall has officially started and it gets a bit colder day by day.

The first month of school was pretty overwhelming. Lots of readings, a high tempo of going through readings, difficult and different lectures compared to the lectures I had back home in the Netherlands, and fast speaking native English speakers who are hard to follow. I found myself thinking about what I just have read after a page of reading, with the legal English terms which were unfamiliar for me. Many different questions are going through my mind, “am I going to survive this,” or “I underestimated the Master program in the US”.

Stress was coming up in my mind until I had the chance to confess this ongoing struggle with my classmates, and when it turned out that I am not the only one dealing with this “study shock,” I could continue breathing again. After speaking with different professors and classmates I realized that it was a matter of time to get used to this new system of learning. In the United States, lectures are quite different than back home, where I was listening to the professor, took notes and left. Here, lectures are different; there is interaction with the professor, where you have to answer questions about the readings and you have to explain your opinion.

Next to the study stress, which is kind of over now. I am used to the system, I also try to have a social life, which is less, comparing it to my stay in DC while I had an internship. I am blessed with the new international network I built up with classmates from all around the world and residents at ISH.

Every year, the International Student House holds its annual Global Leadership Awards Dinner which honors people who have made outstanding contributions toward international understanding. We are had a small Tribute Dinner for award winners, Members of Congress, and special guests. The Ambassador and Mrs. Sasae of Japan hosted a dinner at their residence on Thursday, September 17. I had the honor to be invited as a guest speaker and give a speech in the name of ISH. It was the best gift I could have had for my birthday, which was on that very same day. Being 25 years old and reaching this point made me proud. Also, this year has been my second birthday in DC and I must say that it is a very nice experience to be at ISH and studying in DC, celebrating your birthday with friends.

Whatever comes on my path, every day I am grateful for this opportunity. Roads are not always easy and have their ups and downs, but that makes us strong and brings us where we are today.

During his time back home in the Netherlands, newly returned resident Burakhan Çevik was interviewed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs on his time interning at the Dutch Embassy here in DC, as well as his currents studies and future plans. Below is the interview. Thank you for sharing with us at the House, Burakhan!

How to do an internship with the government.

We interviewed Burakhan Çevik who had a six month internship at the Dutch embassy in Washington.

Can you tell something about yourself?

I’m 24 years old, come from Rotterdam, I studied law and am a true ‘all doer’. I volunteer in swimming lessons to children, homework, and exam training. Furthermore, I have been in India for international social training in the field of development and education of children and I organize debates on social issues. I like sports, I read a lot and I get satisfaction from traveling. I am also trying to finalize a Spanish course.

You had an internship at the Embassy in Washington DC How did you come to that place?

During my studies I often said that I wanted to gain experience abroad to broaden my horizons. Because of my Turkish roots, I soon came up with the idea to do an internship at the Dutch embassy in Turkey. My mother understood my choice for that location, but advised me to just do something totally different, like an internship in the United States. I decided to follow the advice of my mother and my tutor asked whether she had any idea where to start. A colleague of my companion had a few years earlier interned at the Dutch Embassy in Washington DC. Through him I got the contact information. I sent an e-mail with my motivation and resume after some time  received a response. That started the ball rolling.

What was your mission there and what kept the work in practice?

“I was an intern at the consular section. In the beginning, I kept mainly on logistics processes, such as passports that came from across the Western Hemisphere at the office. I researched how we could implement them efficiently. Making a mistake is human, but when it comes to passports an error has enormous consequences, such as missing a flight. So I got to understand what creates an embassy the process of inflow and outflow.

Then I tried the Dutch legislation and I made comparisons with the legislation in other countries of the Western Hemisphere such as Haiti, Argentina, Canada and Mexico. So I made the decisions of my colleagues in the department  easier.

Researching and compiling this information takes time and patience. Some countries have hardly any information available that you sometimes only get by calling, emailing or visiting the Embassy. In some interviews you visit a consular employee of the respective representation. Sometimes documents are only available in French. Through my contacts with Haiti, I could practice my French once again. I examined several issues, including the type of documents that a country issues (birth certificates, death certificates, etc.) and how long it takes before they are issued. I also did research on questions such as, ‘What happens if a Dutchman dies in Brazil?’ ‘What rules are applicable?’ ‘What documents must be provided to the authorities before the remains can be transported?’

Finally I worked with the detention policy. You can think of assisting and visiting Dutch prisoners abroad – in my case in the US.

What was the highlight of your internship?

The highlight of the internship itself was organizing a conference for all consular staff from Canada, various parts of the United States, the Dominican Republic, Suriname, Mexico and more came to Washington DC to reach alignment with respect to consular work.

Obviously, I made a lot out of my internship. I lived in the International Student House (ISH) where I was included at ISH annual Leadership dinner  where I was sitting at the table with Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States. With ISH, I also participated in the farewell ceremony of Chuck Hagel, former Secretary of Defense, where President Obama gave a speech.

In addition, Washington DC is a dynamic city and if you like international politics, DC is the place. I have made many friends and my international network increases rapidly. Name a country and I know someone who lives there. I speak a lot with my international friends through Skype, post or I’ll find them in their hometown. I also get them to visit Rotterdam where I am proud to show them our beautiful world class harbor.

Now your internship is over. What are your future plans around study / work?

During my internship came the idea of a Masters in International Law in the US. That is soon to begin. After the Masters I would like to work in an international organization like the World Bank, the United Nations or the International Monetary Fund. The most ideal seems to me a position as a diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Netherlands remains home front and I can apply to the Dutch legislation elsewhere in the world. A perfect combination with work, travel and development come together.

Thanks for the interview Burakhan and good luck with your career!

Here I am, at home [in the Netherlands] behind my desk, writing a new blog for ISH, my home in the United States; my dream that I have left behind and am ready to continue. This is the house where I can develop myself again, where my vision towards the world has been broadened and where I created new goals; the house where I will continue to build up my network worldwide. This is the house where I have found people who understand that traveling or living abroad is an investment in ourselves.

There are moments that I absolutely cannot forget. One is when Neena (longtime ISH resident) told the newcomers, including me at that time, that there are different types of people living at ISH – the ones you don’t hear from once they leave, and the ones who experience ISH and living in DC as a dream and wake up when they are home and move on with their ‘normal’ lives. And last but not least, the ones who are kind of stuck to ISH. I recognize myself in this last one and not just because I’m back at ISH in about two weeks, but also the contact that I have, even today, with a lot of people from the house, through mail, Skype or by visiting each other. Last summer I was in London and Milan, where I planned a trip with people from the house. It was so weird that it didn’t feel like we had not seen each other for a while. We just continued our conversations right from where we stopped them in DC. I’ve also welcomed people from ISH to my city. I think it’s very nice to see that the contact hasn’t stopped, as long as we put the time and effort into it. I have always said I do not believe in good byes, but in a ‘see you later’ and that’s certainly proven true now, since a lot of us keep in touch with housemates.

I look forward to being back home; my home where people from around the world come together. Where it doesn’t matter where you’re from, or what your political affiliation or your sexual orientation is.  The differences in cultural background, or the language you speak or what you believe are just a positive difference for others to learn from. We do also have a lot in common, since we are all students or interns, and with these things, it becomes this great world in the house itself.

I’ve missed learning something new every day, discovering new places, and sitting down with people in the dining hall where you have interesting conversations.

Sometimes it will be hard not to compare my stay this coming year with my stay in the house last year. I will make comparisons with my first stay. The first experience is always the best, as the fact that the sequel of a movie is not as good as the first, but I’m happy to meet new residents and seeing old ISH friends who I already know; new contacts with new experiences. What will be different this time is that I won’t be an intern, but a student. I probably won’t be going to happy hours as much as last year or arrange different trips, but I do not mind that. It will be nice to experience the student life in the US. I’ve actually missed learning new things and sitting behind textbooks again, it’s weird I know, but it’s really true. I will probably regret this when the finals are close.

The idea that I will study Law in an international environment with people from every corner of the world makes this stay even more exciting. I reminded myself that studying in the US was one of my new year’s resolutions and now I am happy to have fulfilled this goal. It took a lot of effort; a lot of paperwork, a lot of interviews, essays and papers to write and to be where I am today. I had to prove to others and myself and had to ask several times whether I really wanted to do this or not. I’ve been able to answer this question and now I am counting down the days.

I want to thank everyone for their support and especially my mother who first came up with the idea about following an internship in the US and who has always supported me in every decision I had to make. She also supports my study of towards a Master of International Law in DC.

A new year with new rounds and new opportunities, but before I focus on the new year, I want to look back on the previous one, where I met many people in the house, and have come to know more about myself.

One by one, the roommates started to leave the house in December.  It was strange to see how a house with about 90 family members became empty so fast.  The usually busy house that had become very cozy was deserted.  Roommates went on vacation or permanently left to pursue their future elsewhere.  In the beginning it was very strange, because you got used to the activity that went on in the house, and I especially, the social clown, had difficulty to walk around the empty house.  Luckily, I was not alone and I could spend the holidays with the remaining housemates – the so-called leftovers.

It was not only remarkably quiet in the house, but also in the city.  The busy city gave way to a small number of people, who this year decided to stay home for the holidays.

The group home has ensured that we could spend more time with each other, and to know each other better.  It ended up being a great time and also nice for me to be here in the silence.  During Christmas Eve, after my service at the front desk, I visited the St. Matthew Cathedral along with several residents for the night Mass.   It was an impressive building with a lot of people.  The atmosphere inside was beautiful with the singing of the choir in the background.

Now we are starting to have new housemates, since it is the first week of January. Once again it is nice to see how easy it is to get connected with each other.  I look forward to spending my last three months with new roommates, new networks, new nationalities and new quality times.  Through this way, I also want to welcome the new roommates – you’ll feel quite at home very fast and if not, let me know and we’ll make it feel like home together.

I would like to remind you on New Year resolutions.  I hope you have thought about it seriously and try to reach your goal.  You need to aim high to reach your dreams.  My resolution is that I hope to be able to improve two languages by the end of this year: Spanish and Arabic.  Next to this I am working on getting a scholarship so I can return in September 2015 and start my Master’s in International Law. Be aware new housemates; once you taste this environment, it’s really hard to let it go!

Now I see the new housemates and I realize how fast the time has flown. I’ve done a lot; rediscovered myself, and made my own horizon (being open minded).  I hope to continue this experience that will never be forgotten…

#3 – The first couple of days

September 13, 2014
It has almost been  a week since I started to live in DC.  It’s time for a new blog now.  I must say that it feels like I’ve been here for months. Isn’t that crazy?  Also I feel like I felt very much at home  really fast.  My housemates at the International Student House are all very social.  Meeting each other for every meal in the dining room has become a tradition of ours where we get to know people from all over the world.  Everybody shares both funny and interesting conversations.

My first day at my internship was hilarious.   When I had free time the day before, I went to investigate the location of the Dutch embassy, so that  I would not be late the next day.  Once I saw the building with the Dutch flag, I felt relieved knowing that I found  the embassy … Well guess what.  The next day I came to that exact spot cheerfully ringing the doorbell, only to be greeted by an employee of the building opening the door  and saying  “this is the residence of the ambassador and NOT the embassy.”  Nice.  Good way to start the internship I told myself.  Eventually I called a taxi and I arrived half an hour late, but I did not panic, because interns at their first days at the embassy were   characterized as being late or getting lost since it was  in the middle of nowhere.

The first day was quite interesting.  A year ago, a Dutch man  drove under the influence and killed someone.  The American judge sentenced the man to 25 years without bail.  However, according to Dutch Standards, the sentence was too grave,  so the embassy tried to mediate the decision of the court.  Since I am analyzing the logistic process of visas and passports, it is funny to see the other side of the Immigration office  where I used to work for two years.

Meanwhile, I have  met about 10 to 12 other trainees following the internship at the Dutch embassy.  We went to the Capitol and the Library of Congress yesterday. It’s normal in DC to see squirrels and deer, like in India where you see monkeys running around.  There’s plenty to do with free museums, swimming pools, and a zoo nearby.  The buildings are beautiful, and I will be sure to post some pictures!

I feel very comfortable at the International Student House, where I sit for a cozy chat or make plans for the weekend after dinner with all the housemates. I  have listened to my heart and have taken this step, because this is an experience I will never forget.

#4 – Feeling like home

September 16, 2014
The first week is over, but it already feels like I’ve lived here for four months or longer. The roads to work and the surrounding environment are now well-known. The new family created at home with my friends  from the International Student House, and my friendly work colleagues, have made my experience truly fulfilling in Washington D.C.  I am so luckily that everything is going well so far.

Last Saturday I went to the Newseum with a few friends.  I definitely recommend the Newseum  for those who want to come to Washington DC.  This is one of the few museums where you have to pay.  The museum has all the important news reports that have been printed from 1800 that are exhibited to the public including old newspapers to  9/11.

On Sunday, we went to a town near Washington DC – Annapolis – also known for its NAVY academy, which is almost comparable to the army in the Netherlands. Before I participated in the tour, we watched a short introduction movie for 15 minutes. For me, it was actually more of a commercial for the NAVY than an introduction. I think it’s something special to see how proud Americans are, but also something else entirely.  Before I left  the Netherlands, I was complaining about the media and the fact that some of these communities  have been brought in a bad light because of the media.  While I was complaining, I realized how I was doing exactly the same.  Because I had preconceptions about Americans before I came here, and  because of the media in which they often emerge as soldiers in war came across as fake for the public, especially on shows like Oprah or Ellen Degeneres.  But there was one thing I forgot.  You have media, and you have reality.  Americans in my experience have been very helpful, friendly and easy going.  Obviously I cannot group all of them into that box, but I think the contrary has been proven, and I’m really surprised. The tour at the NAVY was very nice.  They have a great location in the academy with several rooms including a pool, sports court, a boxing hall, a ballroom, etc.  The pictures I have posted really can’t say enough.

The town itself reminded me of Scheveningen (in Holland) with its sea and small boats on the port.  I hope next time will feel like now!

I have entered a stage that I do not rely  on using  Dutch as I translate English.  Sometimes, this makes me come up with very strange sentences.  Besides English, I am also improving my German language skills by speaking German with Carla, who wants to learn Dutch.  We talk in Dutch together!.  I also would like to learn French as I follow with the housemates from France or knowing French.

From Washington DC, I want to thank everyone for all your good wishes, for indeed, today is my birthday. September, 17 2014 – A day I will never forget. Becoming 24 abroad, away from home, but everyone in my heart.