Big Changes for 2011

Fort Larned NHS handed me a wonderful opportunity by hiring me for a permanent, subject-to-furlough job.  This was a huge stepping stone for which I will always be indebted to them.  In the federal employment game, and especially in the NPS, getting permanent status has huge implications for future employment prospects because the hiring rules are different.  Fort Larned built up some great experience and expanded my knowledge of western history considerably.  In return, I think I gave them more than their money's worth by completely updating their website, creating new publications , and getting the park featured on NPS Getaways that will be useful years into the future.

A better opportunity has come along, with a promotion and the promise of year-round employment.  It's too good to pass up for those reasons alone, but the location is tremendous to boot.  For the first time, my land of opportunity is in the east rather than the west.

I accepted a permanent job at the National Mall.  Of course, this has us all excited, nervous, and grappling with the logistics of moving (if you're keeping track, we're in ND, our stuff is in KS, and DC is far away).

We visited the National Mall in 2009 as part of our great tour of the eastern U.S. and again in February, 2010.   I definitely had a national park experience then of the highest order, the type where a place that has only existed in the mind's eye as an abstract concept is suddenly revealed as manifest and real.

This site is a History major's dream, spanning the entire history of the United States.  The places I will be helping take care of is a list of the greatest people and greatest trials our nation has faced in its history:

• Washington Monument
• Lincoln Memorial
• Thomas Jefferson Memorial
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
• World War II Memorial
• Korean War Memorial
• Vietnam War Memorial

Plus, there are some other areas you might be less familiar with:

• Constitution Gardens
• George Mason Memorial
• John Ericsson Memorial
• Old Post Office Tower
• Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site

 Here I am at the Lincoln Memorial in 2009.  No big deal, just the greatest president our nation has ever had.

 

The Korean War Memorial.  Also known as "The Forgotten War."  Speaking of which, anybody know a good book I can read about the war?

Washington Monument rising above the Tidal Basin.  The Old Post Office peeks above the trees to the left.  Paging Dr. Freud.

The FDR memorial utilizes a lot of flowing water and tells the story of his four terms in office as you walk through the monument.  It's a nice, quiet spot.

 The Jefferson Memorial.  Although I disagree with his politics (I'm a Hamilton man), Jefferson is quintessentially American.

I'm now taking book recommendations for FDR, Jefferson, Korea, and Vietnam.  I will read them on my Kindle, the most bomb-diggity device ever created for people who read a crap-ton of books they need to reference but do not want to haul across the country.

Hopefully this new adventure provides some material for writing.  There is certainly no shortage of things to see and do in D.C.  I'm also excited for the possibility of weekend getaways to the mountains.

Now who wants to help me load up, drive, and unload a moving truck?

Learn more about the National Mall and Memorial Parks.