[nabs-l] Navigating D.C. and Arlington, VA

[Zach Mason]

Hello

 

Been on the list before about housing, now asking for advice. 

 

I've been accepted to a summer internship with the National Association of
State Departments of Agriculture. I'm kind of late in asking this, but how
long does it take to orient a country bumpkin to living in D.C. and working
in an office in Arlington Virginia? My life is a long history of jumping
into things without comprehensive preparation, but it really just hit me
this morning how I've been living in the sticks for the past two years
without any real opportunity to use mobility skills. 

 

I received 14 wk of independent living training at the Carroll Center for
the Blind in 2013, and have lived and worked independently at Purdue
University for 8 wk during a summer internship. However, for the past two
years I've worked on a dairy farm in northern New Hampshire where the
ownership require I use sighted assistance whenever crossing. (Not that
sighted assistance equals safety) I've had more than one instance when ears
trumped eyes. And as for working around animals . I could tell some stories.
(Exasperated face)

 

But I digress. I've taken some preliminary steps, hired an O&M instructor,
contacted METRO and a METRO O&M instructor, had JAWS and Openbook installed
at my work computer in the Arlington office, and bought my apartment. I
planned a wk of orientation, both to the work and for O&M, but am not sure
it's enough. Part of my job is attending public hearings at the Capitol,
sometimes remotely, sometimes in person; and finding a strange place in a
strange city scares me. I've been to D.C. before, and the traffic
environment intimidates me. 

 

Words of wisdom, encouragement, and prayers are all welcome. (Smiling face)
Anyone in Arlington/D.C. area is also welcome to try to get in touch and get
together between May 18-Aug. 15. 

 

 

Zac

 

 

Zachary Mason

Assistant Shepherd and Young Stock Manager

Northwinds Farm

(603) 922-8377 Work

(603) 991-6747 Cell

 <mailto:zmason at northwindsfarm@gmail.com> zmason at northwindsfarm@gmail.com 

 

806 U.S. Route 3

North Stratford, NH 03590