Written by Jaime Fawcett
Written by Jaime Fawcett.
What’s up, Seva Callers? It’s Jaime with the Seva Interns, and I’m kicking back at headquarters where the thermostat is set at a frosty 30 degrees to combat the unbearable heat and humidity of the DC urban wilderness.
It’s July 1st. And I dig July. I do. I really do. It’s smack dab in the middle of the summer, which means I’ve finally recuperated from spring semester horrors, but haven’t yet started hyperventilating about starting my third year of college.
It’s… peaceful…and cathartic….and as sticky as the blue rivers of melted sno-cone staining your hand. Seriously, Seva Callers… it’s hot.
But no matter how hot it is I can never, ever, EVER quell my excitement about the 4th of July. The parades, the fireworks, playing with all the neighborhood tykes and toddlers at the neighborhood barbecue, and watching their faces light up as my dad scoops out Fawcett Famous Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream; it’s awesome.
This year will be one of the only 4th of July’s I haven’t spent in my small town, Catonsville. It’s sad to think that I won’t be walking with the parade down Frederick Rd, or watching the fireworks at my alma mater Catonsville High.
But hey, I’m going to Chicago this year! And I’m pretty stoked. Perhaps this is the start of a new tradition?
Anywho, I asked all the interns about some of their 4th of July traditions, past and present, and their most memorable 4th of July. Here are their answers.
Rochelle: Last year was my first 4th in DC. We went to the parade. It was hot, and sweaty, and we got lost a bunch of times. But, it was awesome and so worth it. Oh my goodness, getting on the subway after the fireworks? I have never seen so many people on a subway car. It was crazy, and awesome, and I’m excited to do it again this year!
Saam: Somehow, I always end up out of the country. I went to Rome and France last year. This year will be my first time really celebrating the 4th in a while.
Josh: Well you know the 4th is a big deal in C-ville (Fun fact: We have the same hometown!). People set their chairs out to watch the parade a month in advance. They tie them to telephone poles and stuff. But, the best part is watching the Nathan’s Hotdog Eating contest on TV. Johnny Chestnut is my boy! Reigning record holder!
Andre: I go down to the National Harbor and watch the fireworks. And you know….other stuff.
Duan: My 13-year-old brother’s birthday is the 4th of July. He likes that he gets fireworks and a lot of food on his birthday.
Michael: Every year my family and I go to Hull, a small beach town in Massachusetts. The town goes all out for fireworks and you can watch them from the beach. The best fireworks I’ve ever seen.
Katherine: I have a big family – we keep it pretty old school with a barbecue and fireworks back in New Jersey.
Sid: One of my most memorable 4th moments was watching the fireworks with my dad, sitting on the roof of the World Bank in DC. It was awesome seeing the fireworks 30 stories up.
Nabeel: Best 4th of July? Outer Banks, VA and fireworks on the beach. Super Chill.
Graham: I work. Time and a half pay, baby.
Zaneta: I go to my aunt’s house with all my family. She makes Caribbean food, which is not your typical 4th of July food, I know, but it’s sooooo good. But then my relatives start dancing. It’s super awkward and embarrassing…especially when they make me dance with them. Oh well, you gotta love ‘em.
Lauren: One 4th my cousin got into a brawl with this guy. It was simultaneously terrifying and hilarious.
Chelsea: Well, I’m from New Jersey, so everybody goes to the Jersey Shore. It’s the best time to catch up with old friends from high school.
Madeline: I have family in Maine and New Hampshire, so I usually go up there. We all go to a park in North Conway. There’s food, weird cover bands, and fireworks. It’s really fun! I won’t be going this year though, which is totally sad. It’s the first summer I haven’t gone. I don’t know what I’m going to do! I have a friend here who usually throws a party every year. But she’s going away this year! Oh, man…I don’t know what I’m going to do…
We know Augie isn’t an intern but he wanted in.
Augie: When I was younger I would buy hundreds of glowsticks, and I would sell them during the parade and at the fireworks. You know like you see people do? I’d make hundreds of dollars. But then the cops started asking for a license to sell them so I had to stop.
And that’s that! Sounds like there will be plenty of stories for the office when we get back from the holiday break.
So what are you doing for the 4th of July, Seva Callers? What do you do? Where do you go? Whose feet do you throw poppers at? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!
