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For many South Floridians, the change of seasons means a brief and slight drop in temperature. But for one intern in Washington D.C., seeing fall foliage for the first time allowed her to reflect on her own chapters in life.
Sofia Giraldo moved to the nation’s capital three months ago for a congressional internship.
“What brought me to Washington, D.C. was to gain first-hand experience in politics,” said Giraldo. “Washington is a city where everything happens, and I wanted to be part of that.”
Giraldo was born in Colombia and later immigrated to Miami. Before moving to D.C., she had only seen fall in movies.
But one afternoon outside the U.S capitol, that changed.
“I would describe this moment as one of my favorite moments in my life, it was shocking for me because in Florida there’s no fall,” said Giraldo. “So when I stepped out from my office, I saw the leaves changing surrounding the Capitol, and I thought it was beautiful.”
For her, the season didn’t just mean colder temperatures, it mirrored her own transitions, living alone, adapting and learning who she is becoming in a new city.
“The season symbolizes a new chapter of my life,” she shared. “I think being in D.C. was one of my dreams, and being in fall in D.C. was even more.”
She’s reminded that change can be unfamiliar but also meaningful.
“When you leave a country or a city, you have to leave a lot of versions of yourself that you knew in that moment, they are not going to be with you in this one,” said Giraldo. “But at the same time, they help you to be the person you are right now and i think that happened to me”
