WASHINGTON — After spending most of the last six months at the Missouri State Capitol, I did what any other self-respecting journalist needing a break from the marble halls of government might do: I went to another Capital.

In this case, Washington, D.C.

My 72 hours in Washington revealed a town full of a sometimes vicious, young ambition. As a young person myself, I was a bit surprised by the number of people my age who seem to have pretty important positions for pretty important people in American government.

Washington, D.C., is a young person’s town, with sprawling new districts with modern apartments and hip bars. And seemingly everyone is running — both literally, and metaphorically — to the next and better job or neighborhood.

One final thought: I spent a great deal of time at the Newseum, which is dedicated to the history of journalism. The museum is a must see for those interested in the Fourth Estate.

In one exhibit, I came across a copy of the old Neosho Times. It declared in massive bold print, ‘JESSE JAMES ASSASSINATED.’ It also had on display the infamous and inaccurate ‘Dewey Defeats Truman’ front page of from the Chicago Tribune.

Somewhere else along the way, I came across a quote in the museum that summed up my experience meeting with my young colleagues in Washington and working with other reporters around Missouri.

The quote was from H.L. Mencken, an influential journalist and a social critic for the Baltimore Sun until 1948, who smartly said: “I know of no human being who has a better time than an eager and energetic young reporter.”

The quote sums up an experience over the six months in Jefferson City, and what I hope to feel next week, too, when I begin working in the Globe’s newsroom to help cover Newton County and beyond.

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