Snow in MN; Rain in IA; glad I'm HEEERE :)

Where the weather is BEAUTIFUL. unfortunately it's not going to stay that way, buuuut oh well!

Slow day at the office today. Only four of us are here! Everyone else is either in Puerto Rico or Miami (I know, right?!) I mean they're there on business, but still..haha. So today I got to work in a different department (under the chief of staff..and I think I impressed her!) and I got to work with J and F a little. I <3 them!

Also a new intern, C, started today. It's so fun having other students around! :)

Although I was a little sad that I was the only one who took the Starbucks break today, it has been overall a good day. I love Thursdays, first of all, because they are like my Friday. And as I was walking into my building I saw a Minnesota license plate. It made me smile a little... Reminded me of home.

One hour and fifteen minutes til the weekend. We're supposed to go up on top of the Washington Monument tomorrow, but it's supposed to be rainy :-/. Let's pray for good weather-- I hear the view is amazing.

I'm off to go sip my Venti Shaken Iced Tea and wait for the clock to strike 6. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

at the starting line of the rest of my life..

..yes, i do have a miley cyrus song stuck in my head.

Yesterday (and today) I have been conquering my fear of the telephone.
It's fine. It really is.
The phone is my friend.
What's the worst that could happen?
It's really not that bad.

...Yeah. :)

Yesterday I ran into my Iowans for Hillary boss! AH, this city is SO small, I swear :) He gets his hair cut at the salon on the first floor of my building. Love it. Exciting to see a familiar face every once in awhile :)

I also went to my first happy hour, ever, yesterday, with a guy (we'll call him G). It was a good time. :)

Then that address--that was something else. I loved it. Especially when he focused on energy for a significant portion. YAY!

Hmm what else is new...I'm calling Seattle now. Then Puerto Rico. The language barrier is difficult but it's a really good learning experience.

Love from DC!

Minnesota is Warmer...

Okay, I'm just kidding. But it does feel like it, on days like today, because it's windier here. Also, in MN and even Iowa, I rarely need to be outside for more than few minutes at a time in the winter. This is because of a general understanding among citizens of these states..that a warm building should always be located conveniently!

While I'm sure some people in these Midwest states do have to make a trek outside to get to work, I certainly never have had to. That's a big adjustment coming here--the commute. For the first few weeks I was excited--good exercise, yeah, and the scenery! But now it has become just a tad mundane--and the five blocks from the metro station seem to be getting longer. I am only pointing this out, however, not to complain, but rather to hope--that once the spring weather arrives (in a month!) hopefully I will enjoy my commute again. I tend to be happier the warmer I am (no joke).

Today I slammed my finger in the door, which hurt like hellll. It woke me up a little bit though. I've been having some trouble staying awake today.

Our office is designed in a unique way such that every person in it can hear every conversation going on. Today, this includes interviews. For some reason, I am actually nervous FOR these people! It's the strangest thing. I find myself holding my breath while they answer questions...awkward. Like right now...silence. awkward, awkward silence.

On another note, the Oscars last night = amazing. Kate Winslet was so cute, and Halle Berry (sp?) and Jennifer Aniston win as best dressed in my book. Also, how weird was it that when J.A. was presenting, they kept cutting to brangelina? Holy awkward.

Anyway, I hope everyone has had a good Monday!

Catch up

I haven't blogged in awhile, I need to catch up! Work has gotten busier...I have more responsibilities now. People talk to me more..it's exciting, and also a little stressful. This week I had to make phone calls...I feel like i JUST got acclamated to answering the phone. I'm not sure why it scares me so much, but I suppose I will have to do it the rest of my life, so I need to conquer the fear now. The funny thing is, I have always been able to make phone calls while I'm by myself, but in the presence of authority, I can't do it. Like, I'm afraid I won't have the "right" conversation--because you can't prepare for that! AH, so I feel like I will be judged. It's ridiculous.

Thursday night was one of our roommates' 21st birthday. We went out to Union Pub and it was actually really fun. UP is really close, too...very convenient.

I haven't been feeling well lately--had a lot of random stomach pains, to the point where I dont want to do much. And this morning I woke up with a sore throat. I'm hoping it goes away because I have all these fun things I want to do today and tomorrow.

We're off to the Eastern Market right now. Maybe the fresh air will make me feel better...

Tonight I'm supposed to go out with one of my old hollister coworkers who goes to GWU. Should be fun (if i make it!)!!!

Hope you are all doing well :)

Fabulous Tuesday

Hey hi!

So today was an awesome day. The 930 postcards from last week turned into 1400, but for some reason, nothing could shatter my good mood today. My ex even tried to pick a fight with me on facebook, and i just..wasnt angry! It was great. I wish I had this much positive energy every single day.

Today started with a staff meeting, where I got to talk..and was assigned things to do by the chief of staff. I also answered the phones today, which makes me feel important...I'm not really sure why, but I like it. Anyway, I'm starting to feel like a more integral part of the organization...I have responsibilities and things I have to get done, and it's great. I feel like I have a purpose now! And an intern starts tomorrow..so I won't be the new kid anymore :)

The day went fast, too. It was probably since I was so frickin happy. I wasn't tired, either. Which was nice...I'm always dragging, no matter how much or little sleep I get. Maybe today is the start of a change in things, and I'll feel more well rested from here on out. I can hope!

I also went for a run today. All that positive energy carried over after work and I ran past the capital onto the mall and then back...uphill :) and then around the park a few times. Felt sooo good!

Then a couple hours of American Idol and some laundry...all in all, a good day!

I hope everyone else had a fabulous Tuesday as well!

<3

le weekend

So four day weekends are pretty much amazing!

Thursday night was pretty chill, no one really felt like doing anything so we just stayed in. Friday we were supposed to have CHIP speakers come in for class, but they ended up being too busy because of the stimulus bill to come in. Instead, we went to the Spy Museum (Free!) and it was pretty cool. Very interesting stuff!! I really liked it. Then we met up with Tricia, who works at Simpson, to talk about our internships and catch up.

Friday night was a fun time at 510C, I made us some friends, then we went out. :) It was pretty fun...Saturday we went out to the National Mall and saw the White House and the Monument and other tourist-y things like that. Definitely got my own I <3 DC shirt!!! Haha and we took a gazillion pictures. That was awesome. Saturday night I went out with some girls to my first DC bar ever..McFadden's. Good times!

Sunday we ventured out to Georgetown with the sole purpose of finding a Georgetown Cupcake. This is the big deal in Georgetown, these cupcakes. Apparently people come from miles to get one! We didn't end up getting a cupcake, oops (the line was a block long!) but we did run into some great deals shopping! I got two shirts for $15 at express..that does not happen! I've been trying to only spend money on necessities, but it's a challenge.

Speaking of spending money, I got my groceries delivered for the first time yesterday. On Peapod, the prices are actually a little better than Safeway, and the delivery charge isn't that bad. It's really convenient since I don't have a car out here!!

Last night, Jamie, Nick, and I went to see "He's Just Not That Into You." I thought it was a pretty good movie, although I wasn't too keen on one of the storylines.

Today I slept in to celebrate Presidents Day..and we're about to go take a Simpson picture and run some errands. Ta ta!

Do you know what 930 postcards looks like?!

Welll, yesterday I didn't blog, because i was busy all day.

Busy doing "real intern work," as the president told me.

Busy stickering 930 postcards.


Yep, good times.

Weekend :)

Lunch Hour Ramblings

So, today has been fun, and as you can observe from the title, it's not even over yet! The morning hours absolutely flew by today at work, and then I got to sit in on a seattle meeting! Ah, it was fabulous. I finally get to be involved in the actually planning process--I at least get to know what's going on with the details of the conference. I even offered input (just once, I didn't want to overstep any boundaries). So exciting!

I'm still reeling from that, so hopefully the last few hours of busywork will go quickly (I will be very busy making CD covers for the photo albums from past conferences...good times).

It's also 69 degrees outside, so I'm thinking about going for a walk. Although it will be strange to walk without purpose...everyone knows exactly where their destination is here!

Tonight we have life lessons with Mr. Tucker (class!) so that should be interesting. He has a LOT to say..hopefully I will say something intelligent and get on his good side. Crossing my fingers!

:) Have a great day!

Observations

Interesting Observations about this city:

1. I find myself rushing, but I've noticed that I don't really notice it..because EVERYONE is rushing during the morning commute. I fit in very nicely. :)
2. There are more sirens in one day here than I normally hear in MONTHS at home.
3. There are no children. Like, anywhere (at least that I see).
4. There are more well-dressed men in this city than any other city I've ever experienced. It's a little bit amazing.
5. The black women are all stunningly beautiful in this town.
6. You can get anywhere you need to be by taking the Metro. I love love love the metro.
7. Life is expensive! Really expensive.
8. On my morning commute, I have three opportunities to buy Starbucks coffee without going out of my way.
9. Instead of being open 8-4:30 like every normal office in the Midwest, offices here are all open 9-6.
10. Lunch break is at 1pm, not noon..culture shock! Dinner is later, too.
11. There are beggars everywhere and it breaks my heart. If you're wearing your headphones, they're less likely to talk to you. :(
12. The days FLY by except for the hours between 2pm-6pm. Everyone I've talked to about this agrees with me.
13. People argue, in public, a lot. And there is no "the customer is always right."
14. It seems like everyone and their mother owns a dog.
15. I can see the capitol from my house! (WAY better scenery than Russia...:)

More to come, I'm sure...

The coolest thing about today...

...is that I ran by the Supreme Court, Library of Congress, and the Capitol. Because they're in my neighborhood..just a few blocks away. Being that close to things that important is so surreal to me. It's like I can't even really grasp completely that I'm actually in the presence of all of these important things.

That was really the highlight of my day, although my acid reflux flared up (since i didn't eat breakfast) so i couldn't run for very long.

Work was good, especially for a Monday. Everyone was either sick or out of town last week, so it was great to have everyone back. Everyone (not just me) found it hard to wake up today, so we ended up taking two group trips to the starbucks on the corner.

Also,I got praised today, multiple times, for work I've done. That made me feel good, like I have a distinct purpose here. Love it.

Our office hired a new intern today! He'll be working in another department, but on the same side of the office as me. How fun it will be to not be the "new girl!"

I also got to leave a half hour early, which has made the evening seem a little longer :)

First Weekend in DC!

OMG, the 3-day weekend is AMAZING. Here i was complaining about being at work too much..I will definitely love this 4 day on, 3 day off cycle.

Thursday night we went over to the guy's house (they live in overflow housing since there's only 2 of them). That was fun, we just kinda hung out as a group since we hadn't been able to really socialize at all together yet. It is SO much fun getting to know these people! Everyone is doing something AMAZING and it's great to hear about. I love being with these people.

Friday we slept in, then we had our class with Doug...he just kind of introduced us to the city..which seemed kind of backwards since we were basically thrown into it on Monday with a "good luck!" Not that I'm complaining, I've LOVED getting to know my way around this city. Anyway, we talked about what each of us were doing in our internship. It was pretty cool. Then we watched a DC video..then we had the afternoon and rest of the weekend off!

Friday afternoon we went to Dupont Circle to see the really really high up escalator..sometime I'll get a picture of it, that station is SO far underground! It's insane! We got Starbucks and wandered around..there's a Krispy Kreme over there...dangerous. From there we took the Red to the Green and stopped in Columbia Heights to go to Target. Here we got some (more) essentials. I accidentally left a bag there, but when I went back today to get the stuff they were very nice about it!! I'm so glad.

Friday night we went to a movie at Union Station..we tried to meet up with the 1st floor girls (Jessica and Hannah) to see "He's Just Not That Into You" but it was sold out! :( It actually worked in our favor though, because we saw "Taken" instead, and it turned out to be a REALLY well-done movie. It was totally badass. After that we decided to take it easy at home for the night..The movie theater, by the way, was a little sketch. We'll definitely be finding a new one..

Saturday we got up early and ventured out to the Eastern Market. It's really only a few blocks away (well like 7) and it is the cutest little market. Jamie and I bought hats (definitely a necessity) and they got some fresh produce, too. We will definitely be frequenting that place.

Saturday afternoon we walked to Chinatown and explored that area a bit. SUCH a cute part of town. I love it. We got dinner at a cute restaurant that we thought was going to be Chinese but was actually..Mexican, ish? Anyway, it was cute.

Saturday night a lot of us hung out together, which was great because I live with all these people but I feel like I never see any of them (besides the roomies). Then we ventured out to Hawk and Dove, which is basically intern city on the weekends. It was REALLY crowded, but we had fun. The walk home was horrible though, in heels..since we've been walking literally EVERYWHERE this week! I love the walking we do..it makes me feel healthy. :)

This morning we slept in...ah, it was fabulous. Today we took the metro to the Pentagon City mall. This mall was built exclusively for Pentagon workers. Crazy, huh? Fortunately for us, it's open to the public, and a lot closer than I had imagined it being! And super easy to get to of course. One of my roommates, Robin, had to drop off her computer to get fixed, so we had fun exploring the mall. Then we stayed on the train to stop off at Target to get my stuff that I left. All in all, it was a great day!! we also cleaned up today, which was much needed--my momma would be proud.

My feet HURT..but it's definitely worth it. Back to work tomorrow!

TGIT(thank God it's Thursday)

Last night we started class, Politics and Communications. It started at 7:30 instead of its normal time, 7, so Jamie and I had time to make a quick dinner before it started...Wednesdays are normally going to be a rush, though! If you could eat on the metro, that would be convenient, but oh well. I will figure something out. I could ask to leave early from work..we shall see. It's already so weird to eat after six, instead of at 4:30-5 when I'm used to eating.

Class is going to be amazing, I can already tell. There are only six people in our class, including two of my roommates. The professor's name is Mike Tucker, and he owns his own media production business. It's pretty sweet. He likes to talk, a lot, and while I find him a bit intimidating, I think I will really learn a LOT from him. This first class period was basically a tutorial on Washington, DC..and how to benefit from being here. It was awesome, and totally a lot of what we had to hear. It'll be interesting. I also got some cleaning and organizing done last night. I finally feel settled here now that I have clothes in my closet and shoes to wear :)

OOH and my camera cord came in the mail, which means I can finally take pictures and share them with my friends. Today is Thursday, which is our last day of work for the week. I think we might go out tonight. The boys have an apartment down the street, so we might go hang out with them (since not everyone can get into the bars). I'm just so excited to do some form of a social activity!

Doug hasn't said yet whether we have a field trip planned for tomorrow..it's supposed to warm up a little, so if it does, I hope we do go somewhere. I want to explore this city! There is SO much to do...

Speaking of the weather (kinda), it was SO COLD today. Like, the tears in my eyes were freezing over cold. It's tricky because when you look on the weather sites, it will say 22 or 25 or 29..but that does not account for the WIND! It's been 16 mph wind lately, which is much harsher than the 5-10 mph wind I'm used to..I'm also not used to having to walk long distances in cold weather...or long distances at all, but that part I'm enjoying. It's like a mandatory work out every day, just to get to work! Anyway, I'm really hoping that the cold weather goes away soon..

It's 1pm now, which means its my lunch break. I love being a part of the organization I'm working for, but I am not enjoying sitting at a desk from 9-6. I'd much rather be running around...that's another thing, I'm so used to being busy, that it's very odd that ALL i do is work, commute to work, eat, and sleep. It's like, don't I have to be somewhere else or do something else? VERY strange.

Alright, the PB&J and soup is calling my name. Til next time! <3

Tuesday and Wednesday

Yesterday was exhausting. I got up for work extra early, because it was time to conquer the train system to see if i could actually make it work via the metro. Turns out, my experience with the Hiawatha line in MPLS must have helped me..I made it here relatively unscathed..and a half an hour early. Also, no one walks into the office until 9:00 on the dot...Oh well, now I know. Yesterday was great at work; I'm learning a lot and being here is stimulating my passion again for working on LGBT rights. I think this is going to be really great. I also met Ace, the puppy from down the hall, who comes over and makes himself at home whenever he sees fit. I love it!

After work, Jamie and I went to Target, which is conveniently just one metro stop away from my work stop. Following a minor fiasco involving Jamie and the red line (the green line is the right train..) we eventually made it to Target. At this point in the day, both of us were a little grumpy...it had been hours since lunch, and navigating a new city is actually extremely exhausting! So there we were, debating about hangers and toothpaste, all the while just wanting to go to sleep. We were also a little upset because the obscene price we paid for groceries at safe-way was WAY more expensive than the food at Target; which is so odd because usually Target is the more expensive option. It's another one of those, "hey, now we know" experiences I suppose...

SO many learning experiences. It will be so nice once we actually know what we are doing... anyway, after Target, we got dinner at Potbelly's, which was by far the cheapest meal we've had since being here. Getting home was fine, except that 1/2 mile walk from Union Station can be a doozy when tired.

We got home, watched Rachel Maddow, and hit the sack. This morning came WAY too soon, even though I got more than seven hours of sleep. I was still too early for work, but only ten minutes this time. Eventually I'll get it right...

Today is a slow day at work, which is why I am writing this now. I start class tonight, and by looking at the syllabus, it seems like it will be pretty interesting. Politics and Communications is the name of the course, and it is going to focus on the 2008 election. I'm excited.

peace out from U street

Another day of firsts...

There's definitely something to be said about finding your way around a new city...

Today was my first day of work. I woke up on time, had my outfit planned out, got ready, and was out the door on time. Walked to my bus stop, and the bus that was supposed to arrive at 9:12am actually arrived at 9:25. I went to call my work to tell them I would be a little late, and I realized that the work number wasn't saved in my phone...wonderful. So i texted a bunch of people to see if someone could look it up (thanks Marg!). I got the number, and called, and it was fine..but then I got off the bus at the wrong stop and had to walk an extra 7 blocks. In heels. Because I didn't wear my boots, because it was warm out (34!). Only time I think I've ever cursed warmer weather....

First day of work was good. Bosses are all awesome, as is the other intern. Work should be pretty exciting; I'm planning a huge conference in Seattle and doing a lot of other sweet, intern-like tasks. :) Bosses took me out to lunch, which was amazing. My one boss even showed me how to use the metro..thank God! That will be my preferred method of transportation from now on.

After work and the metro expedition, we went grocery shopping. I spent $100 on food, and that was with the discount! It was insane. I've never ever had to grocery shop for myself before. what an experience. We got home, unpacked everything, and now here I am.

I can't believe how late it is already...not used to the time change yet, I guess. I'll be up in less than seven hours to do it all again!

First Day!

ITS FINALLY HERE!

My semester in Washington, DC, has finally begun! The day began extremely early, with a 4:32 a.m. phone call from American Airlines announcing that the second of my two flights had been bumped to a later flight. Not the best news, but it definitely could have been much worse! I wasn't planning to get up until 5:00 am, but I was up, and excited, so 4:32 it was! We left for the airport at 5:30 and arrived by six. Check-in went smoothly so the 'rents and I were able to eat a leisurely breakfast at the new airport Houlihan's. I arrived at the gate at 7:15 and was on the plane by 7:20. The first flight went extremely quickly, and I arrived in Chicago earlier than expected.

I picked up Jamie at the O'hare airport in Chicago. The view of Chicago from the plane is simply amazing. On our flight to DC, we made small talk with the flight attendant, who asked us where our school was. At this point, both Jamie and I had our mouths full, and a voice from behind us said "Simpson is in Indianola." Turns out, a former president of our college was on our flight with us--on his way to some presidents' conference in DC. Small world :)

Our flight arrived on time, and flying into the city we could see the capitol..our new neighborhood. We managed the baggage claim/hailing a taxi with relatively little trouble! Fortunately we made it to 510C with plenty of time to spare before our orientation meeting.

We got our keys, unpacked a few things, met our roomates, and then proceeded to have our orientation meeting. I'm excited for the group of people we have--I think it's going to be great. Not to mention our apartment..it's like a loft! We have the best view..we can even see the capitol right from our window. Doug, our program coordinator, said a house like ours would go for $1.6 million on the market. Crazy!

We had a little superbowl party, and then Jamie and I found my bus stop. Thankfully it's very easy to get to. The weather was shockingly warm today--55 degrees this afternoon, and still warm while we were out walking.

It's only 10pm here now, but it's definitely time to call it a day. Big day tomorrow!!!