Home Sweet Home

I have never been so excited to see that building in my whole life...Hello Jeff City

Well this is it...this journey has come to an end and so has this blog. My days of being a world traveler this summer are over. We crossed the bridge into Jefferson City at about 4:00 this afternoon. I have officially been home for four hours. It is a strange but good feeling. It is weird to not have to depend solely on myself right now. Someone else cooked me dinner. Someone else put gas in my car. Someone else did my laundry. But in only six days, I will be on my own again so I guess I can allow someone else to take care of things for now. Classes start in a week and a half whether I am ready or not. I think that school will seem really different this year. I have learned tons of things this summer that listening to a professor never would have taught me. I know how to ride a metro in the United States and in a foreign country and not get lost..or too lost anyway. I have learned how to budget. I have learned how to be professional..when I need to be...and I have also learned how to let go and meet new people, try new food, and visit new places even without having any idea of what the outcome will be like. Life was crazy and unexpected this summer and now it is comfortable and normal once again. It is time to settle into a routine again for my third year of college. But the one thing I know for certain is that Kia and I sure know how to get to the East Coast if at some point in the next few months I am in need of an adventure. To all those faithful followers of this blog, thanks for reading:) 

Beauty is Pain and Sandals were Not Meant for Sightseeing

Today was my last day in Washington DC. It is crazy to think that I won't be riding the metro again for a while. I won't be seeing the monuments. I won't be stuck in traffic for hours. I won't be the only car with a Missouri license plate.

My family and I started the day off by heading to my work so that they could meet everyone in the office. We then went to the White House for our tour:) We were yelled at for trying to take pictures twice but overall we weren't kicked out or anything so that was a good sign. From there on, we hiked all over the National Mall to visit all of the monuments. My choice of footwear was terrible. Never, ever, ever wear sandals when walking 8 miles. My legs are killing me and my right ankle keeps popping which cannot be good. DC you win this round.
I have to completely pack up all of my things in the morning so we can hit the road for 8 hours. I am not looking forward to waking up early again. I only hope I can bribe either my mom or one of my siblings to do the driving for a while. This time tomorrow I should be in Kentucky and one step closer to Missouri!
I apologize for such a short blog post. I am thoroughly worn out from today and all I want to do is nap, sleep, and nap some more. I also am just really excited to be home. Have I mentioned that yet?

As Much as I Want It to be See Ya Later, It's Probably Goodbye.

Iwo Jima Memorial

Happy Wednesday! Today is my second last day of my internship. My family is heading towards the East Coast around noon today and they should be here by the time I get off of work tomorrow! I can hardly believe that I will be seeing them tomorrow after two months of only seeing them over Skype which is just not the same.

Yesterday I went to the Sunset Parade that the Marines do in Arlington Cemetery in front of the Iwo Jima Memorial. Unfortunately I wasn't able to talk to any of my Marine friends after the Parade and tell them what a great job they had done. They remind me of toy soldiers when they are out there on the parade deck because they all look identical and they all march or whatever in perfect sync. The band did a really good job as well. They even played music from the movie Grease which was entertaining because you almost expected them to rip off their uniforms to find leather jackets underneath and take off their hats to reveal slicked back hair. Sadly, neither of these two things happened. One of my friends from the Washington Center went with me and it was extremely hard to say goodbye to her. It is strange how you can only know some of these people for two months or less yet they seem to have learned everything about you. It is even harder to think that we might never see each other again. We both had to take different metro trains but we spent the last minutes up until they arrived yelling at each other across the tracks to the opposite platforms we were waiting on. Then we waved sadly to each other as the trains showed up and cut us off. I think I have avoided most other goodbyes with the other friends I made here because I won't get as upset if they just don't happen.
I avoided saying goodbye to most of the Marines I befriended this summer too because I know for sure that I won't see most of them again. They all are moving to new stations in a few months and you better believe that none of those are going to be near Missouri. I am really afraid that I am going to cry when I have to say goodbye to everyone at my internship site. That would be very embarrassing and very unprofessional but I can't help it! On a completely random but positive note, I ate at Bojangles yesterday with someone I work with. It is like southern/ Cajun style food and I think I will be writing a letter to the President/ CEO/ whoever is in charge to ask if they can build one in Missouri. It was so good...so unhealthy...but so good.

The countdown is on: One day until I see my family. Two days until the White House Tour. And four days until I am back in the lovely land of Missouri!!! Take note of this, I am actually excited about going back to the Midwest...unbelievable haha.

"Train, Train...Let's Get on the Train" (A Remake to the Song Plane, Plane)

One sketchy train station

Did you know that a person or vehicle is hit by a train roughly every three hours. Yeah that was the message on the sign posted on the wall across from my seat on the Amtrack to North Carolina. Clearly the trains in this world are out of control.

The lady who sat next to me was also hilarious because she talked in her sleep. At one point she started talking to me about the extremely important difference between Waffle House and IHOP. That really just made me super hungry but I was not about to spend $4.50 on a hot dog. I finally arrived in North Carolina at 9:30 Friday evening and had scrambled eggs for dinner...and I was definitely okay with that.

I think the more and more I travel the East Coast, the more I fall in love with it. California has some tough competition.

On Saturday morning, we all woke up and ate breakfast together. It is so embarrassing how little I can cook compared to my cousins - even the 15 year old ones. I have a lot to learn if I plan on living off campus this year. We went to the Duke Gardens which were so impressive - but at a tuition of $50,000 a year per student they really should be breathtaking. This weekend has also made me kind of want a big family someday. Like the Brady Bunch except with better clothes. For some reason the Addams family comes to mind too but I definitely don't want a family like that...although having a butler would be cool..Lurch, are ya looking for a new job buddy?...I am currently headed home on the train today back to Virginia. My one complaint is that I really wish they didn't keep the air conditioning so cold. I need like sweatpants and a hoodie on this thing yet it's probably over 100 degrees outside. I am so tempted to just sit in the little area between cars because it doesn't have air conditioning. I bet I would get yelled at if they found me there though.

Duke University Chapel...holy lord

There are four more days left of my internship. That doesn't even seem possible. Right now all I can focus on is my desire to take a nap. My bed in Virginia is going to look so nice when we get there in two hours.

Wish Upon a Blog Post

Today I have 888 page views...is that kind of like when the time is 11:11 and you get to make a wish? Am I allowed to wish on the number of page views I have? Well I wish that no one ever got sick. I wish that hospitals weren't necessary. And I wish I could teleport because then I would be home with my family where I feel like I should be right now. Life is a tricky thing. Just when you think you have all the steps figured out, life steps in and changes the song so that your moves are all wrong. But I do know that I am a very lucky girl who has been granted too many unbelievable opportunities this summer to count.

King Street Metro Stop...this is what I picture heaven to look like..kinda



I finished my portfolio today. It is almost 30 pages, and it is one of the most beautiful assignments I think I have ever turned in. Two months of work and I can hold it in my hands. This is such a good feeling. It is crazy to think back to how I felt before I came to DC. I was nervous and just so unsure of what to expect and how I would handle everything. With one week and two days left, I can't believe that it's almost all over.
Tomorrow I leave for North Carolina! Hopefully there is an outlet on this train because I know my phone will die and that will be very unfortunate when I reach my stop and I don't know how to find anyone.
Today it was confirmed that I have a White House tour set up for my family and I for the East Wing I believe. If that doesn't win me the daughter/sibling award of the year I'm not sure what will. I am not sure my family is ready for what is in store for them next Friday. The walking is going to be killer for sure. Just don't say I didn't warn you.

Oh hey end of my neighborhood State Park...where have you been hiding this whole summer?...oh yeah at the end of my neighborhood...

Slices of Cheesecake and Secretaries of State..What an End to July

This has nothing to do with this post but what a good-looking man, am I right? This is my DC crush for sure.

Happy last day of July! I am pretty sure I mean it when I say it's a happy day. This summer has flown by, and I think that has to do with the fact that it wasn't a typical summer at all. August means that school is starting and I just don't know if I'm ready for that yet. Yesterday was National Cheesecake Day so of course we had to make an appearance at the Cheesecake Factory where all of their cheesecake was half off. What a deal! Yesterday was also the Commencement Ceremony at the Washington Center. I was hoping for a cap and gown which didn't happen but there ended up being something even better. I was sitting in the back and honestly I was not paying attention at all because I was so excited about the cheesecake when they started announcing awards. Let me remind you that there are hundreds of Washington Center interns. The Washington Center has three pillars that it outlines in its mission: leadership, professional achievement, and civic engagement. So do the math, an award for each means that there is only three awards for three out of hundreds of students. Well all of a sudden they call my name. I have no idea why I was given the Professional Achievement Award because at this point I was so in shock that the only thing I could do was awkwardly stand up and head to the podium to receive my certificate. Everyone at work told me congratulations because they got an email from a corporate member who was at the ceremony and she told them all about it. It's funny the way news will travel. It really is an exciting thing to receive especially when I think back to what I was doing last summer..waitressing in little ole Jeff City. And to think my faculty advisor had told me that I used the word "like" too much which made me sound unprofessional. I guess I'm more professional than everyone thought. Even me. Today was the other intern's last day. I now have an office all to myself which means I get to play any music I want without wearing headphones. Whoohoo! We all went to Happy Hour after work to celebrate her last day. We had a table right by the window and guess who just casually strolls on by. None other than Colin Powell. (The 65th Secretary of State for all those political failures out there like myself). Everyone I work with got really excited when they saw him. I, of course, played along although I didn't recognize him at all. I think living in DC works the same way as studying in a foreign country. You go to Spain to be immersed in the Spanish language and you come to DC to be surrounded by political language, most of which I did not understand when I first got here but it makes a little more sense now. By no means will I become President someday, but I will hopefully be informed enough to have a serious political conversation with someone someday..maybe. Also today, it is confirmed. I have train tickets to North Carolina for the weekend. Just when you thought I was done traveling..tsk tsk you should know me better than that. Now that I have had a taste of this world, I am addicted. The question is: Where should I go next?

Who Let the Dog Out?...Not This Girl

Even my dog back home doesn't look at me with those eyes...

Well I can say that I have officially been a pet sitter now AND I did not kill said pet....go me. Just go ahead and ask me what I haven't done this summer. Anyway yesterday morning, the neighbors dropped off their Irish Setter named Riley. He is almost 100 pounds which is actually very terrifying because dogs and I have not always gotten along. AND a 100 pound dog could kill me if he wanted to. When I was really, really young, a dog supposedly snapped at me when I went to pet it and, although my mom had to tell me that story because I don't remember it myself, I was kind of scarred all the way through childhood. It also didn't help that a few years later I was with my mom when she was bitten by a dog, so overall just some really awful experiences with the canine variety. From then on, I ran in fear of any kind of dog: small, big, ugly, cute, loud, quiet, you get the picture. As I've grown up, I've had to remind myself that I am now usually much bigger than most dogs so they are probably scared of me and yadi yadi yada. I do have to say that I was worried for nothing because Riley has ended up being a complete sweetheart. He even laid by my bed all night. What a gentleman. What I did NOT appreciate, though, was being woken up at 6:30 this morning because he was hungry. I rolled over and hoped he would let me sleep. He did..for maybe half an hour..and then woke me up again. I grudgingly stomped downstairs, put food in his bowl, and then let him outside. After that I crawled back into bed and thank god I was able to get back to sleep.
Today I also went to pick my cousin up from the airport. I don't really know why I bother even using a GPS because I usually end up missing exits and then getting kind of lost. Today that also happened but somehow I stumbled upon a different way to get to the airport and it ended up being much faster. Maybe I have somehow gained a sense of direction here..or maybe I'm just extremely lucky. Anyway, she is now home, and I am no longer here alone WHOOOHOOO. I leave DC in exactly two weeks. And my family will be here in less than two weeks. And I have an entire portfolio to put together of all the work I have done here sooner than that. Alright leggo! (According to Urban Dictionary, using "leggo" instead of the phrase "let's go" is the most unintelligent thing to say and my IQ must be very low..well it's not and I'm still going to use it so ha)

If I Could Love Someone Like I Love Music, I Would Live Happily Ever After

Warped Tour 2012:)

Warped Tour...the epic day of all days and quite possibly one of the best days I have had all summer. And you know it has to be great when I can say that and I have even been to Europe and back this summer. It started out on a sour note though when we had to sit in traffic for OVER an hour to only drive a mile and a half. Yep that was ridiculous. And we did miss out on a band that both of us wanted to see but besides that it was wonderful. Amazing. Absolutely breathtaking. You get the point. I was able to crowd surf TWICE and in the process lost a bracelet and the top of my belly button ring but it was so worth it. We also had the front row for one of my favorite bands ever, We The Kings. I wish all I could do all summer was travel with the bands and go to every single show. Maybe instead of being a wedding planner, I should just plan concerts all day and then attend them all. What an idea.

Crowd surfing like a fool

 Anyway, this morning I had to take my best friend to the airport. What a sad, sad day. This time she teared up a little when she was heading towards the gate. I held it in..I don't know how but I did. The rest of the day was rather depressing, and I really haven't felt more ready to go home. I have two and a half weeks left and I sure hope they go by fast or else I'm driving myself home early. Missing the Midwest:/

       

Life Without a Best Friend would be Pointless

I know there has not been a blog post in a few days but I have been constantly moving all weekend. I showed up at the airport to pick up my best friend from the airport Friday afternoon. I decided to make a sign for her purely because she had jokingly suggested it in a Facebook status and I thought to myself "That's a great idea because she won't be expecting it!!" It ended up being an obnoxious hot pink color with pictures of us through the years glued to it. I think most people only expect to see signs when a soldier comes home but you would not believe the smiles and compliments I got when they read it:)

That's one phenomenal airport sign if I do say so myself

Of course as soon as I saw her, we started running at each other like a dramatic scene from a movie and thankfully neither of us broke anything when we collided. Here is once again another example of how I am becoming more like my mom everyday because I was bawling and she wasn't. I'm an embarrassment. I took her to my friend's country house for the weekend. That ended up being pretty tragic after someone fell off the zip line and broke his neck and back in three places.

We do look like thieves don't we??

After that we headed to my house only to have the neighbor suspect us of breaking in and called the cops. It was basically the worst Saturday I have had thus far. Thank the great lord that Sunday ended up being one of the best days I have ever had this summer. We took a road trip to Virginia Beach and it was beautiful! Not only was the weather perfect but the water didn't smell bad like the other beaches I have been to on the easy coast so far. At night, the city pays for performers so we heard some live music and watched flame throwers, hiphop dancers, and trapeze artists perform in the street. At 10:00, they shot off fireworks above the beach as we all stood on the shore and watched. It was pretty romantic minus the fact that her boyfriend wasn't there and I don't have one haha. I think the DC Award for the day has to go to the man who used the pick up line "I'm here ladies, what are your next two wishes?" he was gross. There was another terrible line used but it is far too inappropriate to put on this blog because my family is reading it but let's just say I faced forward and basically ran away when he said it.

We spent all day Monday in DC and I showed her all the monuments. Sandals and flip slops are terrible for the amount of walking we did. She is limping now and I think I have like five new blisters. It's gross, I know. We got some really great pictures though and it was still a very successful day. I am glad that I have gotten to know DC as a resident would because there is only so much sightseeing to do and then you run out of touristy things to do. Tomorrow is the big day I have been waiting for all summer! WARPED TOUR!!! My dream come true would be to crowdsurf again, get a million autographs, and get married to the lead singer of any of the bands there. I'm seriously crossing my fingers for the last one haha especially bc I threw two coins into the Trevi Fountain which means I'm getting married within the year so hopefully this happens...

Fall in Love With a Nerd...

It is an already overwhelmingly hot Wednesday morning here in our nation's capital. It also did not help that the metro was packed so that you could barely feel the air conditioning. My office is cool, though, and I have a glass of ice cold water so things are looking up. Nothing too exciting has happened since my last post. I have a presentation tonight that I am not entirely ready for but I have the next 8 hours to prepare. I do have an article I would like to share with my readers. It's called Date A Girl Who Reads by Rosemarie Urquico.
http://littlemissdorkette.tumblr.com/post/3118512524/date-a-girl-who-reads-by-rosemarie-urquico
I got it from my cousin a few months ago and I had forgotten about it until today. Rather than fall asleep on the metro which I do most mornings, this article inspired me to write instead, so here it is.

Fall In Love With a Nerd

1. Fall in love with a nerd because there will always be someone to share a study room with.
2.She is far less concerned with how you look than what is on your mind.
3. Fall in love with a nerd because she probably games harder than you do.
4. For safety purposes - she knows what to do if there were ever a zombie apocalypse, and she knows all the spells if dark wizards really do take over the world.
5. You will never stand in long lines with her at outlet malls - instead she might make you wait while she scans the bookshelves at every library in town and even the next town over.
6. The only team she was ever on was either the debate team or the math team so you will never feel emasculated by her athletic abilities.
7. Fall in love with a nerd because she probably looks good in her glasses which is a good thing because someday she will be too old to wear contacts.
8. Yes, she is going to stress over her next exam A LOT but you would rather hear all about her calculus equations than the latest gossip on E!
9. The heaviest baggage she carries with her is her book bag.
10. She is not the type to talk your ear off because she has sat through multiple tests like the ACT- she appreciates the silence.
11. Fall in love with a nerd because you won't have to share her with the jocks and frat boys on campus - the number of her GPA is probably much higher than the amount of boys she has ever been with.
12. She was never a spoiled beauty pageant toddler but instead was in far more spelling bees than she can count.
13. She had braces and headgear and bad acne too - she knows what it's like to be unpopular but has embraced who she is.
14. The messiest part of her room is not her closet but her desk - she is far more proud of her collection of letters of recommendations and honor roll certificates than the amount of shoes and purses she has.
15. Fall in love with a nerd because she is going to be successful - all of those AP classes and extracurriculars are going to pay off and as long as you can accept that she might make more money than you, you will never be hungry or homeless.

She Flies With Her Own Wings.

Happy Monday everyone! I do not understand why this day seems to wear me out the most because I never have work on Mondays. I went to a Networking event today for my program. This was nerve wrecking at first because I am the Queen of Awkwardness. Like really, I just stood in the same spot for like ten minutes but then after I talked to the first professional there, it got much easier. I got at least five business cards and a bunch of potential connections to event planners which was really exciting. People pass out business cards like candy here. I haven't handed out one yet. Fail on my part. People even have personal business cards that they give out at social venues like bars when they meet people. This might be old fashioned but I refuse to call/ text/ friend you on Facebook if you give me your business card. Court me like a gentleman please and don't treat me like a business transaction. Okay thanks.
One of the ladies I met at the event tonight was telling me that there is this organization in DC that hosts speed networking events. So it is like speed dating except with professionals...I guess it could be fine OR it would be extremely weird haha. After the networking, I met up with my group from class to finish our presentation on the Peace Corps which we have to give on Wednesday. One of the group members was talking about this horrifying experience she had back home. For privacy purposes, I am not going to offer details but lets just say I was so tempted to just give her a huge hug, and I hardly know this girl. I also was very close to crying. Basically, I just am so thankful that I have not been through anything like that.
Well it wouldn't be a typical blog post from me if I didn't mention food haha. Today is a very important day because I tried sushi for the first time! And I am addicted!!!! It was so good:)

Shrimp Sushi...the only thing that would make this more legit is if I could actually use chopsticks.

Anyway, I only have three days of work this week and then one of my best friends from back home will be here to visit me:) We have a very busy agenda ahead of us so I know I will wear her out by the time she heads home. All I can say is that the next three days better go by fast or else!

Soul Music and Road Trips...Life is Good

Ocean City...the city of the ocean..lo and behold the Atlantic to be exact

Beach, beach, beach, I absolutely love the beach!! This just reinforces why I am destined to live in California. We attempted to get up and leave by 7:30 this morning. It was more like 8:30 but in our defense we had some errands to run first. The drive there was not as bad as I anticipated. The bridge crossing to the island part of Maryland only took about 45 minutes to get across which I know sounds terrible but I had been warned it could take almost 5 hours.

I have to say it was a pretty cool looking bridge, and the view was fantastic so I really would not have minded being stranded on it for a while. My car would not have liked it though. We got to the beach around noon. On a side note, there are a few things I learned today. Harriet Tubman was born in Maryland and Oreos have been around for 100 years. Hooray for random knowledge! Anyways, the beach was so nice. For some reason the beaches on the East coast all seem to smell kind of funny but it was significantly better than the beach in Jersey.

When we arrived, the lifeguards had just closed the beach because they had seen lightening but we didn't have to wait long. The sun even came out about an hour later, and I got sun burnt because I had expected it to be cloudy and rainy all day. I also hate sunscreen...oh well. The weather here is so bipolar. We also swam in the ocean twice, and I got way to much salt water in my mouth but it was such a great day. The actual road trip was fun too because we did not get lost once (go me) and we jammed out to all types of soulful music, singing it at the top of our lungs. Overall, it was one of the best weekends I have spent here this summer! Next weekend should be awesome too because my best friend from grade school is coming to visit. We will most likely be going back to the beach so stay posted for more beach pictures!

Can you intern as a food taster? That would be the Life.

Sometimes I feel as if I only use this blog to talk about all the food I eat here. What a fatty...but anyway I did go to this amazing restaurant last night! It is called Founding Farmers..yes you heard me right, not fathers but farmers. And the food was AMAZING! This has got to be the only place I have ever heard of that serves waffles, fried chicken, and macaroni and cheese all on one plate. What a glorious combination! And they even have fresh homemade lemonade which is always a win in my book. To top it all off, we had red velvet cake for dessert and I brought most of it home so it'll last for a few more days because it was HUGE. The best part was that dinner was all paid for by my lovely university. Thanks Truman:) I can't believe I am admitting this but I am missing school a little. Everyone at dinner was all from my college and after talking about it for over two hours, you kind of remember why you love it so much. It takes a special person to go to Truman. Yes, yes, yes I do my fair share of complaining when finals come around or when I just don't possibly think I can take anymore stress but there really is no other school that would have fit for me like this one does. Once a nerd, always a nerd:)

Best Restaurant Ever..besides Olive Garden of course

I can't believe that tomorrow is already Thursday and that this week is over halfway finished. It seems to go faster and faster now that I only have a month left in DC. I was asked today what the best thing has been that I have done here so far and I am not exactly sure how to answer that. I have had so many random experiences, and if it weren't for this blog I probably would have forgotten half of them already.
Now onto the agenda for the rest of this week! I have class tonight, and we are just watching a movie so that won't be too bad. On Thursday, I am either going out to dinner again with people from school or going to an alumni event...also with people from school..so yay for Truman Thursday! And this weekend is HOPEFULLY the super exciting road trip to the beach..which beach you might ask? We have it narrowed down between Ocean City and Virginia Beach. It is rather exciting to actually have beach options as opposed to being in Missouri where the closest thing to a beach is the sand by the lake at Thousand Hills. I would like to clarify that a state park in the middle of the forest CANNOT claim to have a beach! I also apologize for the lack of pictures in this post because everyone loves pictures but I will take more this weekend...promises!
I have a few small DC awards to give out today and once again sorry because there aren't any pictures to accompany them. For starters, thank you red umbrella sporting the Denny's logo that I borrowed from work yesterday because it looked a little overcast. Although your breakfast selection and food service is questionable, your rain gear is not so thanks for that. I was slightly irritated at first because it was the size of a walking stick and annoying to carry around but when it started down-pouring like a hurricane I was glad I had it.
The other award goes out to the man on the Zamboni-type machine in the metro station. My cousin and I used to have a certain soft spot for the guy who drove the Zamboni in the middle of all the hockey games we used to go to...and really who wouldn't?! He kind of resembled Prince Charming on his gallant steed except he wasn't wearing armor and his machine had a lot more horsepower...get it?? Horsepower..ahhh I crack myself up. Anyway, thank you metro Zamboni for bringing back some good memories.
Final comment for today: I interviewed an operations manager out of Chicago today who plans events with a Destination Management company. She told me that honestly event planners do not make much money..sorry parents..but as long as you love planning events then it's worth it. She also said her company takes interns. Wellllll spending summer 2013 in Chicago doesn't sound too bad to me:)

Remember, No One is Invincible

Hello hello hello! It has been a lazy day in DC. It rained a little today...much less than I was hoping for. Sometimes you just want it to be a rainy/ stormy day so that you can just curl up on the couch and do nothing. I did go see the movie Magic Mike today. It was just as wonderful as I was hoping it would be and anyone who has seen it knows exactly what I mean. I will definitely be purchasing the deluxe edition when it comes out on DVD;) Work last week was rough. My concentration level was dangerously low so I'm hoping that this week is better.

On Friday night, I went to the Marine Evening Parade. It was a lot longer than I thought it would be but it was really cool to watch. There were Marine wives and girlfriends sitting around me, and it is so funny because they have come so many times that they know everything about the parade and even a lot about Marine Corps. history. The Silent Drill Platoon was really cool because they flip their guns around and do creative tricks. I was so scared someone was going to mess up but they were all so in sync the entire time.

On Saturday morning, I went on a tour of Du Pont Circle which is an area of DC known as the Gay & Lesbian Neighborhood or "Gay-borhood" as it is called for short. Clever haha. We learned a lot about its history and important landmarks found within the neighborhood. The picture above is of the metro exit at Du Pont. Engraved is part of a poem by Walt Whitman, not only because he was obviously a very well-known poet but he was also gay. I have had multiple literature classes where we discussed his work but I had never known that about him. The first Gay Pride parade was held in this neighborhood as well. I also found out that there are typically neighborhoods like this in major cities. Maybe sometime I will check out the one in St. Louis or Kansas City just to learn about their history.
Anyways that is about all I have to report today. I just want to give a shout out to my family back home. I will be seeing you in a month:) Yipppeeee!

Big Cities are Beautiful

Happy 4th of July from Washington DC! Okay I am aware that it is now the 5th of July but I figured it is never too late to celebrate our country's birthday. So Happy 236th Birthday USA! This 4th was particularly special because not many people can say they stood beneath the Washington Monument and watched the fireworks light up the sky in our nation's capital. I feel like this is comparable to Mardi Gras in New Orleans and New Years in Times Square, both of which I hope to do someday!

In reflecting on our freedom here, there are many other aspects about what I have experienced this summer that I have given some thought to. To all those who don't think that big cities can be beautiful, they really haven't taken a good look around.
For all those who say people in big cities are rude then you must not have noticed that...

• For every one in like ten cars that you let cut in front of you on the interstate, someone will wave out of appreciation.
• There is always that one driver who will let the pedestrians walk across the street even if they are late or in a rush.
• There are always those people on the metro who will give up their seat for that elderly person or that pregnant lady so they don't have to stand.
• There is always going to be that person you sit next to on the train that turns and asks how you are or where you came from even though you have never met before.
• There is always that co-worker who will buy cupcakes for the whole office or share her lunch because she just wants you to get a chance to try everything while you're here.

For all those people who say that traffic is horrible...

• Must not know what it's like to turn your stereo up to its loudest and sing and dance without a care because you will never see those people driving next to you again...anonymity is beautiful.

For those who say this big city isn't home must not...

• See the beauty of that text from your best friend or that Skype call from your parents and realize that home can go wherever you are...even if home is almost 1000 miles away.

For those who say a big city is missing the beauty of nature and wildlife must not...

• Be able to see the beauty in architecture that people have crafted with their own two hands for others to enjoy. 

For those who think that city people are uptight or overly professional must not...

• Ever see that man on the metro who has loosened his tie and rolled up is sleeves after work which expose his tattooed-covered arms because the day is over and it's time to relax.
• Ever experience celebrating the 4th with millions of other people you don't know but you all sing along to our nation's anthem because being American is what we all have in common...freedom is beautiful..so is unity.

The beauty in this big city is knowing that all those tears over the last year, all the struggles, and all the heartache led to this moment and these opportunities that I never would have had or taken. This summer is beautiful. Life is beautiful:)

It Should be Socially Acceptable to Nap in a Museum...

One of my favorite quotes found in the Newseum!

No work today which was wonderful! I went to the Newseum, and it has been confirmed that I am just not a museum kind of girl. Take note of this boys: museums are just not a good idea as a first date. My teacher estimated that it would take about three hours for us to get through the whole thing. It took me an hour and 45 minutes. Not that it wasn't interesting because it definitely was! There was a radio antenna from the top of one of the World Trade Center towers. There was also part of the Berlin Wall on display. They also had all of the photographs of Pultizer prize winners on display which I LOVED because I am a photography minor.  One of my dreams would be to someday win that prize. I know it's a pretty big goal, but hey maybe after these next two semesters of classes I will hopefully be kind of professional...maybe.

 

I do have a problem. I am starting to worry that this house is haunted. I swear there was a huge puddle under the refrigerator yesterday, and I was worried that I would have to call someone to come fix it because there was obviously a leak. But this morning when I went down to breakfast it was completely gone as if it had never been there. Weird. Then this elderly lady called me and said that my number had showed up on her Caller ID last night but I have no idea who she is and I also definitely didn't call her. She called again 20 minutes later to tell me that it showed up again. Once again I didn't call her. Something crazy is going on or I am losing my mind.

Part of the Berlin Wall!

The highlight of the day had to be feeding a squirrel a lollipop. Yes, this is obviously random but my friend Garrett from back home told me I had to do it because when he came to DC in kindergarten he fed one to a squirrel. I know I am 20 years old and not 5 like he was so I'm sure I looked ridiculous. It worked though. The squirrel looked very satisfied, and he should be too because it was a super blow pop which should last him quite a while. I just hope he doesn't choke on the gum and die.

Let's be Canadian for a day...eh?

DC United against Montreal Impact...how do you have a mascot that accurately represents these two...soo puzzling

Yesterday was the DC United game against Montreal. Yesterday was also the first day I changed my nationality...temporarily of course. I met up with a group of people that I met on the trip to Atlantic City. They are all mostly Canadian so we went to tailgate for the Canadian team. I got a Canadian flag, a Canadian pin, a Canadian fan, and free food and drinks! You could say I was a pretty happy camper. It was also probably the most random experience but I loved it! Even the game wasn't too bad. I prefer watching American football but I couldn't really say that because I wasn't exactly American for the day ya know. The best part was that there was an American fan sitting two rows behind us who kept yelling at all the people I was with because they were obviously cheering for Canada. DC ended up winning 3-0 and he had no problem trying to rub that in our faces. Well jokes on you buddy, the American team won and I got tons of free stuff so I would say I'm the one who came out winning this one. By the way I hope that $5 hot dog and $10 drink were satisfying.

Check out our sweet Canadian fans..it even had the anthem printed on it so now I can sing it in English AND French

I headed home after the game because everyone else was headed to the bar. Yay for still being 20 years old-_- But that's okay, I had a paper to finish anyway. And I did! Including the cover page, table of content, references, and the actual paper, it came out to be 31 pages. Yuck! Good luck to my professor who now has to grade that delightful thing. I also took my cousin to the airport yesterday so today is the first day that I am home alone. Of course when anyone hears that they always respond with "PARTYYYYY". Ha well do you want to know what I really did all day with this house to myself? I did the laundry, did the dishes, cleaned the house, and reorganized my room. Basically you should call me Susie Homemaker and clearly I would make a terrific house wife or stay at home mom minus the babies. Oh and I have to go to the grocery store in like 15 minutes. I think I went from a 20 year old to a 35 year old in a day. Tomorrow should be fun because I am going to the Newseum! I also don't have class this week and I am off work Wednesday for the 4th so it's going to be a great week:)

Oh and one more thing! I had my first Georgetown cupcake at work Friday. This is a big deal because I am told there is a show about them and everything. And lucky for you I took a picture sooo feast your eyes viewers. You're welcome.

Red Velvet..also known as heaven in a cupcake wrapper



Hey Abe..Wanna be the Mascot of my School?

2013 Congressional Baseball Game

Last night I went to the Congressional Baseball Game. It was honestly the most interesting baseball game I have ever been to. It sort of reminded me of going to a game with a bunch of fraternity boys from a really big southern school because most people came from work so the guys were wearing button downs and khaki pants...really fratty. Some were even in suits and I felt terrible for them because it was so hot. I myself was unfortunate enough to be wearing pants so you can only imagine how ready I was to jump in the shower when we left. We even made it on the crowd cam or whatever it is called! We had actually been watching it and making fun of everyone's expressions and then it was suddenly pointing at us and one of my co-workers screamed haha. I'm sure we were the ones being made fun of then. I even got to meet Ron Paul which was very exciting!

Ron Paul...so adorable

The best part of the game were the mascots, hands down. Oh my god. I'm including a picture but the quality is pretty bad because they were so far away. Just imagine plush Abe Lincoln, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson with huge heads and that's what they looked like.

I kinda wanna switch school mascots now. How do the Truman State Abe Lincolns sound to you guys?

Last night was great too because I ran into so many people I knew. It really is a small world and even in big cities you surprisingly run into many more familiar faces than you would think. I am excited to get off work tonight because my cousin and I are going to see the movie Brave! It works out perfectly because she loves Scotland and I love gingers so we should both be really satisfied haha. Tomorrow I am hopefully going to the DC United soccer game! So many sports in so little time!

On a more serious note, I wasn't homesick at all until yesterday. There have been three people now in the past week who have passed away back home. I didn't personally know any of them really well but it just makes me want to be near my family. I am experiencing new and exciting things everyday but this makes me take a step back and realize that I shouldn't take anything or anyone for granted. I am so incredibly blessed to be surrounded by such amazing friends and family.

It Doesn't Get More Random Than This...

Good morning! It has been a few days since I have written and I know you all are in dire need of an update so here it is! Tuesday night my aunt came into town and took my cousin and I out to dinner. We went to this little wine bar a few blocks from my work called Cork. The food was seriously the best thing I have ever eaten in my life and you know this is not an exaggeration when I even thought the asparagus tasted good. My favorite was the avocado toast which my cousin had been telling me about for a week. Naturally, I included a picture so you can all just visualize how epic it really was.

Behold the Avocado Toast

While on my way to Cork, I walked past this sign on the wall across the street. Sorry the quality is pretty awful, but I thought that if it was meant to be graffitti then it was the most inspiring graffitti I had ever seen. It basically just looks like a chalkboard that says "Before I die..." and then tons of people wrote all over it with things they wanted to do before they died. There was so much writing on it that people had written over other people's thoughts. It just looked crazy. But it was also really cool to see that there are so many driven people here who took the time to write down items from their Bucket List on this wall. Someone wrote "YOLO" off to the side, though, which kind of killed it so I made sure to crop that out.

Okay so that was Tuesday. Yesterday, which was Wednesday, I had work and then went to class. Not a very exciting day I know. We were able to get out of class an hour and a half early, though, because my professor had house guests. Yay for that! Classes for three hours really should have been a concept that was never created but surprisingly this class does keep me interested for that long. The main problem is that I always get hungry right in the middle of it and I, of course, never have food with me. After class, I went home and Skyped my family and that was great!

And today is Thursday morning and I found out that I have the opportunity to go to the Congressional Baseball game tonight!!! Although I am not a huge baseball fan, this should be interesting, because in case you didn't know, it is a game played by members of Congress to raise money for charities. And I even read online that sometimes the President goes! I'm crossing my fingers that Obama is there because that would be awesome to at least be in the same stadium as him! That's all for now but hopefully I am able to get a few good pictures for you all so check in later!

Love Conquers Hate

The Human Rights Campaign Headquarters

Today was such a long day. It is kind of embarrassing to admit that it is only 8:33 p.m. and I feel like I could fall asleep right now. I even took a short nap today! This morning I went to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Headquarters for a few presentations about what they do as a whole and what some of the committees within the organization do as well. I was so impressed. They have a political committee, a family and children committee, and a religion and faith committee along with many others. It is important to note that although they do advocate for LGBT rights, they also fight for basic rights for all humans which include job protection, safety, and the right to have a family. I couldn't believe that there are people who are actually fired from their jobs because they are gay. How sad. I was most impressed with the religion and faith part of HRC because that has to be one of the most challenging areas to fight for equality. One of their main arguments is that the two most important commandments are "Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind and Love your neighbor as yourself" so you should be accepting of your neighbor even if you do not agree with their sexuality. I think many people forget that second commandment and they are quick to judge those who they have been told to believe are leading a life of sin. The religion and faith committee also believes that all people have the right to love whoever they choose while also having the right to their same beliefs. How powerful! After the presentation, I walked to the HRC clothing store and bought this shirt in support of LGBT communities:)

Love Conquers Hate

I had a presentation about leadership later in the afternoon which was rather hard to follow because politics and foreign policy are not my strong points. It only lasted an hour which was great and the commute home was not too crazy. Double bonus! There is not much else I have to say about today just that I hope this week goes by fast because I am so excited for the 4th of July!! Happy Half Xmas everyone:)