Banks & B-Town

The only event I really missed out on blogging about at the end of last week was our briefing at the Federal Reserve on Thursday. It was all about banks, obviously. I never knew there was so much to say about banks. I was more impressed with the building than with the lecture. We sat in the Governor's board room, which was beautiful; Chairman Ben Bernanke sits around that table... just saying. Anyway, Jessica and I spent a good portion of the lecture 'guess-timating' how much money they spent on the board room furniture alone. I'd say you could buy a house for the cost of the rug, chandelier, drapery and random furniture. It was insane.

This past weekend I went back to Bloomington to see all my friends and to celebrate Homecoming. I flew in early Friday morning and drove down with Katie and Christine. The drive on 37 made me miss fall in southern Indiana. Not that DC's not beautiful, but really.... nothing beats fall in Brown/Monroe County. I spent the beginning of my day at Smallwood with my favorites and mimosas in-hand. Followed by a nap (typical) and a cookout later at Mitch's. It was so good to see everyones' faces and banter and... everything. It's weird seeing everyone in their different places now that the 306ers have separated, but I also know that everyone is doing amazing things this semester and our senior year will be all the more special when we all reunite.

Saturday morning we woke up super early for tailgating, starting at Smallwood @ 8:30. I couldn't even tell you who we played--the game itself wasn't really a priority for me that day... needless to say we had a good time wandering around the tailgating fields, hanging out at Aj's place and cheering on the Hoosiers from afar. Arkansas! That's who they played. Aha. Anyway, it was a beautiful day--sweater weather!--and I had so much fun with everyone. I'm glad I made it back for at least one game. Scratch that... at least one tailgate. I actually usually enjoy the games themselves, so I'll be glad to get back to those next year, too. Then, Saturday night the Villa Boys had a Pajama-Rama Party, yet another 369 success! Christine got me dolled up in some of her mom's old flannels and flipflop slippers--they were fabulous. Major props and shout-outs to the boys; I miss every one of you.

Sunday I carved a pumpkin with Christine and Mitch! We were clueless as to how to carve an actual design, so we made a bunch of random geometric designs, hence the pumpkin's name, "GEO." Cute, right?... he lives outside Mitch's place. Then Sunday night we had a big group dinner at Mother Bears. YUM. I miss MOBEAR's pizza. Alex, Kelly and I got to talk a lot about next semester and our ideas for London since we're all planning on being there. (PS- Congratulations to K-Lang who got into her super competitive theatre program! Such a star!).

The entire weekend was exactly what I needed--I got to spend a lot of time with Alex and Amy and Kelly and Mitch and, well, everyone. It's always a tease, though, when you're there for such a short time, but already this semester is flying by. I'm already over half way done with my time in DC, and I have just over a month left in the program. Scary, I know. I'm trying to make time slow down a little bit and enjoy it as much as possible. The Jefferson House has already become home, Erin and Ian have already become my bests, and I definitely have a strong feeling of belonging in this city.

LOVE.

Fall Break Visitors!

Tasha and Meghan had fall break this weekend and came out to DC to visit! It was perfect timing--a much-needed visit from friends--and the weather was absolutely perfect for sight-seeing and exploring. Mrs. Sever had us stay at the New Renaissance Hotel in Dupont, which was perfectly located, making it easy to get to Georgetown, the Federal Triangle and the Hill. Friday night I met them at the airport, we settled in at the hotel and then went out for a late dinner at Circa in the circle. Afterwards we went out to Madhatter Bar in the same area.

Saturday we were up early to get ready for a full day of sightseeing (Mrs. Seev would have been proud; we had a set itinerary, and we kept with it!) I introduced them to Cosi--where we had squagels, which Tasha LOVED--and showed them my apartment; my roommates were still sleeping so they didn't get to meet them. Then we set out to get cultured! On the Hill we saw the Library of Congress, the Capitol Building and the Supreme Court. Then the both of them really wanted to see the Holocaust museum, and I had never been, so that was our first stop along the National Mall. I was shocked, but we actually spent over 2 hours there; they had some incredible artifacts, recreations, televised footage, etc., and we all really enjoyed it. It's the only Smithsonian Museum I've been to yet, so I really want to check some others off my list.

After that we took the GUTS BUS up to Georgetown so they could see campus. We watched a total of 5 minutes of the Hoya football game--they play on an umimpressive high school-sized field and their team isn't very good, so it was definitely a different experience than a Big 10 game; we weren't fans. We spent most of our time in the union's bookstore; Megh and I dressed up in Hoya fan gear while Tasha shopped. Typical. And I finally figured out what a 'Hoya' is!... apparently it's a Latin term for 'What Rocks,' which used to be a Georgetown athletic team name? (I still don't understand why they're called 'The Hoyas,' but then have a bulldog mascot? Beats me.)

Then that night we went out for dinner at The Melting Pot downtown. Lesson learned: fondue is fun. On Sunday we toured the monuments. I had done the Washington Monument and those things, but I hadn't been to the war memorials since I had been here last with Tasha and Meghan in high school ... so we walked around those and went to the White House. We all needed to be in bed early Sunday night, so we took it easy and went to China Town and saw a movie.

It was really such a nice weekend--and I'm so grateful to Mrs. Sever for flying them out! Now it's back to work and school until Friday!

Hoosier Nostalgia

I bought a plane ticket to Bloomington today. Yup, I'm Indiana-bound next weekend to reunite with my favorite Hoosiers. I had previously convinced myself to stick it out in DC without any visits, but I miss my faves far too much to wait. Plus, it's Homecoming--and I'm not about to go an entire fall semester without a tailgate and a football game. The countdown begins. 8 days.....

Alright, in an effort to catch up, here's my weekend wrap-up (last weekend, that is). Friday was my roommate Jessica's birthday. She had two friends visit from Chicago, and a group of us went out for a fabulous dinner downtown at a restaurant called Central. BONUS: her mom flew in from California with her best friend and surprised Jessica at the restaurant with a private room, balloons and champagne for everyone to celebrate. We had an assortment of seafood appetizer platters that were so yummm.... I'd eat there every weekend if I didn't have a limited budget; it was sooo good. Then we had a lot of the TFASers over to our apartment to celebrate before we went out in Dupont. I should not have stayed out late because that was the onset of me getting sick... I'm actually surprised it took this long--the weather's been rainy and cool, and I definitely haven't been getting enough sleep. But, it was fun nonetheless. Lets just say I stayed in Saturday night with my sweat pants, tea and soup. It was much needed.

On Monday we volunteered at the DC Central Kitchen from 9-12. The guy who started the kitchen had the genius idea to use only leftover food from various restaurants and stores from the DC area, so the kitchen receives trucks of food daily from different locations across the city; they prepare nearly 4,500 meals daily to be sent out to various agencies and organizations that provide them to those in need, so they don't actually serve the hungry directly--but they did say that their partnered organizations ensure that the food goes to those who need it most. There are regular chefs that work there, and they instructed us and made sure things ran smoothly--my chef, Eduardo, was so sweet. I peeled potatoes, cut chicken, stirred pasta, and made a disgusting amount of chili-macaroni (the macaroni filled a big plastic storage bin that you would use for sweaters and stuff. HUGE. so by disgusting I mean the amount of food, not the actual food itself--which smelled pretty good:). And we weren't the only volunteers--I'm pretty sure we had some ex-convicts and court-ordered community service workers with us. No big deal.

Yesterday I got to leave work early to go with the journalism students to USA Today with our professor; he worked there for years and still has close ties with everyone. We got to meet and talk to the Washington Bureau Chief, whose husband (another journalist) actually spoke in our class a couple weeks ago. She talked about how we're at an advantage being in college now with this new media era--we're lucky enough to still have the chance to be educated with multimedia and social networking sites and such--all the stuff we hear everyday @ Ernie Pyle in B-Town, right Al? But she was very nice and really insightful, and she went to Northwestern so I naturally loved her. I expected the actual newsroom to be insane, but most reporters were out on the Hill covering stories, so it was fairly quiet. They also had a bunch of free books and let us go through them and take what ever we wanted--apparently they get them all the time from editors and publishing companies that want to get a piece written about them. I took one called 'Seeds of Terror' and started reading it last night; if I ever have time to finish it I'll let you know how it is. So far, so good.

Then last night after class we had the TFAS Alumni Round Table Dinner at the TFAS building. They had TFASers that were in the program only 2 or 3 years ago and now live and work in the city. At our table we had 2 journalists that were in our shoes in the summer program of 2007; one of them, Nick, interned with CNN when he was here and is now a video journalist with Cybercast News Service--he does a lot of interviews with members of Congress and even gets political opinions from various celebrity visitors when they come to DC. He talked about interviews with Kim Kardashian, Pierce Brosnan, Jessica Alba... he was very outgoing and he had so many stories/experiences to share with us. The other was Brittany, who does niche writing for some policy organization--I forget which one. She was nice, too--we may have coffee:) She clearly prefers writing for a small niche organization doing more aggregated work and that's definitely not the path I'm going down, but she's still a good resource to have; they both are. The rest were public policy alum--I think there were like 20 total?--all working with various groups/businesses/organizations. One was the chief legislative council for some congressman, some worked for law firms, others worked in international affairs. It was pretty cool. Plus, they had Buca di Beppo catered for us... it was yum.

ON A SUPER HAPPY NOTE, Meghan and Tasha come tomorrow night! We're staying at a hotel in Dupont and it's going to be fabulous. Actually, the rest of my stay here in Washington is going to be action-packed with visitors. Tasha and Meghan this weekend; Mitch and Nanette & Michael over Halloween weekend, Jess and Amy (& hopefully Christine) the first weekend in November, and Ali the weekend of the 11th! I can't wait!

AHH--and for those who haven't heard, I got accepted into my study abroad program in London! And yes, if I can figure out the finances, I'm going! Let the planning begin....

xoxo

Full Swing.

Alright, after today I promise to be a better blogger. I mean it this time.

So much to tell--where to start! Okay, well at the end of last week I got my first assignment to cover a meeting on Capitol Hill! It was more of a press conference, with lots of reporters and broadcasters and advocates. The conference covered foster care and new federal legislation that Congress is trying to pass next session. The main speakers were Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, Senator Chuck Grassley and DC 'Real Housewife' Stacie Scott Turner; they also had a former foster youth speak about her experiences in the system--in the 13 years that she spent in foster care, she lived with over 10 different families, attended 3 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 4 high schools. Needless to say her story was incredible. And it was nice to hear members of Congress fighting for a real cause as opposed to all the ranting you hear in DC about health care and taxes and midterm elections. Plus, I felt pretty official sitting in on it; it was held on the Senate side of the Capitol building and I had to wear a visitor's badge and everything. What wasn't so official was my notebook and pen; apparently real reporters carry tape recorders and small vid cameras. who knew?

Our TFAS program has a bunch of side lectures/speakers/seminars/luncheons we attend (usually weekly), and last week's was with economist Michael Cox, a professor at Southern Methodist, among other things. He basically lectured about free enterprise (micro all over again); I only mention it because it was actually really interesting--but I won't attempt to bore you with the details.

Last Friday night was incredible! Firstly, I couldn't have been more excited for the weekend. The 8-4 work schedule might literally be the death of me. Anyway, my roommate Jessica works for the Salt River Project which is conveniently located along the National Mall between the Capitol and Washington Monument, and she gets access to the rooftop--which is often used for functions and parties--so a bunch of us TFASers had a little gathering of our own up there. It was beautiful! There aren't any skyscrapers in DC, so we were about as high up as you get, and we had the best view of the monuments and reflecting pool and ..... everything. The city was all lit up, and it was pretty amazing.

On Saturday we had our White House tour! I'll preface this by noting that Obama was NOT home during our tour. Bummer, I know. He was off in New York addressing the UN about world peace. no big deal. Not that I thought he would actually drop by and say hello, but I'll admit that I hoped for it:) Okay, so the tour was pretty cool--but everyone was slightly disappointed when we left. Basically, we got to go through the main floor and see things like the main reception room, but I think people were disappointed because it was kind of a tease. Like, what do we really want to see? Probably the West Wing, the Oval Office and the living quarters. Maybe even the White House briefing room. Unfortunately those weren't part of the package; not that I assumed that they were, but knowing you're literally RIGHT there and can't see it is KILLER. The coolest thing was seeing the furniture and knick-knacks around the house from all the different presidencies. OH--and the pictures! So many original paintings and photographs of different first-families and administrations. Very cool.

Sunday has become our group dinner night. Someone new cooks every week, and this Sunday Ian made chimichangas and rice. DELISH. I'm up next Sunday and I'm thinking about stuffed peppers? We shall see....

Monday I toured the University of Maryland at College Park with Ian because he's only a sophomore and is considering transferring next fall. We picked the worst day to go because it was pouring rain, but it was still cool to see the campus. It looked like a southern plantation. I'm biased, but I think IU is way prettier. Go HOOSIERS:)

Then in my internship seminar class on Monday we had the Washington Examiner's White House correspondent Julie Mason come in to speak to us. She was hilar!... very candid and outgoing. She was like, "Yea, I'm a liberal and I write for a Conservative tabloid." She talked about all the little factoids that people never hear about the White House inner-circle, and talked about covering Bush vs. Obama. She actually said Bush was a lot more fun; she could always count on him to make a briefing entertaining because he was bound to screw up or do something out of the ordinary that normally wouldn't be considered proper social conduct for a president; I can believe it:) Truthfully, she was a breath of fresh air, and I loved the opportunity we were given to network with her (especially given that there are only 5 of us journalism students in the class). We are truly fortunate that our professor has so many great connections and is able to share them with us in class--he's a rock star!

Wednesday we all went to the Nationals baseball game. It was cold and the Nationals aren't the greatest team, but we had AWESOME seats. It was the first baseball game I'd been to outside of Wrigley Field---but it does not in any way diminish my love for the Cubbies!! BTW, their mascot(s) are big heads of presidents, like Washington and Roosevelt. Funny, or what?

The highlight of my week (have I said this already?) was probably the National Press Club Luncheon that I got to attend on Thursday with the other journalism students and our professor. It was definitely the coolest experience I've had thus far in terms of reporting-related coverage. We were surrounded by the press, all gathered to hear Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Bob Menendez of New Jersey discuss their party's campaign efforts and make predictions about the upcoming midterm elections. It was so interesting! Plus, we got free lunch and dessert, so who's complaining? It was broadcasted over CSPAN, too. Anyone catch it?

Alright, well currently I'm writing five stories for APHSA's Policy and Practice Magazine; it's taking up more out-of-work time than my actual homework. Needless to say I am stressed beyond belief and should probably stop using Blogspot as a procrastination method. Adios loves. More to come...

Time with the TFASers.

I've not been an active blogger recently, but I've also never been so busy in my life. It's been over a week?... here we go.

Last weekend was what I'd call my real initiation into the TFAS group. I had missed the first weekend in DC with everyone because I went home for the wedding, so I was excited to be here to get to know everyone outside of class. So... Friday night I did just that. We had a very low-key night with almost everyone hanging out at the Franklin House (one of three building we TFASers live in), and it was nice to see everyone out of their business attire and relaxed. The night ended on the roof of the Washington House (great view of the Capitol, btw) with Josh playing the guitar and people engaging in random conversation. It was really nice. I'm now at the point where I know everyone's name, where most people go to school, and where the majority of them are interning. I'd say that's pretty impressive for having 53 people in the program... eh, eh?

Saturday we had to wake up early for our day trip to Mount Vernon--and I had stayed up way too late the night before, so it was hell getting up. BUT, it was a surreal experience to tour George Washington's house: the slave quarters, the bedroom where he died, the stable where he kept his horses. Everything has been maintained in its original state and it's absolutely gorgeous. His estate covers acres of land and looks over the Potomac River across to Maryland. And there's been no construction or urbanization across the river so as to keep it aesthetically pleasing--they actually turned it into a national park. The coolest part of the house is Washington's study; there was no White House when he was president, so his study served as his "oval office," and his original desk and books are still in the room. There was a small telescope sitting on a table near a window, and the tour guide said it was the one he kept with him during the Revolutionary War, and he'd use it to look out for battles over the river. Too. Cool. The Washington's tombs are also on the land so we got to pass by and pay our respects.

We don't intern on Mondays--so we usually have group events or outings. This Monday we had a briefing at the State Department dealing with the Palestinian/Israeli conflict in the Middle East. We had both a civil service and foreign service representative lead the discussion, and it was really interesting and extremely informative. Was hoping Clinton would stop by:)--but of course she was busy in the Middle East trying to negotiate peace with the two parties. Go her. Not to sound impulsive or erratic, but I think I'd definitely consider a career in civil service. It's noble and rewarding... and I so admired the intellect of the representatives leading our discussion.

On that note--my internship totally has me questioning my path in journalism. It's not a traditional news internship; so far I've covered two phone conferences on health reform, and the writing has been very brief and more-so research based than anything else. I love to write--it's what led me to become a journalism major--but I'm starting to think I may need to dabble in communications and maybe even in public or private service sector to see where I really want to end up. Even so, this experience is priceless, and-if nothing else- it may help me figure out what I don't want to do.

Besides that, this week has been a busy school week! The amount of reading we have for only 3 classes is INSANE. And normally I'd skim--or skip--but I can't get away with that in these classes. It became apparent this week that our professors are extremely conservative (minus my internship seminar prof, who hasn't hinted either way). I don't like to affiliate myself with either party, but I'm clearly left-leaning on most issues, so jokes about 'the right to own machine guns' don't really sit well with me. Needless to say class lectures are interesting, and student opinions have already begun to clash hardcore with the professors'. I love having class with these kids that are so passionate about their politics and take initiative in voicing their opinions; it should prove to be an entertaining and interesting semester.

We had our first quiz/test today in Econ, and it actually wasn't so bad... especially considering our group study session turned into a boxed-wine social gathering that proved to be totally unproductive. Brought me back to the 306 days;)

Yesterday after class I went to Georgetown Cupcake with Krystafer, Erin and Ian and it was DELICIOUS. I got the red velvet cupcake and it literally melted in my mouth. I've never seen the show that features the shop, but it must be a big hit because tourists are out in full force with their cameras, lining up outside (for hours on the weekends) just to get inside. But, I'll admit, the cupcakes are THAT good. I want to send some over to Copey for you Nata!

I think I've gone on long enough--and I really need to get to bed. I've already become dependent on coffee to keep me going in the day--it's my life support. I'll leave you with a few observations I've made as to how DC differs from the midwest, and not all good:

1) Cosi is the east's version of Panera. they love it. 2) There is not a single Jimmy Johns within the 64 square miles of D.C.--they prefer Potbelly's. I WILL be taking a day trip to Alexandria, VA to get JJ's; it's well worth it. 3) Georgetown students dress up for class; we're talking polos instead of t-shirts, khakis in place of basketball shorts, and loafers instead of sandals. Talk about class. and 4) No one knows what a Hoosier is. When I say I go to Indiana University, they think I mean Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Really?

All for now; goodnight friends!

Labor Day Weekend...

Today is the most perfect day in D.C.--and the first that hasn't been insanely hot and unbearable. It's Labor Day, which means no class and no internship; also means catch-up time for reading. Unfortunately, that means I haven't been able to spend much of the day outside, unless you include the 30 second walk to and from the Starbucks at the corner. Soooo convenient, and will probably be a godsend as school gets a little more hectic.

Last Thursday and Friday were my first days with my internship at APHSA. Day 1 was intense. I keep with my supervisor's hours, so my schedule is 8-4, which means I have to leave my apartment no later than 7:15 to walk to the Metro and get up to the NW side of town--and everyone reading this knows I am NOT a morning person. Plus, I don't really like coffee, so major struggs.

On a good note--I have my own office, with my own computer, phone and the works; it's really nice. And my door's right across from the office kitchen and vending machines, which is always a plus, right? Everyone in the office seems really nice and helpful, including my supervisor, but he's a little intimidating. He also talks really fast and with a very strong British accent so he's not the easiest to understand, which sucks because he also doesn't like to repeat himself. Day 1 was a nightmare; I have a daily e-clip assignment where I compile relative articles for their website--which is pretty easy, but it was my first day and I completely screwed it up, had to start over, and ended up not finishing. Needless to say I didn't make the greatest first impression; I believe my supervisor described it as a "disaster?" I'm somewhat of a perfectionist with my work, so I was really disappointed after the first day. Plus I'm super sensitive, so seeing my supervisor's disappointment had me on the verge of tears. Luckily I bounced back Friday and completed all the assignments thrown at me (which meant working through lunch and staying an hour past the 3:00 day-end allowed for the holiday weekend).

I'm hoping this weekend goes a bit more smoothly as I start to get into the routine. I'm also hoping that my assignments will start to be a bit more writing-oriented. Supposedly I'll have the opportunity to cover some congressional sub-committee meetings and write some really interesting pieces for the organization's publications, so I'm hoping my work with that will start very soon and the administrative work will lessen as time goes on.

I flew back to Chicago Friday night for Katie's wedding, which was amazing! It was the most beautiful wedding I've ever been to, and it was really nice to meet Jan Bart's family who came all the way from Belgium! (and who are insanely beautiful people). Katie looked gorgeous--as did Kelly (who gave the most incredibly heart-felt speech I've ever heard--made me cry). Actually, the entire family looked hott!:) As always, I had such a fun time with everyone, esp. the cousins @ the cousin table:) So much dancing, so much laughing, so much fun! (especially when our request for Spice Girls played--WANNABE!) It was also the first marriage for a grandchild, so I think it was especially important for Grandma--she was so nervous, it was so cute. And...I took Mitch- so he got to meet the Moss family, which is always an interesting experience for a newcomer.

My favorite part of the wedding was a 'FRIENDS' slideshow that Jan-Bart's Belgian friends put together for him and Katie--they all dressed alike and copied the opening credits of the show--it was so adorable...heads up for those of you that will one-day be in attendance at my wedding, whenever that may be--I want a slideshow!

In other news--I just enjoyed a dinner made specially by Ian. Homemade meatballs, and now lava cake. YUMMMM. must. go. eat. more. ADIOSSS.

The GUTSBUS and more...

For starters...it has been insanely hot here! I thought Bloomington was humid, but DC is on a whole different level--it hit 100 degrees yesterday, and I'm sure it's close to that today, if not hotter. Needless to say I spend the majority of my day looking like a hot mess. And with the amount of walking I do, it's a workout just to get from one place to the next.

Yesterday was another long day, but very fun--probably the most "touristy" day yet. We had tours of the Library of Congress and the Capitol Building. Both were impressive, and our tour guides were a trip--such characters! Erin, John and I broke away from the group after lunch to go outside and take pictures, and ended up going across the street to explore the Supreme Court. Apparently the security there is usually very strict and won't let you wander through and look at the actual courtroom, but the doors were open and we got to take pictures! It was very cool--the dork in me got chills thinking about all that goes on there.

Today the Public Policy students (like 48 of the 53 of us in the program) had to go to a World Bank briefing, so us Journalism students got to sleep in--well, kind of. Sleeping in when I'm in Bloomington means sleeping until noon; sleeping in here is 10am, but it was still nice. Then we had lunch and a tour of Georgetown. IT WAS AWESOME. It's very small and quaint compared to IU, and so beautiful. (Pictures coming soon:) We got our "Go Cards," which are basically our student IDs that we use for the gym, bus, etc... mine looks like a prison photo, not unlike my license and IU student ID..greattttt. It was the first (maybe second) day of classes for Georgetown students, so you saw a lot of people hugging and meeting up and talking about their summers. I also learned some Georgetown lingo, like "THE GUTS BUS," which is what they call their campus shuttle... and even though their mascot is a bulldog, they're called "The Hoyas." The school newspaper is also called "The Hoya." I still don't know what a Hoya is...

We don't officially start class there until next week, but I'm very excited to spend more time in the area. The entire Georgetown neighborhood is gorgeous. The houses, the streets, the cafes.... everything. I can definitely see myself living there in the future (if I find a hubby that makes the big bucks, because it's not likely that I will). Kel and Nata might even say it's my "essence?"--just a thought.

Tonight the whole TFAS group is doing a walking monuments tour, likely to include the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, White House, etc... then tomorrow is everyone's first day with their internship. I haven't exactly figured out how to get to mine yet, so that should be interesting.

Until next time...