Day 63 (I think): I don't know

Some notable things.

I have chosen an absolute, most favorite mug at work. It is white and has a quote by Emerson: "Break the monotony. Do something strange and extravagant!"

I went on my first business trip to South Carolina to a pastor's conference. It was super quick, and every time someone asks me about it, I always begin with..."Christians are weird.."...really, we are.

I have been wearing bronze sandals as commuter shoes. I definitely get some perplexed looks.

Someone commented positively on my organizational skills...ha. I know my roommates are laughing. However, I must say that I am a lot more productive in a work environment.

I went snowboarding a while back in the Poconos. Needless to say, it was very different from the Rockies. Still it was a cool trip even though I busted it really lamely on a patch of ice at the bottom of the slope.... I was 17 years younger than the oldest person there. That happens a lot here. Hence...

I am quieter here. It becomes more and more evident how little I know. Humbling.

The only things that feel like my own up here are my clothes. Everything else is temporary and super transient. No personal space. Little quiet. Coffee shops close at like 6. It's all about living life constantly around lots of different people. It is really good and challenging.

I people watch here more than ever. The metros are an awesome place to do that. So many stories..but the only ones I know are the ones I project.

I now know how to play Settlers of Catan...and..it is worth mentioning..I have played twice, and twice have I won....also worth mentioning...Andrew Leach was my coach and ally.

Also, I went to Baltimore last Saturday. I liked it..lovely people and wonderful conversation. I drove the way back. For a little bit, I felt like I was 16 again with my dad commissioning me to go forth and me thinking.. this is insane, but I like the control. I did not drive throughout D.C. We probably would have died.

I have taken to eating raw vegetables (thanks to Liz) with salsa (thanks to Casey).

I miss you people.

The grocery store is still far away...

Day 33: Snowpocalyptic Knowledge

I have just been through a Snowpocalypse. You should google it or something.
The snowpocalypse has altered the course of my life for about 6 and a half days now, and this is some of what I've discovered. (I could never truly put it all into words.)

1. I really enjoy the game Loaded Questions.
2. I wish I was excellent at 42.
3. I get really impatient during games.
4. Everyone becomes an exerciser during a snowpcalypse, therefore, the exercise room is always packed.
5. Running in stairwells is kind of creepy. (I was scared of running into a maintenance worker)
6. The sixteenth staircase set has a nice cool draft.
7. Sweets truly are a passion of all women, especially during a snowpocalypse.
8. No one feels bad taking a nap right after they wake up during a snowpocalypse.
9. I instinctively stick out my tongue to catch snowflakes when snow blows in my face.
10. I live amongst many interesting people.
11. The old man downstairs will proudly wear his Texas shirt three days in a row.
12. I love the band eastmountainsouth. (Hard times is my favorite.)
13. I use the word conversate.
14. Conversate is not a word.
15. Embarrassing.
16. It is hard to be where you are when you want to help your best friend plan her wedding.
17. My roommates Texas-shaped cookies are absolutely incredible.
18. St. Augustine seems to get it...more than I do.
19. One of my roommates would prefer to be called "Shark Bait EWHAHA" and the other would not prefer to be called "Nonexistent".
20. Snow is real gross when it melts.
21. The twins of people I know like to come to Caribou Coffee.
22. I really am a mom.

Day 20: A Tragicomic Adventure

Tonight was, by far, one of the more ridiculous grocery trips of my life. It all began when I got home from work and ran for the second time since I’ve been here and for the first time outside. It was really quite enjoyable even though an older gentleman in a tuxedo told me that it was cold to be running. Formerly, I had been deterred from running outside by fear of the cold and the creepers. However, I was running too hard to be cold, and I was in a lighted area wisely jogging with mace in my hand (courtesy of Eric). I will no longer fear this (for you Steph K).

Anyways, when I got home I didn’t really drink much water, but headed back the same direction of my run to the grocery store with my roommates (including our honorary roommate). An icy blast had been added to the wind as we commenced our long trek to the grocery store.

We seem to all have this thing against taking the bus to the store. You can call it pride or you can call it exercise, but I call it adventure. There is something about a group of women determinately walking to the grocery store a mile away in the freezing cold that excites my spirit-in a weekly errand kind of way.

The only thing worth mentioning about the actual time at the grocery store is that they played “Hero” by Enrique Iglesias.

Anyhow, it seems that every time we go to the grocery store we get a little more ambitious about the weight that we are capable of lugging back to the apartment. It was absolutely ridiculous this time.

Our eco-friendly (and more durable) bags were at maximum capacity as we trudged along in the fierce wind. Our spirits were low as the cold encompassed our appendages, which for some were uncovered, and slashed at our faces. My body was slow with the extra weight digging into my limbs that were filling with the lactic acid produced by my earlier run. Yet a deep spirit of determination that I believe is built into every woman for grocery shopping perseverance ran thick in our blood. Seriously, I was getting light headed from having run without eating or really drinking enough water, and I did imagine myself on an arctic journey about to die as I intermittently laughed at the preventable absurdity of our situation.

As we were arriving at our apartment one of the bars nearby was playing music, and the song was reaching its pinnacle with a rising scale in crescendo. This only made the moment all the more dramatic and me-all the more annoyed. When we finally arrived at our apartment, I put my groceries on the floor and was then advised by my dear roommate that I needed to drink water and eat protein and carbs. Unfortunately, the kitchen was overwhelmed with a plethora of groceries and hands stocking them. So I concluded the trip by pathetically placing myself on the floor of our entryway with my precious groceries sustaining me as I reached into the bags and gorged on my breakfast bars and trail mix.

Day 12: Work you will

Funny thing happened at work today. No big deal, but I accidently scheduled a lunch meeting at an office in another country...

Today was my second day of real work. I absolutely love being busy with meaningful tasks that have practical deadlines. The weird part is feeling like I am supposed to take everything home and finish it at some late and stressful hour of the evening. HOWEVER, work is DONE at 5:30, and I can go home and leave my unfinished projects 'to the morrow' (did I make that phrase up?).

Also, one of the interns at work is from the UK, and we asked him today what his favorite drink was...His answer: something I don't remember "with Bailey's". This was delightful to me in light of a freshmen year of too many Ole Greg quotes.

I like to receive mail.

Day 10: Lady Fail

This is probably the first time since college that I have been so continually surrounded by lots of girls with no boys present. I am often with 4 to 6 girls at a time, and the experience is maximized by the fact that we are not each in our own spaces. We are usually all in one room or all together on a walk talking and chattering in typical female fashion. It's refreshing and exhausting all at once....sooo good for me.

Anyways, last night was the usual female fiesta in our apartment, and one of our roommates had been baking all day for her boyfriend serving in Afghanistan. However, she considerately reserved some chocolate chip (Texas-shaped) cookies for us. And when she finished using the chocolate dipping sauce for the truffles (I would say graham cracker balls but she would be highly offended..she explained that they must be called TRUFFLES... :)...)...she provided us with the bowl of chocolate. Well...girls and chocolate are kind of like missing socks and black holes....they gravitate to them..very..quickly...so seven of us flocked to the chocolate and began to fervently dip cookies and graham crackers into this liquid delight....And apparently I somehow dipped my face. I mean really...it was an accident. This was quite hilarious to my counterparts as we were just discussing my adventures in "lady lessons". First Fail.

Second Fail. As the evening proceeded, one of the girls described my style as androgynous.."in a good way"...I mean it's really not a bad thing...but it was funny in light of the early discussion and situation.

I believe all of this is what led me today to consider buying a purple cardigan covered in roses with sparkly buttons. I did not make the purchase...but it's on my mental "wish list".

Now besides the lady nonsense, I forgot to mention that our apartment provides a complimentary coffee machine that I believe would make my friend Jonathan cry.....in agony. However, I do make use of it. Lesson learned: lattes created from a white and brown stream pouring out of a machine=disappointing.

I should also add that today I rode the third longest continuous escalator in the world (according to wikipedia) at the Rosslyn metro stop. My friend and I timed the ride at a little above 2 minutes but more accurately, wikipedia records the ride at 159 seconds.I forced myself to simply ride it the whole way up which was completely contrary to my typical relationship with escalators. Neat.

I miss Dr. Pepper.

Day 9: "Roll Change Roll" -Steph King

So it's Day 9, and I feel myself settling into the city and the rhythm of life here. I look ahead, and I see in this experience an incredible capacity for beautiful change. I can see hardship ahead. I can see little victories. I can see funny moments. I can see embarrassing situations. And I can see change through it all. Partly because all of these things have already occurred in one week.

I look forward to coming home different, and sometimes it makes me want to fast forward...especially as I talk to my "dear ones" from home. However, WHAT AM I THINKING? I'm here. I need to be "all here" (Windlyrics blog). And I will be. It takes practice though. Every day is full of the most beautiful opportunities.

For one, I am learning to be a lady. Some of you, who really know me, are probably laughing at this. Two of my roommates and one in particular are very feminine and ladylike. I love it! It is a blast watching them and being around them. One of my favorite moments so far was walking by my roommates room only to see her ironing as she was watching "I Love Lucy".

One of the first signs of their influence is that I painted my fingernails! Ha, I never do this, but three of them had and were talking about it. So I gave it a whirl. My nails are now a beautiful shade of Plum Seduction (that's for you Steph K).

I went to church again this morning. No contact with the Secret Service, but it was a wonderful message on loving God with all your mind.

Last night some girls and I went to the Lincoln Memorial and The WWII Memorial. It was kind of surreal with the night sky above us, the memorials so close to us, and the city lights in the background. One of my favorite parts about the monuments was reading the inscriptions of famous quotes in our country's history. The highlight of the night probably was Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. I had read it before for one of my classes, but it was refreshing to read again. I would recommend it.
http://www.nationalcenter.org/LincolnSecondInaugural.html

P.S. I tried to be a cowboys fan/care about football in general with one of my roommmates. FAIL.

Day 5&6: Opening

Last night I went out with some other interns to a fun beat poet/bookstore/bar/restaurant/too cool little hub. I ordered some delicious bruschetta. There was no live poetry going on, but it was just a nice time to relax and get to know each other more.

Blisters are forming on my feet.

I have met a handful of people from abroad. However, it is really the people I have met of the states that have cracked open my view of the world.

I had an interesting time this morning as I walked to work looking people in their eyes and smiling.

There are some delightful accents to listen to here.

We are supposed to have a snow storm soon. Looks like I might be pulling out Patsy's snow boots.