Baby, it's cold outside!

The DC-ers say it's going to snow next week. They said that last week too. So far the weather has been pretty bearable. On Sunday it was 66 degrees outside. But, today was pretty cold. My face hurt when I got to work. I'm a wimpy California girl. My co-workers cut me slack, though, probably because they are in love with the fact that I'm from the west coast.

Here's a recap of the past week:

Living in the nation's capital makes celebrating federal holidays a patriotic event. Jenaye (my roomie) and I headed to the Lincoln Memorial on MLK Jr. Day. For those who may not know, King delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech on the steps there. (The memorable line is engraved on the steps of the memorial. Note the picture above.) We also toured the World War II and Vietnam Memorials. The Lincoln Memorial is freakin amazing. I look like a midget standing next to it. According to the brochure, its creators used 28 marble blocks. I'm not even sure how big one marble block is! Nonetheless, it was a super cool experience, and there's an amazing view once you reach the top (the photo below). Another cool thing about Washington: taking an evening stroll around the White House. It's relatively close to the center, so it would be a shame not take advantage of its proximity.

My internship keeps me on my toes, but I think I'm luckier than other people here. In addition to the random projects, I've been assigned to an account and sat in on my first meeting today. It was a pretty cool experience considering that Spectrum is one of the top private communication firms in the country. It also means that there are pretty nice perks, such as free lunches from decent eateries around the office. I had my first power lunch in Washington today too, with my mentor, Jane. I also work with other interns my age, which makes happy hour more fun and work more fun too (I know, I know, who knew work could be enjoyable?). Yet, it definitely stresses me out at times. Overall though, I'm happy with my choice.

The night life here is definitely a nice reward to the end of a long work week. A bunch of us trekked out to Adams Morgan , which is known for its bar scene frequented by the younger Washingtonian crowd, on Fri/Sat. I danced both nights away and had a fabulous time. It will definitely be hard to return to the Davis night scene.

Other stuff:
-Visited the International Spy Museum
-Ate at this fancy restaurant (Nage = swimming in French)

Keli works on K Street

After my first day of work at Spectrum Science Communications, my reaction is: "How the hell am I going to write a 20-page research paper, take a class, see the sights, go to work, feed myself, and going out?" Other than that, the day turned out OK. I will have the chance to do a little bit of everything--media monitoring, research, preparing press kits, running errands, surfing the Internet when no one is looking, etc. I have a mentor who is a former UCSD student, and I'm already tight with the VP of Operations. There is a stocked kitchen with a limitless supply of coffee, soda, juice, water, and snacks. There is one annoying thing about this position, besides the remedial intern duties, which is the fact that I'm pretty much working in a freakin law office. I have to punch in a billing code for every little task I complete, such as printing a single sheet of paper. My time is billed based on what assignments I finish for different accounts. But, beggars can't be choosers, at least I'm getting paid.

I'm here!!!

As a political science major and American girl, I feel like a kid in a candy store here. On my drive from the airport, I saw Cheney's house and freaked out. I never thought I would actually see this stuff with my own two eyes. Washington is an amazing city, but then you all know I love the atmosphere of large urban centers. There are people bustling everywhere, rushing from one point to another. People are friendly too. I've met several locals who have offered me advice and tips. Here's a recap so far:

Sights:
I've already been asked what the White House looks like in person. I have mixed reviews. One, it is surrounded by an iron black fence and security are everywhere. I know all of this is necessary, but I felt like it somehow diminished its overall beauty and symbolic significance. Only when I zoomed in with my camera could I see it in more detail. I'm hoping my connections will help me land a tour of the president's crib. Still, I felt an overall feeling of pride and sense of nationalism for my home country--corny, I know. The Washington Monument is simply a giant triangular column. It was cool to see and use as a prop for fun/indecent photos. Also, flags are at half-staff in honor of Gerald Ford, which evokes a feeling of reverence for the late president who governed before my time. Georgetown is super cute. The shopping is amazing--all the stores a girl could ask for and more. The cobblestone roads and houses take you back to 1789. As the more ritzy area, it is not unusual to see people driving ferraris or sporting pearls.

Nightlife:
In comparison to Davis, the night life here rocks. On my second night, I went out with several of the UCD kids, and we rocked The Front Page (A perfect spot for the journalist in me). Even though it was in the meat market, aka Dupont Circle, the music and drink specials made it an absolutely fun/crazy time. I also checked out the Mad Hatter and competed in a "dance-off" with this wasted white guy who asked me what my name was four times (a record for me). Even though he declared himself the winner, I clearly out-danced him. HA! And, buying alcohol (not at a bar) is challenging. The liquor laws here only allow you to buy the hard stuff on weekdays, before it gets dark. Also, no liquor is sold on Sundays.

Roomies:
My suitemates are awesome. My roomie, Jenaye, is wonderful, and we get along really well. Unlike my freshman year, I lucked out this time. It does feel like moving into the dorms again, meeting new people and discovering who you're compatible with.

Other random stuff:
-Cosi is the La Bou of Washington. There is one on every corner.
-Driving is more reckless here than in SoCal. Cars run lights and don't care about pedestrians.
-The Metro is just like BART, which made it easy to figure out.
-People do not dress as casual here.
-It doesn't really snow in Washington. When it does, the whole city shuts down. People say it probably won't snow here this winter. :(
-My cousin said locals refer to the area as Washington, not DC.

I'm still taking it all in, absorbing as much as I can. It's still sinking in that I will be living here for 2.5 months. I will try to share as much with you as possible. I'm leaving out some details (boy stories, class, and other personal stuff), but feel free to call whenever, and I'll fill you in.