not overwhelmed, not underwhelmed...just whelmed.

This week was little less busy in terms of not-work things, but VERY busy with work things. It was nice to do a lot of substantial projects and feel like I was contributing to the bigger picture of the company. As an intern, there are days when I am so bored that I begin to sort pens and clean in between all of the computer keys (that happened...), and there are some days when staying until midnight wouldn't be enough time to finish everything. It feels like there's no perfect medium. Oh well.

Serious picture: One of my favorite monuments to date - the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial. Quite possibly the best memorial to visit at night, as well. Quotes lined the walls. My favorite quote (not pictured here) was "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

Also, there was a little fox running along the wall and everyone freaked out and took pictures, seeming to forget that they were at a historic monument. Hah.

Went to the Congressional Women's Softball Game to support breast cancer research. I didn't even know that such an event existed. And these women were good. It was several big-shot journalists from the press corps (think Politico, CNN, Huffington Post, etc.) versus congresswomen. Very enjoyable evening made complete with free popsicles. The press corps won the game kind of easily...but our representatives put up a good fight. 

Note: post title is a reference to 10 Things I Hate About You. For some reason, I watched like four movies this week when I usually never watch movies at all.

it's always the little moments...

Isn't it? Like this one, for example:

Walking along a waterfront at sunset - so cliche, but for a reason. I never want to leave this city ever. Seriously. They're going to have to drag me away in August.

one line a day

To sum up my kind of crazy-busy week in an efficient (read: lazy) manner...

Monday | Went to work and then went to a P90X-esque workout class at a Nike store where I half assed pretty much all of the moves.

Tuesday | Went to work and then went to happy hour at a place that begs for happy hours to take place there: Nooshi, a Asian fusion restaurant downtown.

Wednesday | Went to work and then continued my personal quest of trying every cupcake place in DC with a trip to Baked & Wired, which was MUCH tastier and more satisfying than Georgetown Cupcakes.

Thursday | Went to work and the event that I blogged about in my previous post, which turned out to be a good time!

Friday | More work (notice a pattern here?), then went to a party on a university campus which somehow ended with a very late night trip to the Lincoln Memorial and some deep conversation.

Saturday | Had a lovely brunch at Founding Farmers and then straggled through all of three exhibits at the American History Museum with friends before caving in and lying on National Mall for hours.

Sunday | Went to Buffalo Exchange (secondhand clothing store) intending to buy some work blouses, and left with leather-clad items and some jewelry - fail...

famous.

Hey guys.

Hey guys!

Guess what?

Someone from a DC news station affiliate snapped a photo of me and my friends last night for their website that covers events around the District.

Image copyright of The Scene Bisnow and WTOP DC

We felt like a pretty big deal. You can find the link to the article here. Abbey, Alex and I were at a pop-up boutique show where all of the proceeds went to an organization called Safe Shores. More info in the article. It was really cool, and the whole event was just rife with bloggers. Made me realize how amateur I am :)

And after we left, our cab driver gave us the ride for FREE. Very unexpected and an awesome end to a Thursday.

we are the evidence.

Mr. Smith's: Affordable and dreamy bar/restaurant in the heart of Georgetown (I've been going there a lot, haven't I?). We sat on the patio and talked to our waiter about Nepal. There was also a "Wine Burger" on the menu that was $999. We asked him if it was a joke. He said no. We asked if anyone had ever ordered it. He said no.

 Favorite picture from the Natural History Museum. We downloaded this app called "Meanderthal" that blends your face with a face of the earlier human species. I will spare you the results- let's just say that I'm grateful for evolution.

 Went out for a wonderful Saturday brunch at this place called Lavagna with Alex and a few others. I got pancakes with honey Nutella butter and mascarpone. Oh, and also a bottomless mimosa. Dangerous but so satisfying. We (okay, maybe just I) decided that we're going to call ourselves the Bitches Who Brunch from now on. I'm probably a little too excited about this name. There are original Bitches Who Brunch (they gave Lavagna an A+)...so maybe we can be the pseudo-BWB? Discuss.

Powerful image at the Museum of the American Indian today. I was talking to my friend about how  museums have such a solemn and sad quality. They are filled with objects that define a group of people - objects that used to mean a lot to someone and maybe still have a lot of meaning for people today - yet they're displayed behind glass walls and mounted on frames as if they're in a graveyard. It's like looking at a ship inside a bottle.

rainbows, georgetown and badgers - oh my...

I know it's Tuesday so it's kind of late to be doing a "weekend re-cap" post, but I'm sure that you weren't sitting on the edge of your chair freaking out over my absence. I don't even know who reads this blog anyway (hi...mom? friends? maybe?)...

But moving on - weekend #2 in DC was as great as #1. Highlights included the gay pride festivities (those are some pretty little banners up above), multiple trips to Georgetown, a monument or two, and so. much. walking. This can't be said enough: ALWAYS WEAR GOOD SHOES. ALWAYS. My poor feet. I'll never learn.

 

I'll be living here in 5 years, thank you. 

 One of the many freebies that we got at DC pride.

 View of the Pride Festival from the observation deck of the Newseum (news + museum, obviously). The Newseum was incredible, worth the admission price, and definitely contending for my favorite tourist stop so far. Also, please note the Canadian Embassy hanging out over there on the left side.

My roommate Debbie and I are from the same school (but we are random roommates - fun, right?) so we went to this bar that specifically caters to alumni from our college. It was, in a word, amazing. It will definitely not be the last time I go there this summer.

on a rainy day

On a rainy day in DC, these are some things that happen:

(1) People sell umbrellas on the street.
(2) People also give out boxes of cupcakes for Betty Crocker promos. Well, maybe that just happened today. I definitely waited in line for those boxes and definitely was almost late to work. Priorities.
(3) It's pretty. And still warm, but not in a I-live-in-a-sauna kind of way.
(4) Your feet will get wet no matter what.
(5) Everything seems a little more relaxed in a city that is so alive all the time.
(6) Sometimes you get cupcakes in Georgetown at... you guessed it...

Georgetown Cupcakes. Mmm. Lived up to all the hype, in my opinion.

Bye!

self-importance.

 

---

So there was one major observation that I made during the first few days of my work commute. Maybe it had to do with the fact that 99% of all the people that I see downtown from Monday to Friday are dressed in business professional clothes heading to work, or maybe it was a vibe that I felt myself giving off as well. 

Everyone in DC walks with a very "self-important" gait; they cruise down the sidewalks (multiple smart phones and coffees in hand) acting as if they own the city. It doesn't matter if you're a lowly intern like me or the president of a venture capital firm, something about this place makes you feel like you're...well, the shit. 

I talked to some of my new friends about it and they agreed. I don't have anything to conclude from this observation; I just thought it was interesting. I guess if there's any place for conceited people to congregate, DC would be it. I mean, for all the gossip and nastiness and political scandals that happen here, some great things do come out of the District. Some of the most talented people in the world live here and create serious change (ahem, you're welcome. just kidding :)

Oh, and that photo at the top - part of my daily internship duties requires that I scan the entire New York Times cover-to-cover to monitor any updates for the firm's clients. All I'm thinking is, hello, I get to read the whole New York Times every day for free! So I think I like it here.

photographic evidence of a good d.c. weekend.

It's been one week since my arrival and I'm getting a little more accustomed to my stomping grounds of the District. Life still pretty much feels like a dream, but reality is beginning to seep through the cracks in minor ways. At work on Monday, I felt like I had one of those days where I just didn't do anything right. But when you have days like those (and they happen more than once), you have to just snap out of it, accept that you're not perfect and vow to do better tomorrow. So that's what I tried to do - and it worked! I had a much better day today. I'll end this post on a positive note with a quick re-cap of the awesome weekend I had.

Last weekend was filled with trips to places like the Library of Congress (self-proclaimed government/history geek right here, guys)....

Farmer's markets...

An amazing bookstore filled with floor-to-ceiling used books and a charming shop owner...

A beautiful botanic garden...

A memorial that makes you understand why everyone says it's best to visit D.C. memorials after dark...

 Cool museums...

And (of course) some necessary gelato.

My pedometer app said I walked 18 miles over the weekend, so YEAH. That's how much fun I had exploring the city. I can't wait to see more.