23 Things to Do While I'm 23

Last month, I turned 23. When I was really young, I thought that 23 was the most fashionable age... now I'm not so sure. I don't feel very chic. You'll have to judge for yourself. :)

Following in the footsteps of some of my friends, I decided to post my list of

23 Things to Do While I'm 23

1. Take advantage of all the student discounts I can while I’m still a college student
2. Get a job doing something I care about
3. Take a cooking class
4. Read the front page of the newspaper every morning
5. Run a 5K
6. Fall in love
7. Buy a wool coat
8. Travel to two new places
9. Attend the temple at least six times
10. Read 3 books off my “list”
11. Hike the U
12. Initiate conversations with complete strangers
13. Be kissed in the rain
14. Eliminate clutter from my life
15. Read a biography
16. Cook dinner at least once a week
17. Act on promptings to serve
18. Go to a Utah gymnastics meet
19. Graduate from the University of Utah
20. Make a list of things to see in Amsterdam and plan my dream trip
21. Talk to my Grandma and Oma once a week
22. Learn to swim
23. Have no library fines

And a bonus: Enjoy the journey and all the unexpected happiness that comes my way. Life is great!

Whew!

After an extended absence from the world of blogging... I'm back! I've started student teaching, and school has taken up a large amount of my free time since August. That means I've been falling behind on blogging... and I've missed it. Now, nobody likes a stale blog, so I'll try to keep this one up to date. :) My next few posts will look back over the exciting, busy, and demanding last three months of my life!

Looking Back...

I posted this earlier, but it disappeared, so I thought I'd put it up again. I'll be home in four days! I can't believe it!

One thing’s for sure –moving across the country for three months was the greatest adventure of my life. My internship didn’t turn out anything like I expected, but it was an experience I wouldn’t trade and I’ll never forget.
I interned with the Republican Governors Association as their front desk/political/do anything else I’m asked intern. At first, I didn’t see the connection between the work I was doing at my internship and everything else I was studying as an elementary education major. As time went on, I came to love my internship and the crash course I was getting in politics. Politics had never really interested me before, but researching governors’ campaigns and having discussions with other people in my office showed me how fascinating government and politics are.
Working at the RGA was a lot of fun, too. I got to eat lunch every day in the park across the street from the White House, I made friends with the other interns in the office, I got to talk with governors on the phone, and I developed a love for afternoon Au Bon Pain cookie breaks.
I also got to see one of the greatest cities in the world with some of the greatest people I’ve ever met. From kayaking on the Potomac to seeing the monuments at night to cheering at baseball games, every day was an adventure.
I was nervous when I first stepped on the plane to come to DC. I didn’t know any of the other interns, and I didn’t know if I would do well at my internship. Looking back after almost three months, I know the risk paid off. I can’t wait to come back!

When family comes to visit...

... it's always lots of fun!


The McLellands came to DC over the Fourth of July, and they were nice enough to let me spend some time with them. :) We had a great time celebrating the Fourth of July, touring the Capitol, and walking through their very historic hotel. I was so happy they came!

I'm at the very center of Washington, DC! (Well, almost...)

Philo T. Farnsworth, one of Utah's two sculptures in the Capitol.


The Bronze Doors - What does this remind you of, Jenny?
The dome of the Capitol rotunda.

We all went to dinner together at Smith and Wollensky... delicious! Thanks, guys!

The Fourth of July

A long time ago, I promised someone I would blog about the Fourth of July in Washington DC... Well, I'm keeping my promise. Independence Day in the Nation's Capitol was incredible! It was especially fun because Bette Jo, Carl, Kevin, Melissa, and Scott came to visit! Holidays spent with family are always the best. I spent pretty much the whole day on the Mall (which meant I only had to wait in the crazy-long security line once). We started the day across from the National Archives and watched a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence.

We had snagged great spots for the reading, and that meant that we had great seats for the parade, too!

We spent the rest of the day at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, learning about Texas, Bhutan, and NASA. It was pretty cool. I liked the Bhutan exhibits the most, especially the yak herder and the calligrapher. After exploring the festival, Diane, Stanley, Melissa, and I went to stand in line for the concert on the Capitol lawn. When we finally made it through the security line, we found a spot on the grass and laid our blankets out. Then... it started to rain. And by rain, I mean downpour! Six of us crowded together under three umbrellas that we held together to cover us as much as possible. Our blankets got soaked, and we all got a little wet, too, but we became close friends as we played Two Truths and A Lie. :)

The rain stopped before the concert, so we didn't miss the great performance! We saw Huey Lewis and the News and Jerry Lee Lewis. You can bet we all sang along to "Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire!"

Then came the fireworks! The National Symphony Orchestra played the 1812 Overture as background. It doesn't get better than that!

We finished the day with dinner at Uno's Pizzeria -- tired, wet, but very happy.

and here are the pictures

Outside of Arlington House

It was so great to see the Iwo Jima Memorial. It was huge!

This is Wellington, our AWESOME ghost tour guide in Alexandria.

The Ghost Tour was a blast!

Isn't this the greatest picture you've ever seen in your life? We love ice cream!

At the Kennedy Center after the concert. We wanted a picture with the lead singer.

I realize this is outdated, but...

It's a really long story why I wrote this post a week ago and never posted it... but better late than never, right? I'll be sure to post pictures of these adventures soon!

They say “time flies when you’re having fun.” Well, I am living proof of that! I only have six weeks left in this wonderful city, and I am having so many happy adventures. The past two weeks have been especially jam packed, so I’ll give you a timeline of the fun I’ve been having…

Wednesday, June 25 - I attended a Governors’ Breakfast hosted by the RGA at the Google offices. Google is incredible! It was like going to a playground! That night I went to the most amazing baseball game I’ve ever seen in my life. (You’ll hear more about that later.)

Thursday, June 26 – Tried to go to the Temple. Found out buses don’t run past 6:30. Came home again.

Friday, June 27 – I went to a free concert at the Kennedy Center where they played country music and I line danced! We Utah interns showed off our boot-scootin’ boogie skills!

Saturday, June 28 – I spent the morning at Arlington Cemetery. It is such a peaceful and awe-inspiring place. I know I will miss it when the time comes to leave Washington, DC. I saw the Iwo Jima memorial for the first time. It’s incredible!

Monday, June 30 – My ward’s FHE activity for the evening was making get well cards for wounded servicemen at Walter Reed. I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude to those who risk their lives for my country. I’m so glad I was there. I also found out that the second counselor in my bishopric went to high school with my aunt! Small world!

Tuesday, July 1 – I was so happy! My ward scheduled a night to do baptisms at the Washington DC temple! I got a ride with someone in the ward and went to the temple with a few of my friends. It was such a special experience. The temple is beautiful!

Wednesday, July 2 – After meeting Stanley for lunch, I realized I couldn’t get back to work. There was a bomb threat at the World Bank, which is near my work, and they had closed the entire street to cars and pedestrians! Stanley and I sat outside Potbelly and waited for the street to open for two hours! Stanley was nice enough to keep me company and provide great music for my extremely extended lunch break. Luckily, the bomb threat was taken care of safely, and I made it back to work. Never a dull day in Washington!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

For weeks, I had been looking forward to going to the Nationals/Angels baseball game. The Angels are my favorite team, but I've never seen them play live. I counted down the days until they came to town to take on the Nats. When the day came to buy tickets, though, all of the affordable tickets were sold out! I was disappointed until one of the guys at my work stopped by my desk and offered me two tickets to the game... in the suite! I couldn't believe it! I immediately accepted!

Stanley and I hopped on the green line and headed out to the ballpark. It was the most amazing night! Our box was right behind home plate! We sat in the big wig seats, ate delicious food, and cheered our guts out. We cheered and laughed while Teddy Roosevelt made a valiant effort to win the Presidents' Race (and I laughed uncontrollably). We stood and sang in the 7th inning stretch, and we watched as the Nats clinched the game with a run in the bottom of the ninth! My Angels didn't win, but I became a Nats fan! (I am in DC, after all) On the way home, Stanley and I bought matching Nats caps on the street. It was one of the most fun nights I've had this summer! I can't believe how lucky I was!

In the Box

The Presidents' Race!

Errr....

Pictures to go with the list...

The tire swing!

One of the waiters/performers at Starlight Diner

Frozen Hot Chocolate!

With some help from a friendly stranger, we found the best Thai food ever!

We just bought tickets to a Broadway show!

I love Rupert! He's just as charismatic in person.

The girls on Times Square

We love Harry!

The temple was closed, but we got to see the outside

Waiting for the show to start

In the lobby of the Empire State Building

An oddly creepy Elmo

Top Ten (Times Three) Best Things From My Weekend in NYC!

30. Buying an umbrella seconds before the downpour stopped.
29. Trying on beautiful vintage shoes
28. The Empire State Building lobby was covered in scaffolding… I enjoyed the irony
27. My Indian friend on the bus
26. Carting around “the wheelie.” (We took turns pulling my wheeled suitcase after we checked out of the hostel.)
25. The Woolworth Building
24. Spotting two men dressed as Elmo strolling down the street
23. “Watchwatchwatchwatchwatchwatch…” one very long word from the salesman on the street
22. Dinner AND a show at Starlight Diner
21. “What is this? Grand Central Station?”
20. The tire swing in Central Park!
19. Riding the wooden escalator in Macy’s
18. Getting to New York on the infamous Chinatown bus
17. “Well, it is $0.87 an ounce… and those are really big chunks.”
16. A windy ride on the Staten Island Ferry past the Statue of Liberty
15. Frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity (and eating real Humble Pie)
14. Times Square
13. Shopping in Diagon Alley at FAO Schwartz
12. Seeing the skyline of downtown Manhattan from the bus
11. Thai food!!!
10. Meeting Rupert of David Letterman fame
9. The Manhattan Temple
8. Honey roasted almonds on Wall Street
7. Glitzy and glamorous Tiffany and Co.
6. Being told I was cool by a native New Yorker
5. Third row seats to Chicago!
4. Staying in a hostel on Amsterdam Ave. and feeling hip
3. Buying a Dolce and Gabbana giraffe purse in Chinatown
2. The Metropolitan Museum of Art… need I say more?
1. Seeing the greatest city in the world with some of the coolest people ever!

Ritzy... Like the Cracker

It turns out there are some perks that come with being an intern in the Nation’s Capitol. A few weeks ago, everyone in my office was invited to an event at the Ronald Reagan Building hosted by the governor of Texas. Even the interns were invited!
I was so excited to hob nob with some government big wigs. Stanley agreed to come as my guest, and we spent the night eating Texas food and working the room. The reception was great! I dined on the most delicious quesadillas and the stickiest ribs (they didn’t believe in utensils). There was an open bar, and I ordered a Shirley Temple (something I’ve always wanted to do). I felt pretty swanky, standing there, sipping my pink drink. Stanley and I stopped by the NASA table where we signed our names to a poster that will go into space aboard the space shuttle!
Toward the end of the evening, Governor Perry spoke. I worked my way to the front for the meet and greet and shook his hand!
On our way out, we even got goodie bags! I felt so important. I could get used to this…

A Few More Pics

Me and my roomies on the steps of the Jefferson Monument.
Clark and I enjoying the Jazz Concert in the Sculpture Garden at the National Gallery. They have a free concert every Friday, and it makes us feel sophisticated to go. Sometimes the music gets a little too sophisticated for us, but we feel cool just being there.

Diane and I spent a whole day wandering Georgetown. We found Georgetown University and saw the gorgeous campus. Then it started to rain!!! We ducked into Qdoba for lunch just before it really started to storm. Lucky us!

Some pics

I'm so glad there are signs like this at bus stops to teach me how to make more money. Very valuable information. I'll ponder it later. A Saturday morning at Eastern Market.

At Kramerbooks and Afterwords... a bookstore with a cafe attached that stays open until the early hours of the morning. On weekends it's open all night! We looked at books, I bought Atonement by Ian McEwan, and then we went upstairs and enjoyed delicious (but expensive) apple pie!

The National Gallery Sculpture Garden. You can see the museum through the trees in the background. This Garden is home to free jazz concerts and very happy art fans, like Meagan and myself.

A Day in the Life of a DC Intern

My alarm goes off at 6:15, like always, but somehow (like always) I don’t manage to drag myself out of bed until 6:45. Needless to say, I am not a morning person in any way, shape, or form. I still haven’t figured out how I ended up with the job that makes me the first to wake up and the first to leave out of all the girls in my apartment. Anyway, I stand in front of my closet to choose which of the professional outfits to wear to work. Forty-five minutes later, I am sitting down to my usual delicious bowl of cinnamon oatmeal. I fix my lunch and walk out the door at exactly 8:00. I ride the elevator to the first floor, greet the woman at the front desk, and I’m out the door.
I pass a group of high school kids on their way to the school behind my apartment building. Walking to music gets me charged up for the day, so I put my headphones in and listen to something peppy. At the metro stop, I pass the friendly man who hands out the free Express newspapers, which I never take because I’m only on the metro for ten minutes – not enough time to read the paper. I am proud to say that I have overcome my fear of escalators, so I step on the “Stairway to Heaven” with confidence. I slide my weekly pass through the scanner, and walk to my train. I don’t usually get a seat in the morning rush, but at least I can claim a spot near a bar. No subway surfing for me.
At Farragut North, I leave the train and get on yet another escalator. There is always a musician at the top of the escalator, and I enjoy their music as I ride up. Today it’s a man with an electric guitar. Three blocks later, I reach my office building. I walk inside and opt for the stairs, because I feel guilty taking the elevator to just the second floor. Once I reach the office, I go through the morning routine: Flip the light switch, turn the lights on, take the phone off night setting, pull out yellow pad to write down who calls, log on to computer. I try not to turn on the t.v. until 9:00 because I can’t stand the people on Fox News before then. At 9:00, America’s News Room comes on, which is my favorite news show of the day. Megyn Kelly and Bill Hemmer get me caught up with the world’s goings on. At 11:00, I turn on Pandora, my new favorite website. I work to the sounds of Colbie Caillait, Jewel, Norah Jones, and Ingrid Michaelson. My work for the morning consists of answering phones and forwarding the callers to the right person, doing research on the gubernatorial campaigns across the country, and doing any other little jobs that present themselves. Around 1:00, it’s lunch time. I ask one of the other interns to watch the desk for me, and I head outside to enjoy the DC humidity. Once a week, I splurge and get lunch at Potbelly’s, Breadline, or Au Bon Pain, but today I’m brown bagging it. I walk down to Lafayette Park, which is across the street from the White House. I find a bench and enjoy my quiet lunch and the great surroundings. Sometimes I run into Becca, one of my roommates, on her lunch break.
After lunch, it’s back to research and delivering mail. I only have three and a half hours left before I can leave and get to the rest of the night’s activities. One of the guys in the office stops by my desk and offers me free stuff from the supply closet. Today it’s four glasses with the company logo on it and two baseball caps. Fabulous! I’ll never turn down free stuff. Since it’s a really laid back afternoon, one of my supervisors stops by to “get me out of the office.” We make a smoothie run down to the nearest juice bar. Sometimes we go around the corner and get ice cream. Afternoon snacks are definitely something to look forward to. At 4:30, I start to count down the last hour. When the big hand gets back around to the six, I turn off the lights, switch the tv off, put the phone on night, say goodbye to everyone in the office, and walk out the door.
I walk back to the metro, past the guy at the newsstand who thinks that he can get me to buy a bag of chips by flattering me (he’s wrong), past the flower stand that always smells like roses, past Farragut Square Park (which hosts free concerts every Thursday!), and down to the metro. I put my headphones back in, and celebrate the end of another workday.
At 6:00, I walk in the door of my apartment. All of my other roommates are already home. (Yep, I’m usually the first one to leave and the last to get home). I grab a drink of water and sit on the couch to unwind. I’m pretty worn out after a nine hour day at work. At about 7:00, I ask around to see if anyone has plans for the evening. Dinner to celebrate an intern’s birthday? I’m in! We ride the metro and all meet up at the restaurant, where we talk about our days and enjoy delicious food. I’m home again at about 10:00. Just enough time to return a few emails, eat some double churned vanilla ice cream out of the tub with my roommates, and head to bed. I can’t wait for the weekend when I can really get out and play tourist!

Some things I love about DC

1. Long walk signals when I'm crossing the street. Seriously, I could stand in the middle of the street and do a dance and still make it to the other side before the light changes.
2. Row houses. They just make me happy. I want to know the people who live in them.
3. Double churned vanilla ice cream. It's a new obsession.
4. Friendly people who hand out Express newspapers at the top of the metro escalator every morning.
5. Going to church. It's just so much fun to walk there with everyone.
6. It always smells so good when I leave for work in the morning.
7. Potbelly's. They make the best sandwiches!
8. Patrick. (My boyfriend... I wish. We hung a picture of Patrick Demspey in our apartment.)
9. Laughing. I do a lot of this with my cute roommates!
10. Monuments. At any time of day or night.
11. Free concerts. In sculpture gardens, on the mall, you name it. I've seen so many great performances!
12. H&M. I am in the process of building an entirely new wardrobe, thanks to my addiction to this marvelous store.
13. Adventures. There's always something to do!
14. Eating lunch in the park across the street from the White House!
15. Art Museums! They are one of my favorite things anyway, and there are so many great ones here! I've had quite a few art freak out moments.

More Memorial Day

On the lawn of the Capitol before the Memorial Day Concert. It was the most amazing night! Gary Sinise was one of the emcees. Idina Menzel sang "I'll Be Seeing You," and I could hardly contain myself. Gladys Knight and Sarah Brightman also performed. Charles Durning told the story of his experience on D-Day. It was the best Memorial Day ever!

Sitting in the Arlington National Cemetery Ampitheater waiting for the President to speak after the wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns. I saw the First Lady and President Bush. They played "Hail to the Chief" and everything!

Washington Monument

World War II Memorial