Well, my name isn't on it butttt

A paper I assisted in writing and creating the data for are now published on the NAM's website. Unfortunately, no names are attached to them so I can't write it down on my CV :( Oh well, such is the life of a lowly intern. But its awesome to see it up online and attached to such an important document! Here is the paper and also a graph I helped put together. If you want to read what all of this is associated with, visit the NAM's page on the National Export Initiative and read this document.

12 days until I'll be on Texas time!

2 weeks left in D.C.

I can't believe how fast this summer has gone! It seems like just yesterday I was flying into Reagan Airport, but in 13 days it will be time for me to fly back! I'm trying to experience everything that I have left on my list...but its hard when there is a 110 degree heat index!

Today, I got out of Crystal City and took the metro to Eastern Market. I had been wanting to revisit the market since I had visited it with Zane earlier this month. Although it was extremely hot, I was really excited to look at all of the vendors and hopefully pick up a souvenir or two! I strolled through flea market for about 2 hours, but unfortunately I could not find anything that I couldn't live without. If I was living in D.C. that would have been another story entirely! Again, there were some awesome pieces of art and furniture that I would have loved to have invested in, but unfortunately I can't fit an artsy trunk into my suitcase. After two hours of strolling in the sun, I began to look for shelter from the heat. I found refuge in the most awesome used book store, ever. There were literally books from floor to ceiling in every nook and cranny of this two story store. It was amazing. There, I picked up a copy of The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. No, I haven't finished my library book, yet, but I just HAD to get this one...you know for the plane ride.

Now I am back at my apartment watching a Bridezillas marathon on TV and contemplating writing my end of internship essay. Bridezillas has priority right now, but I'll probably work on my essay for a bit before I go to bed and get ready for my last 10 days of work!

Favorite Congressman

So, I attended a networking even this evening put on by the D.C. Aggie club. It was interesting, and I got to learn about what some former Aggies are doing in D.C. The best part, though, was meeting Congressman Louie Gohmert. There aren't any politicians (besides my Mom) that I would every really want to talk to in person, but this man was different. He was so funny and personable, and you could tell he actually cared about what he was doing...I mean most congressman care about what they do, especially what they will personally gain out of their position, but you could tell by just the way he spoke that he would do whatever it took to do the best job possible for his constituents. I got the chance to speak with him for a second, and I'd have to say it was the best few seconds I have gotten to spend with a politician.

Whew, this is a long one!

Well it has been a while since my last post! Geez, the days keep going by faster and faster…next thing you know August 7 is going to be here and I will be heading back home! Well, here is a recap of the last 5 days:

Last week our internship coordinators from PPIP came up to D.C. to visit the interns, our workplaces, and do some other business around town and in the apartment (including move out the 2 tables and 8 chairs in our dining room!) They came to visit me and my workplaces on Thursday, and I’d have to say it was a pretty exemplary visit. I loved getting to tell them what I was up to, and just what the next interns were going to get a chance to participate in. I was just so excited to hear from my supervisor’s mouths just how happy they were with the work I have been doing this summer. I mean, I know that I am giving it my all, but it is nice for them to stroke the ego a bit J. Anywho, it was an afternoon of running between Commerce and NAM, but I think all in all the meetings went well! After that, I got to talk to Breanne and Heather before they left me (physically, at least) for the rest of the summer. If you are reading this, Breanne, Heather, it was great talking with you and I will come visit when I get back into town! After work, I met up with my roommate and we took our long awaited trip to the library to get our library cards. Whenever we arrived one of the librarians asked us if we were sisters…it was kind of funny, I guess we are starting to spend too much time together! Anyway, after 8 weeks in D.C. I finally have a library card, which I used to check out Capote, by Geral Clarke. It is the biography about Truman Capote that was made into the movie with Philip Seymour Hoffman. It is pretty good so far, my goal is to finish it by next Saturday…a pretty lofty goal considering my current reading history.

Friday was actually a fairly eventful day! It started out with the International Trade Forum at the NAM which, although interesting, continues to be the place where I make my to do lists for Friday through Monday. After the ITF I got back to work on my export analysis, and then I joined the rest of the Economic Affairs interns for lunch. We all ordered out from different places, but I went to this restaurant I hadn’t been to before called Devon and Blakely’s. It was absolutely delicious! They have so many soups and sandwiches and salads to choose from. All freshly made, and then ready for your vegetable additions. I ordered a HUGE chicken quesadilla, the tortilla’s diameter was about as long as my forearm…no joke. After we all got our food, then we went to sit outside in this plaza where free music is provided every day at lunch. Although the music was less than appealing, well it was more amateur beat poetry than music, the company was very nice and it was great to finally get outside for lunch.

When I got home, I received an invitation from one of the interns that I work with at Commerce to go out with some of his friends in Old Town Alexandria. Well, since Old Town is pretty much my new favorite spot, I couldn’t say no. So, I invited my roommate to join me in my excursion since she hadn’t been to Old Town yet. When we got there, my roomie and I ate at Hard Times Café (which you will remember as the awesome chili parlor from previous posts), and then went to check out a bluegrass bar before meeting my friend at a latin/middle eastern/salsa music bar. It was an interesting mix of cultures in that bar, but it produced a delightful atmosphere, plus the salsa music made me reminisce to the salsa dances back in College Station. Overall, it was a wonderful outing! Plus, it was nice to find out that he, and the rest of his friends live around the corner from me in Crystal City. Yay for new friends! Too, bad that this came 8 weeks too late!

On Saturday my roommate left me to attend a conference in Florida. Yes, she is getting paid to go to Florida for a WEEK! Totally jealous, but that is beside the point. So, I had to figure out what to do for the weekend. Well, first of all I got to work on my to do list that I so diligently wrote on Friday during the trade forum. I went to a coffee place to work on a scholarship application as well as the end of semester evaluation for my internship…I can’t believe that it is that time already! After that, my intern friend invited me to join him and his friends for sushi and then a movie. Sushi was delicious, and for the 5.50 I paid for my spicy tuna roll, I also got miso soup, some little chicken appetizer and a salad with my beloved peanut sauce. A great deal, if you ask me! After dinner, we went back to his place to watch Terminator: Salvation. Definitely a good movie, and it was fun watching it with people who share my humor of sarcastic commentary during movies…I mean sometimes the commentary is just necessary.

Sunday began as a very lazy day. I wanted to be ambitious and wake up at 8:30 to work out and then walk to the grocery store, but instead slept till 10:30, laid in bed till 11, lounged in my room until 12 and by then my intern friend invited me to hang out at the pool at his apartment. So, finally I got dressed…although in a bathing suit…and walked over to his pool, which was absolutely huge! Definitely the largest pool I have ever seen at an apartment complex. We hung out there for about 2 hours and then I made my leave so that I could be *gasp* productive. So, I got dressed in real clothes and made my way over to the grocery store for my LAST batch of groceries…hopefully. I’m thinking there may be one more batch…but if I ration it appropriately maybe not! The walk over there was delightful, however on the way back, carrying 30-40 pounds of groceries definitely took its toll on my arms. Oh well, at least it made up for me being too lazy to work out in the morning! After I got back to the apartment, and caught my breath, I started doing my LAST loads of laundry! Well, there might be one more vanity load, but that’s only if I absolutely MUST put together a particular outfit…which will most likely happen. I mean, I must go out with a stylistic bang on my last day! The rest of the evening was fairly productive, but I was sad to see it go by so fast. Only 2 more weekends here, and then I am gone!

Today turned out to be a long day and frustrating day, which I won’t get into details of, and it was the first time I felt like I just wanted to jump on a plane and fly home. Better now than 5 weeks ago! But, it will all be better, and hopefully more cooperative, tomorrow. After that long day at work, I went to the National Theater to watch My Girl Friday starring the wonderful Cary Grant! I hadn’t seen that movie all the way through until today, and it was wonderful! Although I was kind of disappointed at the ending because Cary Grant’s character did not seem to change from what he was at the beginning and he tricked the girl into falling in love with him again, it was still a very funny and very good movie. I guess things like that in the story line are little glimpses into the 1940’s way of looking at things. After the movie, I took a detour and took a nice long stroll to the metro station through the National Mall. I’ll only get to do that for three more weeks, better savor it while I can! Countdown: 18 days!

Something interesting did happen today....

This morning, I almost got crushed by the doors to a metro. Well, crushed would be an overstatement, but here is what happened:

I was making my transfer from the yellow to the blue line among the mob of other DC'ers trying to do the same thing. When I was on the escalator I could see a blue metro already at the platform. Knowing that I only had about 60 seconds to get on, I started shoving my way down the escalator to catch it. Unfortunately the doors closed just as I was about to hop on, but right after they closed they opened up again! I was delighted, however so were the 10 people right next to me. Next, there was a dash to make it in the car before the malfunctioning doors decided to close. I thought for sure I had made it, but when I began to squeeze into the car, the doors began closing on my arm! Now, these doors do NOT open when touched so I hopped out as fast as I could...but I still received a foot long black mark down my arm to remind me of the kind of almost not really near death situation that I had just experienced.

The Countdown is on...

Well, it is officially 25 days until I am back in Texas!! Woo Hoo!! To commemorate the occasion I have been listening to country music all day long. I even did a little two stepping in the hallways of the Department of Commerce...when no one was looking, of course.

So far, it has been a fairly good week. Yesterday, I attended a real live press conference at the head quarters of the US Postal Service. The press conference itself was not terribly interesting, although the Secretary for the Department of Commerce and the CEO of USPS were present so that was pretty cool. If you want to read about the event, you can go to the Commerce blog. After the press conference, we got to stick around for a reception. Let me tell you, the USPS sure had some gooood food! Although it was 10:30 in the morning, they had tons of little pastries, and coffee cakes, and fruit...for the health conscious. Overall, it was a nice event, and definitely it was some good publicity for our office! However, I was disappointed that I could not get a large flat rate box while I was there...lame.

Today was fairly uneventful, although work is becoming increasingly busy...I can't believe that in three and a half weeks that it will all be over with! I will be excited for my last day to get here, but at the same time I kind of don't want to give up the work that I am doing. Oh well, some good Tex-Mex will help me get over that feeling.

It has been raining a lot this week, but I'm hoping that it will clear up by Saturday. I really want to go back to the Eastern Market, as well as roam around some of the other neighborhoods. However if it is raining, I'm pretty sure I'll be staying inside. Maybe reading and making some headway on the 75 movies on my instant watch queue on Netflix. Gotta do it some time!

Things I've Noticed: Part 6

This is something I have noticed about myself, more than about D.C.: although I can survive using only 3 pairs of heels, life is certainly not as fun without the rest of my shoe collection.

Things I've Noticed: Part 5

I found out that someone I work with has never bought anything from, or stepped foot inside of a Wal Mart…mind boggling, isn’t it?

Vacation: Days 3, 4, and 5

Well, now I am back to work after my wonderful 5 day vacation. It was definitely hard to get up this morning, as I had gotten used to a) not using an alarm and b) waking up around 9:30 instead of 7. Oh well, back to the daily grind. I am officially one month (32 days) away from being back in Texas! I couldn’t be more excited! Not that I am not enjoying my time here, but I have found out a lot of things namely:

I do not enjoy living solely in the city. It is nice having everything so convenient, but I long for a nice long drive through the country and sitting outside without hearing cars honking at you.

I enjoy this line of work, but I’m not sure I would enjoy working in the government or in a D.C. caliber job. My internship isn’t necessarily stressful, but I can see how this type of career would definitely take its toll on me.

I miss Texas! I love the culture of this city, and all of the opportunities that it holds, but this trip has made me realize how much I love my state and how much I love being a Texan. Sorry non-Texans, this really is the best state in the U.S.

Now onto a rundown of the last three days of my vacation:

Day 3

Woohoo, my birthday! I want to thank everyone who wished me a happy birthday, it was an absolutely wonderful day! I started the day by waking up late and then Zane and I went out to lunch in old town Alexandria. We explored the shops and finally settled on eating at this place called Hard Times Café. Oh my goodness, favorite restaurant of all time! It was another chili bar, but so much better than Ben’s Chili Bowl. Not that Ben’s isn’t great in its own right and for being a historic site in D.C. that everyone should visit, but Hard Times was pure Texas. They had 4 styles of chili (which you could sample before you ordered), corn bread, Texas style sweet tea, Shiner beer (of which I did not partake since it was 11AM), and Texas style country music! The chili dog I had was absolutely delicious, and I can’t wait to go back there again!

Side note: why aren’t there chili parlors in Texas? I could see this place being a total hit! Below is a picture of the entrée, it may look just like a mound of chili, but that mound of chili is a mouthful of deliciousness.

After we went to the chili parlor, we hopped on the metro to visit the Eastern Market. If you are into arts and crafts, jewelry and décor as much as I am you would LOVE this place. There was handmade jewelry, trinkets and art pieces EVERYWHERE! It was so much fun to look around at everything at this market. There was even a guy selling hand strung pearls for $25! Granted, the pearls weren’t of superb quality, but they were beautiful and for $25 they were hard to pass up.I was thankful that I wasn’t carrying cash with me because I would have bought so many things.I would pass by the décor items and think, OOOh that would look beautiful in my apartment, ohh that would look nice next to my bed, ohhh that would make such a statement! As much as I want to get back to Texas, the Eastern Market is a BIG reason of why I will miss D.C.

After going to the eastern market, the day kind of wound down. Zane and I returned to Old Town Alexandria to explore and eat some more. Sadly, I did not get a birthday cake, but I am going to go to a cupcake shop in Dupont Circle called Hello Cupcakes to purchase a belated birthday cupcake.

Day 4

Independence Day! Actually, this day was not very eventful at all. Considering the amount of tourists that were out and about, we made an executive decision to travel only where our feet could carry us. So, Zane took me on a tiny tour of some more of Crystal City. We eventually ended up at the Potomac Yard shopping center and had lunch at this restaurant called Hop’s, another new favorite restaurant. This place has a microbrewery inside of the restaurant and you can get a sampler of all 6 beers brewed there for only $4! As well as the beer, the food was spectacular! They give you complimentary croissants covered in what I assumed to be butter but tasted like icing. I ordered some delicious potato soup as well as a salad. I was stuffed by the end of the meal. Here are some pictures of the feast.

After that, we went to the movie theater where we paid $9 each to get in to a matinee…another reason why I can’t wait to get back to Texas. After the movie we walked back to the apartment and waited until “A Capitol Fourth” came on TV. I am slightly sorry that I did not attend the event in person, but then again, I didn’t have to deal with all of the tourists.

Day 5

The last day of my vacation! By Monday, I really had run out of things to do. I had seen all of the tourist destinations that I wanted to see, so Zane and I walked back to the Potomac yards to watch another movie. After the movie we stopped at this grocery store which was finally reminiscent of HEB. IT was not overpriced, the aisles were large, and I only spent $30 for 2 weeks worth of food. Way different than the premium prices that I had seen at Harris Teeter!Although no grocery store will ever compare to HEB, in my eyes, this one is certainly the best market that I have come across while in D.C. After our trek back to the apartment carrying about 30 pounds of groceries, it was time to rest a bit. I pretty much hung around the rest of the evening, with the exception of our excursion to a DELICIOUS Italian restaurant for a pizza. It was a wonderful evening, and an great ending to a fantastic 5 day vacation!

Now, back to work!

One of the best parts of my birthday was my present that Zane gave me! He made a western style belt for me, which I had wanted to add to my wardrobe for a long time. Here is a picture of it! He picked out the Conchos and everything, stained the belt and put it all together…however it is missing holes so I can’t actually put it on yet. Apparently, they do not allow belt hole puncher gadgets on planes! Oh well, another thing to look forward to when I get back to Texas!

Vacation: Day 2

Well, it is the middle of my second day of vacation, and it has been just delightful! Zane and I began this morning with a nice breakfast and then off we went to the National Gallery of Art. So, the Air and Space museum was cool, but this museum will have a special place in my heart. The architecture was absolutely beautiful, and it was so BIG!! There were rooms upon rooms of beautiful art from every period! Plus, there was an awesome impressionism/modernism gallery, where I took a picture of one of Degas' famous ballet dancer paintings...as well as Zane. It was absolutely wonderful.

After the art gallery, we made our way over to U-street where I FINALLY got to eat at Ben's Chili Bowl! It was amazing. The best chili dog + chili fries, I have ever had. I think this week with Zane will officially be remembered as "Calorie Fest - Summer 2010". But, considering after that we walked about a mile or so to China town, I don't really feel so bad.

This is a picture of me in front of Ben's Chili Bowl...too bad I couldn't keep my eyes open.

After Ben's, Zane and I walked to Chinatown. I was expecting it to be similar to the Chinatown in New York, but I was mistaken. However, I did get to take a picture of the Chinatown arches, which were beautiful.

Now we are back at the apartment, but we will be leaving soon to go to eat and then check out some live bands in Old Town Alexandria. We don't have many plans for tomorrow, but I do know we will be going to Eastern Market in the morning for some blueberry pancakes! Yum!

Vacation: Day 1

Well, my first 12 hours of vacation have been super awesome! Zane flew into D.C. around 10 last night, and after that we went to a sports bar to share some chips and salsa. Apparently, he is really acquainted with the restaurants in the area, so he is going to take me to some of his favorites while he is here, including one with a microbrewery! This morning, we headed out of Crystal City and went to the Air and Space Museum - by far the BEST museum I have seen in D.C. It was super cool, you should go there. Then we walked to lunch. We ate at this place that I had been previously, Harry's and Harriet's, after not being able to eat at Ollie's Trolley(apparently they only take cash.) But I couldn't complain, we had some great food! Then, we walked over to the tidal basin to partake in some paddle boating! That was so much fun! 10 bucks for an hour in the tidal basin, it was so worth it, especially because today was so beautiful! You could see the Jefferson Memorial and the Washington Monument from our paddle boat (pictures below).

Now, we are back in Crystal City, making plans for tomorrow!

Other exciting news:

A package from the Limited arrived today with all of the super cute stuff I bought that was on super sale!

My mom and dad sent me beautiful flowers for my birthday!

I got a hilarious postcard from my friend Jamie Wheeler. It was so funny, that I just had to post it.

My Favorite Wife

One of my new favorite movies! I had a great time at the National Theater this evening. The movie was wonderful, a great comedy by Cary Grant!

Halfway done.

Well, I am now officially HALF WAY DONE with my internship! I have to say that I am pretty excited. This has been a great opportunity, and I really do like it here, but I miss Texas.

This weekend was not very exciting, but I did catch up on my sleep which was super nice. There were some things that I wanted to go out and see, but I decided to save them for when my boyfriend, Zane, comes to visit me. This week will be a short one at work, I have Thursday and Friday off, as well as next Monday! I am super excited for the 5 day weekend; I just hope the next 3 days go by super fast!

Although last week was uneventful, I do have some things planned for the next few days:

Monday: watch "My Favorite Wife" at the National Theater

Tuesday: visit a piano bar with my room mate after work

Wednesday: wait for Zane to fly in to D.C.

Thursday: sightseeing and paddleboating with Zane

Friday: continue sightseeing

Saturday: Birthday Celebration + exploring Old Town Alexandria

Things I've Noticed: Part 4

Writing a research paper for a company is ALOT different than writing an academic research paper. Definitely an adjustment.

Things I've Noticed: Part 3

I just noticed that it is a week and a half until my birthday. Wow, time sure does fly!

The National Theater

The National Theater is located right next door to where I work, and I just found out that they have a summer movie festival where they show movies for free every Monday night. And not just movies, but wonderful classic old movies. This summer is Cary Grant themed, so naturally I have to attend each movie that will be played. Tonight was their opening night, and they showed To Catch a Thief. It was amazing. Possibly my favorite Cary Grant film to date...but then again I haven't gotten through the whole summer, yet! Here is the rest of the schedule:

June 28 - My Favorite Wife (definitely attending)

July 12 - An Affair to Remember (I'm going to Screen on the Green, instead to see Goldfinger)

July 19 - His Girl Friday (attending)

August 2 - Notorious (I cannot wait for this one!)

August 9 - Bringing up Baby (I'll be back in Texas)

August 16 - Charade (Back in Texas, but it is in my Netflix queue)

The Texas State Society Father's Day Picnic

All of us interns were invited to intern at the TSS's Father's Day Picnic. They would provide us with some much needed bbq, blue bell, and shiner, so of course all of us said yes. The picnic was in fact fun, and I met some more awesome people there (they invited my room mate and I out with them to H street this weekend, so look out for that post), but they failed to inform just how long it would take to get to the place where it was held at. My room mate and I headed out on our journey at around 11 AM Sunday morning. The metro runs slower on the weekends so we had to wait about 15 minutes for a blue line, then we had to wait another 15 minutes to transfer to the red line after a 20 minute ride. So, we finally get on the red line but we have to ride that to the end of the line, about 15 stops. Awesome. And the red line is having construction work done on it, so more delays. Double Awesome. 45 minutes later we get off the red line and head to where the shuttle bus should be awaiting us. Apparently the shuttle picked up on the hour instead of every half hour, like we had assumed. So, after 35 minutes of waiting the shuttle picks us up and drives 30 minutes out to the Maryland countryside. In total it took 3 hours to get there. That is just a bit shorter than it takes for me to get from Pleasanton to College Station. But, I did get free bbq out of the deal (and Shiner) so I really can't complain too much. The best part was when the shuttle driver got lost and asked the bus load of Texans if we saw the turn he had to take. Seriously? I am really starting to miss Texas, right about now.

Saturday at the French Embassy

So, on Saturday I attended Fête de la Musique, a world music festival, at the French Embassy. It was so much fun....once I got there. The embassy is located in Georgetown, which does not have a direct metro stop to it. So, after I got off the metro I had to make a 2 mile hike to the embassy. It was enjoyable, however after having run 2.5 miles that morning 2 more miles was a bit much...especially because half of it was up hill. But, the scenery was nice. It reminded me of Adams Morgan because there were so many refurbished row houses, but Georgetown is definitely a bit swankier. After an hour of walking, I finally arrived. There were five "stages" set up around the courtyard, and lots of wine, European beer, food, pastries, and music to be had. I had to buy $20 worth of tickets, but out of that I got French bbq (sausage on a French bread bun YUMMY!), pasta salad, two beers, and a pastry. Here is a picture of my yummy strawberry tart pastry thing that I got...ohhh so good.

While I was there, I listened to a large variety of music; jazz, blues, country, and even an all women reggae-samba style percussion group called Batala (see picture below).

The Batala performance was probably my favorite, and to tell you the truth I realllllly want to join it. The music was awesome, and the performance was choreographed. It reminded me of my belly dancing days. The below picture is of a group called "The Only Two", but I guess they threw in a third for this performance. They played a more Bob Dylan style of music.

After a good 3.5 hours at the embassy, I decided it was time to head back, downhill this time, to the metro station. This walk back was nicer for many reasons: it was downhill; the sun was down; I talked to my parents the whole walk home. I'll definitely be looking for more embassy shindigs like that! But maybe ones that are a closer walk to a metro.

Receptions, Socials, and Meetings

Last week was full of meetings! On Wednesday, the interns were invited to a reception honoring Mike Mckinney, the chancellor of Texas A&M. Needless to say, there were some big wigs in attendance. Also, needless to say, there was some good finger food available. It was an enjoyable hour and a half of mingling, but my feet were tired and I was ready to get back to the apartment to attend the pizza social with the National Capitol Texas A&M Club. That social was fun, and the pizza was definitely satisfying. They also invited us to their monthly happy hour social in the Adams Morgan neighborhood. So, on Thursday my room mate and I hopped the red line to Adams Morgan to go socialize with more Aggies. I have to say, that Adams Morgan is my favorite neighborhood so far. The streets are lined with cute, renovated row houses and gardens; it is exactly what I would imagine an East Coast street to look like. The restaurant we were at was cute, as well, and the drinks were super good. Definitely a place to catch again for happy hour! I met some great Aggies, and had an awesome time!

Things I've Noticed: Part Three

It is really cold in every office that I work in. Seriously, it is at most 70 degrees in every office I step into.

Drycleaning Time!

Well, after 4 weeks on the job it is time to clean my clothes. So, instead of spending $40 on dry cleaning, I decided to experiment with Dry Cleaner’s Secret, and it is actually pretty awesome. It is $10 to clean up to 24 pieces of clothing and you can do two dry cleans per dryer cycle! Definitely not a replacement for dry cleaning, but on my limited budget it sure did the trick! It got out the wrinkles on my jackets and pants, as well as some minor stains. I am definitely happy I tried it out!

Exciting Week!

Well, this week is turning out to be a pretty interesting one! On Monday, I finally received a cubicle to call my own in the department of commerce! I no longer feel like the lonely step child of the office. Woo Hoo! However, there were obstacles associated with my new office. First of all, my mouse did not want to work. So, my supervisor and I had to rummage through random drawers and cabinets to find one. What we found was probably version 1 of Microsoft’s wireless mouse, it’s pretty awesome. It has this antennae thing that goes along with it.

After that was taken care of and I could finally log on to my computer, we found that it took about 30 minutes for my desktop to appear on the screen, so we called the IT guys. They came by and said my computer had an insufficient amount of memory, and by 5 o’clock Monday they installed a new memory card, and I could finally log in and do some work. But by then it was ready to go home.

In between the hassles of setting up my permanent workspace, I got to go to a meeting where my supervisor’s at the NAM were presenting the NAM’s opinion on international trade to the National District Export Council. My supervisor even included some of my research, and mentioned what I am doing to the council. It was pretty cool. All in all, four weeks into my internship I would have to say my supervisors at the NAM and the DOC sound pretty pleased with my work.

All I can say is that I am so excited about what they are having me do, and I am lucky that they give me so much freedom to put my own spin on everything. I don’t think many people get to do that as interns. And it is so cool to get to work with people who are trying to change the status quo. Although in the DOC the work has to be political, the overall objective of everyone in my office is not; they truly want to create a program that will actually benefit business owners who want to export to new markets and expand their business. It is pretty awesome. And everyone is just so supportive of me taking this internship and using it as a way to meet people. I am currently going through lists of offices in the International Trade Association and making note of people that I would like to have informational interviews with.

Today I am attending my first meeting on the hill with the director of our international policy team. I’m pretty excited, although I’m sure the meeting will be filled with more political jargon that I will have to google once I get back to my desk. Oh well, maybe I can make a dictionary for the intern who will take my place! Tonight is also the reception that Texas A&M’s Chancellor invited all of the PPIP/ANRP interns to, and the social with officers of the D.C. A&M Club. Maybe I will be able to give away more of my business cards…

End of Weekend!

Well, I would like to report that I did tons of awesome things this weekend, but unfortunately I cannot say that. Instead of traveling around the city, I decided to take a weekend off to recuperate; it was glorious. I hung out by the pool and caught up on my tanning, I worked out in the gym, and I basically lounged around most of the weekend. However I can cross getting groceries off of my to-do list. I made an excursion to Pentagon City and visited Harris Teeter, now my refrigerator is teeming with goodies. I also did my first load of laundry, today. I found out this weekend through a coughing/sneezing fit that I am apparently allergic to something that is on my pillows and the sheets at the head of my bed. So, I had to wash my sheets to get rid of whatever that something was. Tonight, hopefully, there will be no more sneezing and coughing. Most importantly, after waiting 3 weeks my apartment finally has internet!! Last night I watched many shows on Netflix to celebrate the occasion.

This week is going to be quite busy, so I will have many updates. On Monday I am attending two meetings where I should have the chance to network with some D.C. big shots...we will see how that goes. Then on Wednesday, I get to go to a reception with THE chancellor of the Texas A&M system, Mike McKinney. Talk about rubbing elbows! After that is a social with the Texas A&M Club in the area at my apartment. On Thursday is happy hour with the Texas A&M Club in the Adams Morgan neighborhood, then Friday, and then the weekend! Hello and Goodbye to week 4 in D.C.

Things I've Noticed: Part 2

People outside of the government workings look at things WAY differently that people inside the governent. I am lucky to be working on both sides of the fence and be able to see an issue clearly from two points of view.

Long time no write

I’m sorry readers that it has been about a week since my last post! Fear not, here is an update and once the internet is up and running in my apartment this Saturday (fingers crossed), I will be able to update at my leisure. Anyway, last Friday I went to the Fashion Center at Pentagon City to do a bit of shopping therapy…it certainly worked out well! I walked a way with 2 pairs of shorts, a pair of jeans, and 3 shirts for a very modest price. FYI: did you know that the Limited gives 15% discounts for students? I didn’t but I found out that sweet tidbit last Friday. I also got to take advantage of the minimal sales tax in the state of Virginia! As well as shopping, I got a chance to hang out with my room mate and one of her friends who is an ANRP intern. It was super fun girl time, something that I hadn’t had in a really long time. A good time was had by all.

Then on Saturday, I went with the same girls plus one more of their friends back to the Smithsonians. The museums were a lot less crowded so we got some great museum time in. Then we went to lunch at the super cute restaurant that was extremely reasonable. All of us ordered off the kids menu, trying to save some money, and quickly learned that the kids menu = a really big kids menu!


We definitely got our money’s worth. Seeing the regular sized plates made me happy that I ordered the kids portion. I probably would not have been able to move. After that we headed home and hung out at the apartment.

On Sunday we all went out again to the National Zoo. This was a very fun adventure, although I didn’t think the zoo was all that great. I’m still not entirely impressed with the Smithsonian’s museums. I’m not sure what it is about them, but on a scale from 1 to 10, I am sitting at about a 5 or 6. In any case, the girls I was with were a lot of fun, which made the zoo worth the trip. However, our outing was cut short when we found out there was a TORNADO WATCH in D.C. connected to storms that swept across the midwest! Seriously, a tornado in Maryland?…who would have thought. So, we rushed back out of the zoo (about a 1.5 mile walk) back to the metro and back to the apartment. Fortunately, the storm missed us so I didn’t get rained on as I went to see Hamlet at the Folger Theatre later that evening. I really enjoyed this production of Hamlet; I like the interpretation, although it took me a while to catch up to the Shakespearian language since I hadn’t heard it in a while. By the end of the play it was 10PM and I was exhausted. Once I got back to my apartment, I had to go to bed.

Monday was my first real work day in the DOC, unfortunately the metro was not my friend and the delays made me about 15 minutes late (getting lost in the building didn’t help me either). However, the staff is super understanding about hold ups like that. Anyway, I finally got my transportation benefits form turned in and I also finally have a desk to call my own. Now I am finally able to start doing my job for them, which is a good feeling. The day was relatively uneventful, but I did get to have dinner at the office of Texas A&M’s lobbying firm, Meyers and Associates. It was a very nice little get together, and I got to learn more about the job that Meyers does for A&M.

Tuesday turned out to be another uneventful day, but I did get to sit in on my first very aggressive meeting. So far, all the meetings I have been to have been laid back where both parties agree on the point of discussion, but this one had an entirely different tone. When I was asked my opinion, one of the men in the room tried to make me feel stupid, but I held my ground and tried to make my point. But it definitely is hard to make a point to someone who doesn’t want to hear your reasoning. It was different, but educational, and I won’t be taken aback if I am in another situation like that.

On Wednesday I headed back to the NAM where my econometrics work is really starting to show some progress. However, every time I finish something my supervisor wants me to do something else. It’s a very tedious process, but I am going to be super excited to see my numbers and outcomes somewhere in a NAM approved document. In the same sense, I can’t wait to be done with the numbers so I can start writing my paper on the subject and move on to the work between the Commercial Services and the NAM. Its going to be challenging so I can’t wait to get right into the meat of it.

That pretty much catches you up until today, where the story is pretty much the same as yesterday. In other news I am thinking about trying out my first grocery delivery service. I found one that offers a free delivery on your first order, so I’m pondering on whether to use it. I really need groceries and honestly I don’t see myself taking the trip to Harris Teeter any time soon. Although I love going to the market, without a car it definitely becomes a lot less appealing. However, I’m still not sold on the idea, so I’ll see where my mood takes me this weekend.

Plans for Friday - Sunday
1) GET GROCERIES by whatever means necessary. Its getting pretty serious at this point...or at least in the vegetables and fish department.
2) Go to the Limited. I got a $10 gift certificate today in my email, and that just can't go to waste
3) Attend my first D.C. happy hour, somewhere.
4) Tour the Capitol with the rest of the interns
5) Go to Eastern Market
6) Eat some chili at Ben's Chili Bowl
7) Check out U-Street
8) Enjoy having some internet!! (Countdown 17 hours)

I got my hands on some good internet

So, I uploaded some pictures to a previous post. Take a look!

Something interesting did happen today...

I got the chance to sit in on a meeting with industry affairs officers from Toyota, and also a meeting with an international trade director for Campbell's Soup!

Well, not much is going on this week...

So, nothing really exciting is happening this week which is why I haven't had anything to post. But I am on the internet! Check out this website (under the current interns page) to see the bios and pictures of me and all the rest of the PPIP interns.

Weekend!

Well it has been an interesting two days because I’ve had the chance to explore A LOT more of this town.

On Friday, I got out of work early because of the Memorial Day holiday so that gave me the time to finally get groceries! So far, I have been eating at Chili’s for dinner every night, but that has gotten old pretty quick (seriously, take a look at that menu. Can anyone find anything healthy to eat?) Anyway, so I walked about two miles to the nearest Harris Teeter (in Pentagon City) to do my shopping. I proceeded to buy about 50 pounds worth of groceries and needless to say I was horrified at the thought of carrying them the 2 miles back to my apartment. So, off to the metro I went. However, finding the metro in that area proved to be a lot trickier with a 50 pound load, however people on the streets seemed to be more than willing to point me in the right direction…maybe it was because I looked so haggard and out of breath. Anywho, I finally made it to the metro with my bounty and toted it all the way home. My conclusion: shop with one reusable bag to prevent such a thing from happening, again.

Today was a really nice day. It started out fairly lazy, but by 1:00 I felt the urge to sight see. So, I decided to head to the Mall and check out the Smithsonian Museums. Well, its Memorial Day weekend so you can just imagine how many people had the same idea. After walking through 1/5 of the Museum of Natural History, I decided to spend the time walking around outside instead.So, I made my way over to the Washington Monument, the WWII Memorial, the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial (Pictures at the bottom, as well as a picture of the Rolling Thunder). I’d have to say that it was probably the most amazing sightseeing I have ever done. The structures were much more than I had ever imagined they could be.Pictures just cannot describe how massive and impressive they are. I have never felt more like an American, it was just amazing. My favorite, by far was the Lincoln Memorial. I’ve read a bit about Lincoln and I have a soft spot in my heart for him, so seeing that just made me tear up. I’ll definitely be spending some more time in that area, hopefully sans the tourists.

After my touristy jaunt, I walked over to the area where I work to check out some of the restaurants there. I was really craving some chips and salsa, so I read the menus until I found a place that quenched my thirst. I ended up at this cigar bar/restaurant which provided me with my chips+salsa, some good beer and some good conversation with a guy who works at the National Archives. Although I smell like a cigar, it was a pretty good place that I might go to after work some day. The only disappointing thing about today is that I still haven’t gotten my first movie from Netflix, and because of the holiday it won’t get here until Tuesday. Sigh.

Plans for tomorrow: Put on some better walking shoes and head back to the Smithsonian once it opens. After that…who knows!

Things I've Noticed: Part 1

People honk a lot here. I’m so happy I am not driving.

Mixt Greens

So, I had the best sandwich of my life yesterday at this place called Mixt Greens. It’s another vegetarian/vegan organic place next to where I work. I had a sandwich called “The Farmer” which included roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, mixed greens, to DIE for dressing, and other vegetable goodness all in between two pieces of homemade ciabatta bread. Wow.

Day Two

So, today was my second day of work. It was a little less busy than yesterday, but still pretty hectic. I started out the morning by going on a tour with a lady from HR, where she informed me that I would need to take out my nose ring. I knew this day was coming, but it still took me aback for a second. Mostly, because I kind of forgot it was there...anyway, its almost all the way closed up, which I guess is kind of symbolic of the closing of the time in my life it represented...as weird as that sounds. The things I will do for my country! Haha.

After getting the nose ring situation squared away, I was taken on a tour of building where I am working for the NAM. There is actually a mall under there, which has a store in there that is similar to TJ Maxx and Ross. Heaven! I also became acquainted with some of the cute restaurants and shops down a side street near our building. I am really very lucky to be working in such a cool area of town!

After that eventful tour, I got to participate in my first webinar. It was weird. Its going to take a while for me to get used to this whole having conferences via the phone type of thing.

After that, I took a break for lunch and went to this cool organic restaurant, Funxion on that side street I mentioned earlier. It was pretty good, I had a salad and tofu chili...the tofu chili was actually PRETTY good! It was really cute and funky, so I may make another trip over there to try something else before the summer is over.

The afternoon was fairly slow, but I did get my badge to get into the DOC! No more metal detectors, at least to get into my work. I'm really excited about the work that we will be doing in that office. I feel like it is right in line with what I may want to end up doing with my life...which is kind of cool. So far, pretty awesome.

Uplifting story for today: I haven't had time to go to the store, yet, since I have been pretty tired from working. So, I've just been making use of the Chili's gift certificate that my mom gave me. Anyway, last night apparently I left the gift certificate at Chili's after I ate and I didn't realize it until I had to find it to pay my bill tonight! I asked the waitress, knowing in the back of my head that it was gone for good. Five minutes later, she comes out with it! Needless to say, I gave her a big tip!

I'll end my post with a few pictures from the area around where I work. All of them don't even capture how awesome the buildings are around here, but at least you can get a sense of them. The first is of my view of the Capitol Building as I walk to the metro. The next picture, although it looks like a cathedral, is of the oldest Post Office. The last picture is of the Herbert C. Hoover building, which is where the DOC is housed. It is going through construction right now, and is absolutely HUGE! It takes up two blocks...no joke.

Woohoo Movies!

I just finished signing up for my netflix account. Now I can begin my summer of movie watching. Right now, my list is:

Dill Scallion

Yojimbo

A Fistful of Dollars

For a Few Dollars More

The Good The Bad and The Ugly

3:10 to Yuma

The Cowboys

McClintock

Giant

Sunny in Philadelphia

I know, its quite a few westerns...but I'm in a western type of mood.

First Day of Work

Alright, I am done with my first day of work! It was probably the best first day I could have asked for. I am working in the National Association of Manufacturers as well as the Department of Commerce, so today was filled with running around, meeting people, filling out paperwork and getting acquainted with the surroundings.

My morning started off with taking my first ride on the metro, which is actually very simple. When thinking about the metro, I just remember my experience in New York City, which was filled with confusion, however this was totally different. Everything is very well marked, and easily mapped out for your convenience. Its lovely. After my train ride I made a few detours on the way to my office at the NAM, which is right next to the National Theater! The location of my office is absolutely wonderful. It is really close to the national mall, the White House, the Washington Monument, one stop away from the Smithsonian, and right around the corner from some beautiful plazas. Here is a picture I took of the Washington Monument while on my trek to and from the Department of Commerce to the NAM.

Everyone in BOTH of my offices is super nice, personable, and helpful. I could not have asked for better offices to work in. I know that my internship will be very busy, considering my working in two offices, but it will all be worth it.

My plans for the next few days are to:

1) Get some food! I didn't get to eat at all today because I was so busy at the office, so I need to get something I can take to work.

2) Explore Pentagon City

3) Explore the area where I am working, especially the national mall.

Math Comic

My friend Shelley sent me this link. If you enjoy geeky math jokes as much I do, you should check this out.

http://spikedmath.com/

I'm Here!

After a long flight that included crying babies and in flight wi-fi that was NOT complementary, I am finally here in Washington, D.C. The apartment I am living in is quite nice, and I am sure that I will enjoy living there. The closets are HUGE, which is awesome, although not so impressive when you don't have enough things to fill them up. Now I am off to check out Crystal City, buy my metro card, take a metro trip down to my office, and find something to eat.

At the airport

So, this was definitely an early morning. I woke up at 3:45 this morning, and my wonderful boyfriend, Zane, drove me from my house to the airport to catch my 6AM flight. If that isn't love, I really don't know what is.

Alright, now it is 5:30 in the morning and I am waiting for my flight to Atlanta to board. Its definitely hard to maneuver around an airport with two suitcases, a carry on suitcase and my laptop bag BUT I made it. However, I was a little peeved that one of my suitcases was deemed 2 inches over-sized which equals a $45 charge...once they tell you that, seriously, what else can you do but pay them? I know it isn't over-sized, but that lady behind the counter seemed a little over zealous for 5AM....so, in any case, all of my luggage (pictured above) is on the flight, and I am ready to go.

I'm pretty sure it is going to be necessary for me to sleep on this flight. I have a long list of things to do this afternoon, once I get to D.C...buying toiletries, you know really exciting things like that. Most importantly, I'll be scoping out the library situation near my apartment. I've created a short reading list for the summer

1) Lies my teacher told me by James Loewen

2) The Prize by Daniel Yergin (started but haven't finished)

3) Something I haven't read by David Sedaris (that's not the name of the book, I'm literally searching for something of his that I have not read)

4) The Merchant of Venice (to get ready for Shakespeare in the Park!!)

Almost There

Its been a wonderful week at home. On Friday my family and I had a wonderful dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House, and then on Saturday my parents threw me a graduation party! I got to see so many people from my home town, and eat some great Texas bar-b-que. The mayor of Pleasanton even showed up, which meant picture time! From left to right: My boyfriend Zane, Mayor of Pleasanton Bill Carroll, and me.

But now, it is crunch time. Approximately 32 hours until I leave for Washington, D.C.

Baggage

I weighed my bag, and it is 60 pounds...bummer. Looks like I'll have to take another bag, however this means I don't have to mail any boxes. I see the no mailing aspect as a major plus, but I was really looking forward to "traveling light." Oh well, maybe next time.

5 more days!

Getting ready to leave

Well, I graduated from college on Saturday, and it was absolutely wonderful! I had a great time, can't you tell from the picture? I don't think my smile could have been any larger.

Now, I am getting ready to leave College Station. A season and a half of Arrested Development later and I'm pretty much all packed up. On Tuesday, I'm leaving to go home until the 25th when I fly to D.C. I'm starting to get really excited, especially since I'm already packing things for D.C. while I'm packing up the rest of my belongings. So far, I have 1 suitcase and 1 carry on and 1 box to send with extras. However, I don't have a scale, so the weight factor might up the number of boxes to send. In any case, I'm almost a week from leaving Texas and venturing out to the east coast! Whoop!

Goals

So, I decided to create this blog to document my experiences while living in Washington, D.C. That way my friends and family can know how I am doing and what I am doing, as well as make whatever project I have to do in order to pass this coop class a bit easier (aka copy+paste). For my first post I have decided to list some of the things that I want to accomplish this summer. These include personal goals, places to visit, and things to experience. Here we go!

1) Become a pescetarian for the summer. Although I do not know if I will be able to commit to this once I return to Texas, I know that in D.C. they have a large variety of food to eat that cannot be found easily down South. So, by cutting out my go-to of chicken and beef, I will hopefully be able to try lots of new foods that I may not have tried otherwise. However, I will make exceptions when it comes to places like the infamous Ben's Chili Bowl. I have heard that place is amazing; I must have some of their chili.

2) FINISH a book. I can count on my fingers the books I have finished since I began college. This summer, I want to finish at least 5 books that I have been wanting to read. I haven't composed a reading list, but I will post it when I have one.

3) See Shakespeare in the Park. After my trip to New York two years ago, I have always wanted to return. This time, however, it will be during the summer when the famed Shakespeare in the Park will be running in Central Park. My goal is to see The Merchant of Venice because Al Pacino will be starring in it. Although I will have to stand in line from 6AM till 1PM, I know it will be worth it!

4) Visit EVERY museum in Washington, D.C. I love museums, so this will happen. I'm going to start with all of the free ones and then work my way up.

5) Use every form of public transportation available in the D.C. area. Yes, this means you Greyhound Bus! I've never been in a city that had so many ways to get around town! Since I don't have my car with me, I will use this opportunity to try out every form of public transportation.

6) Visit every neighborhood in D.C. Although many of the other interns will be making day trips to places outside of D.C., I really would like to get to know this city and all of its nooks and crannies. I don't know if I will be able to visit EVERY neighborhood, but here is the list of them in preferential order:

Capitol Hill

Foggy Bottom

Chinatown

Dupont Circle

Adams Morgan

U Street

Upper Northwest

Georgetown

That is it for my list, now. I'm sure I will add to it later. If you are reading this and think, "Oh my gosh, she absolutely must go to ____," please tell me about it! I welcome suggestions and comments! Now, onto the important tasks at hand: finishing my take-home final, packing up my room, graduating (6 days!!), and preparing for my D.C. adventure!