Phew!

Hello!

I am EXHAUSTED to say the least. Today, as a part of orientation, we had a day-long scavenger hunt ALL OVER the DC area! Beginning this morning, myself and two guys from my program, strategized a plan and set out on our adventure. Some highlights from the day are below:

-The Kennedy Center-at the Foggy Bottom metro stop we took a shuttle to the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. The venue was absolutely beautiful. The bust of JFK was a bronze sculpture that was truly overwhelming! Also, there was a roof terrace that was breathtaking. The view of Georgetown from the terrace was probably my favorite of the day.

-We also visited Ford Theater (site of Lincoln's Assassination). Though this was never a place that I had thought about visiting, it was an eerily exciting feeling to be there. This once again reminded me of what a politically charged city that I am living in!

-Embassies of Greece, Cameroon, and Japan were also on the scavenger hunt. The row of embassy after embassy made me think of how important DC is internationally. I live in the capitol of the entire country-WOAH! On our mission to find the embassies, we ran into a statue of Ghandi which was also a highlight! :)

-We ventured through Chinatown, found Mama Ayesha's famous mid-eastern restaurant, strolled through the Church of the Presidents (St. John's Episcopal), sat on the lap of Albert Einstein, visited Monica Lewinsky's favorite bookstore (Kramerbooks & Afterwords), stood on the steps of The Real World DC House (no, not the house that I live in) and so much more!

Even though I feel like I just ran a marathon, I certainly learned lessons!

-Escalator etiquette is crucial-you will get shoved and probably cursed at!

-The metro just takes practice, but carry hand sanitizer!

-DC WALKS, and they walk FAST! This city is constantly moving!

-Happy Hour starts at 3:30 here.

-Google can help you with almost anything!

-Being in a state beyond the point of exhaustion is certainly a bonding experience!

-I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this city!!!!

I am currently in a room not much larger than my bedroom watching "Storage Wars" with my fellow interns...so I will say goodnight for now! Enjoy the pictures!