There's no place like home...but I don't have to go back yet

I have realized that my time here in D.C. is almost up, so of course now I wish it would be maybe a week longer...or more. Yes, this coming from the girl who two weeks ago could not wait to be home for Thanksgiving. I think the week in Indiana let me recharge for these last three weeks in inside the beltway. How will I see more sights, work, finish my portfolio, travel, and enjoy Christmastime in D.C. all in three weeks?? I'll do what every college kid does this time of year: cram.

Well, yesterday I wrote my defense letter for my internship that my advisor back at Xavier will read. I had to explain to him why I should get credit for all of this. I think if I had written it a few weeks ago I might not have sold my point. I'm not going to lie, I was pretty homesick. It wasn't that I wasn't having a good time here. I was. I've explained before that I was just not comfortable.

My analogy has been this: it's like when you pick up a glass of what you think is coke, and it ends up being root beer. It's not that it's bad, you just didn't expect it. When I left for D.C. I had a very distinct picture in my head of what I thought it would be like. It turns out, I was very wrong. That's not a bad thing--it's just not what I expected. So, during the weeks of getting used to D.C., I was also having to adjust my expectations, which is never comforting. Especially when you're coming from the junior year of college bubble where you've had the same friends for two years and you are extremely comfortable with everything and everyone.

I explained this to the people here and they of course agree with me, and I was starting to perpetuate my homesickness (or we might call it xavier-sickness). But then I talked to a few people that kind of slapped me back into reality. Who cares if you're not comfortable! (They said this in a much more polite way, of course.) You will only get to intern in D.C. once, and you have the rest of your life you be comfortable. Make the best of it. It turns out that they were absolutely right. Thanks to them.

So now, I am rejuvenated and ready to face any discomfort I'm given, just knowing that I am 20 years old, and I'm living and working in D.C. I am a reporter on Capitol Hill, for goodness sakes. I am getting to fast forward my life in a way and glimpsing what it might be like in the future. This is priceless.

I have been doing more than thinking philosophically about my time here, I promise. I'll start by saying it was nice to be home for Thanksgiving. A lot of my friends are studying abroad this semester, and I feel sorry for them (only a little, since they are in another country, of course) because I just cannot imagine going without turkey and family on the third Thursday in November. It was great to catch up with family and friends...though many members of my family did not even know I was here. Haha. This is further testament to their being the busier side of the family. :-) You can't blame them, as they were very committed this fall to helping my uncle be elected mayor. Congrats again, Paul.

I also could not imagine going without our annual trip to Reed's Christmas tree farm the day after Thanksgiving and then going downtown to see the lights on the circle--aka the biggest Christmas tree in the WORLD. (No arguments from Xavier people, please). ;-) Finally I can start listening to Christmas music!

Right when I returned to D.C. I had things to do, people to see. The Monday night I got back I was able to go to another Kalb Report. I think I mentioned this earlier in the semester when we went to see Katie Couric. This time it was with four White House correspondents: David Gregory, Helen Thomas, David Sanger, and Dan Rather. It was a very interesting discussion, and yet more proof that my teacher is amazing. It's also funny that when you are introduced to something, you then see it all the time. I have now seen David Gregory in many news programs and in movie we watched in our next class: Journey's With George. That is a great documentary of George Bush's campaign for President in 2000, made by Alexandra Pelosi (yes, that Pelosi's daughter). I recommend it to anyone of any political persuasion. Pelosi herself calls it a Rorsharch test. I agree.

Since Congress is still not in session, Friday I got to pick any event I wanted to cover for work. I chose the Democratic National Committee's annual meeting. I acutally ended up going with my roommate Naty and her friends instead of for work. It was very funny because instead of using my press pass to get in, I had to sign up in support of one of the campaigns and wait in line. One of Naty's friends actually volunteers for Hillary...so guess who I got stickers, pins and t-shirts for? It turned out that she didn't make it because of the hostage situation, but I did see Howard Dean and Nancy Pelosi (again), and I got to experience the crazyness of a political rally--which was basically what it was. Republicans, beware, Dem.'s are going to win the Presidency. Or at least that's what they told me. :-)

Friday night I hung out with my favorite neighbors Steph R. and Lucy. We went to Zoolights (pictured here) and then this amazing Turkish restaraunt that was like a mix between a deli and Starbucks. The food here is quite good. I've gotten to taste many different nationalities. (Of food, that is.)

Saturday I caught up on my portfolio-- which will be a culmination of all of my projects and work here. Don't worry, it still kind of is like I'm in school. I also got to see some family friends on Saturday night. I babysat for Whitney's Aunty M. and Uncle John and their cute son Jack and his friend Daniel. It was great to see a familiar face and the boys were precious, of course. Melissa had only gone out one other time since they've moved here (!!), so I was happy to give her time to relax. :-) They were also very generous, which I appreciated more than I can say. While D.C. might be priceless...it is still qute pricey.

So now it is a relaxing Sunday, and I have more catching up to do for my portfolio. I hope to get at least one more blog entry before I leave...we'll see if I can fit it into my cramming. I love and miss everyone. I hope everyone's having a fantastic December! Happy Advent!

Reunited and it feels so good

Hello again everyone! :-) Yes, I am still alive. I know, I have a lot of time to make up for! I kept telling myself I would write in this when I came home from work every night, but I usually get home around 6:30 or 7 (on days I don't have class until 9:30), then I eat, and then do a little homework or work out--I just run out of time. But you guys really don't want to her my excuses do you? Of course not, so I'll just begin the blogging.

Let's see... for the last 5 weeks I've had a visitor or I visited Indy. First it was Jay, then Steph, then mi familia, then I went to Indy, and last week Jay got to come again!

When Jay came the first time, it had been six weeks since I had seen anyone from home, so I was pretty excited. I had everything planned out probably 2 weeks in advance, and I had been checking the weather that long, too. I took him to see the Capitol and the National Mall (not the shopping kind-- the one where all the Smithsonian's are), and one night we had dinner in Georgetown at a nice little restaurant called Paparazzi.

When Steph came, I also took her to see the Capitol and National Mall. There were actually a lot of Xavier kids who came to D.C. for the break, and I got to eat dinner at one of my fellow Muskie's house. We had fall soup. :-) On Saturday we went to Six Flags (which is not nearly as good as Kings Island or Ceder Point). The first picture of us is us pretending to be scared in a roller coaster. We also went to an exhibit called "Bodies" where they have real people that have been dissected in a way that you can see their muscles, bones, and organs the way they would be if they were still alive. Stephy of course loved it since she's all about anatomy and science, but I really thought it was interesting, too. You have to have a strong stomach, I think. Other than spending time with her (which was totally awesome), it was also great to see Steph because it reminded me of Xavier times that I miss so much when I am here.

My family came the next weekend-- my immediate family on Friday and then my aunt and uncle and the kids on Saturday. I of course took them to the Capitol and National Mall. haha--I do this trip repeatedly because I work around there, so everyone gets to see that part of town. We also went to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. It was amazingly beautiful. Of course my parents had just been to Rome, so everything in the church was compared to St. Peter's, and every building in D.C. was compared to Italian architecture. As a joke, my brother was impersonating my dad, and going up to things like the vents on the wall and saying "Wow--this reminds me of Rome." On Sunday after my parents left, I got to go to Mt. Vernon with the other Shaw family. I had been there before in eighth grade, but it was funny how much I forgot. I had forgotten it was an entire plantation and not just George Washington's house. We walked around part of the plantation and even saw George Washington's tomb-- or the "death area" as John called it. :-) Then I got to go back to their hotel and Margie made chili. It was so comforting to sit and eat with family. We watched the Republican debate and had political discussions. My kind of night.

The next weekend I surprised Jay with a visit to IU for his regional soccer tournament. I made flight reservations for the trip about a month and a half or so before, so of course when he started talking about coming to visit me again, I tried to talk him out of it...it didn't really work, but we are both happy that we've gotten to see each other so much. Anyway-- when I got to Bloomington, I jumped in the room and said "Surprise!"... but I didn't really get the reaction I thought I would. Jay just stared at me and muttered "umm" for literally 10 seconds. So I seriously considered leaving. But then he realized who I was and gave me a big hug. He said he kept thinking it was one of his other friends, but his mind wouldn't match my face to who he was thinking of. It was pretty funny. Whitney also came down to see me that weekend (with Bailee, of course :-) ), so it was a wonderful fall weekend in Indiana with two of the best people in the world.

Then Jay came to see me again last weekend, and we went to the Air and Space museum (perfect for nerds like Jay) and saw the monuments at night, which was gorgeous.

So, here I am--my 10th week as a D.C. girl. This weekend has been pretty low key. I'm just trying to get caught up on everything and relax a little. My roommate Johnna is actually leaving this week because she is a quarter student instead of a semester student. I will miss her, but I'm sure we'll hang out when we're both back in Cincinnati.

I'm sure you're all dying to know about my life as a working girl. Well, I'm pretty used to it. I've written about 50 articles that have been published, I believe. Last week I saw Sen. Larry Craig. That was interesting. Especially because he got into a little argument with Sen. Barbara Boxer in a hearing about greenhouse gas emissions.

One of the most exciting things that has happened this semester is that I finally got to see George Will. I had actually given up hope on seeing him since his schedule was so busy, but I finally got the chance last week. We had a fifteen minute conversation in his private office in Georgetown. It was extremely intimidating because he is obviously an excellent writer, but I think it went very well. He even told me that if there was anything he could ever do to help me out, I should give him a call. I kind of expected him to be a stern man who didn’t have a lot of time for interns—especially because he was in the middle of writing a Washington Post column when I visited—but he ended up being very warm and kind to me. We discussed journalism, Washington, D.C., and his family. Once again, we met through Jan Huffman, the fantastic woman I babysit for. She knows his ex-wife and son through the Indiana Down Syndrome Foundation. His son, I found out, is an avid sports fan-- just like my sister. :-) I am so very grateful to

Jan! The meeting was truly one of the most beneficial experiences I think I will ever have. I really got a sense of how much you have to love writing to become successful. He said he regretted the weekends. That is how much he loves his job. If that’s not passion, I really don’t know what is.

Well, that is pretty much my life summed up in a few words. I still like D.C., though I am missing home a lot lately. I don't know if I could live this far away from all of my family and friends. I was beyond happy when I went back to Indiana. I can't even describe it. It's not that I'm having a bad time here, I'm actually having a great experience. I just miss the comfort of home and of Xavier. Even though I enjoy having the "adult" life--I know I'm not ready for it quite yet. I still want my last two years of college.

That's all for now. Hopefully I won't wait another 2 months to write again. ;-) I can't wait to see everyone for Thanksgiving! I miss and I love you all. Ciao!

P.S. I feel very silly...I have just realized that my blog title is sort of spelled wrong. "Capital" is supposed to be "Capitol" when you are talking about the Capitol building...so, while I work at the Capitol, I also work at the Capital of the U.S. I think I'll just leave it how it is, and you can choose whether or not you think I am a good speller. ;-)
P.P.S. I'm supposed to give a shout out to my good friends Lucy and Stephanie Rosoff-- so hey to the best neighbors ever! :-) See you on Grey's night!

The Newsie

Hola todos! It's my third week of D.C. life. I get up at 7 a.m., drink my coffee while watching the news, ride to work on the metro and read the newspaper while listening to my ipod, work all day witnessing and reporting the news, read various online news sources during my breaks, and then I come home and all I want to do is eat and sleep (simultaneously) because I'm so tired! I do this while watching my last bit of news for the day, of course (The Colbert Report).

So, my life is obviously all about current events...but I've also realized I act so much like an adult now. I feel like I'm just pretending all of the time, though. I feel like everyone around me is probably like-- what the heck is that teenager doing here and why does she have a press pass? Even though I am not a teenager...obviously. haha. I mean I'm going to be 21 in like 3 months! But people on Capitol Hill really cant tell that, can they? Nope. Oh well, I may be the youngest in the room...but that could be a good thing, too, I guess.

On the weekends my schedule has been pretty busy, as well. Don't worry Mom, I am not waisting my days sleeping. Last weekend I competed in a scavenger hunt with three of my other friends here: Stephanie (not my roommate), Lucy, and Mark. It was a lot of fun just running around the city for 3 hours, and we got to see some hurried sights on the way. We also saw a mass protest on the war (the first picture). That night we went to a National's game. We pulled it out in the last minute (I have adopted the Nat's for the time I am here).

I also went to an art museum--the National one. :-) I saw an exhibit from Edward Hopper. He did the famous painting of the corner bar late at night in the 50's. I know you all know which one I'm talking about. If not, go to www.nga.gov/hopper and look up "Nighthawks". I like some of his other pieces better, though. I haven't been to an art museum in a long time, and I realized I really like them. It's neat when you actually learn about a person's life and see their work at the same time.

On a note stemming from the fact that I like art museums now...I think I'm becoming a hippie. hahaha Just kidding, Shaws. I have been trying "hippieish" things lately though. We got up early (11:30) Saturday morning before the scavenger hunt and went to Adams Morgan for lunch. It's a part of town for college kids (I think), but it reminds me a lot of Broad Ripple (for you Hoosiers). So already hippie-like. But then we tried a middle eastern food called falafel, and we ate outside with people wearing really long skirts and sandals. So hippie. But it was really good! I know I will have to take some of you adventurous eaters to get some when you come see me (Stephy and Mom). I wont tell the rest of you what it is because then I know you won't eat it. It's all from a vegetable (slash legume), so don't think I'm disgusting and eat intestines or something.

(Side note: The two next pictures are of the capitol building. We took a tour of it with my Mass Communications group.)

Anyway-- This work week has been pretty typical. I was supposed to see Hillary Clinton at one of my hearings, but she only had a certain amount of time available, and the hearing was in recess during that time. One thing I've noticed about D.C.-- absolutely nothing starts on time. But no one really minds. So I like it because it's really laid back, and I'm kind of like that. :-)

Another thing I've noticed--people fulfill the roles they are placed in. Back at Xavier I was the late and untidy roommate compared to Steph, but here I am always on time, my part of the room is always clean (I make my bed daily!!), and I always know where I put things...because I have to take care of Johnna who is much more "laid back" than I am. haha. She's great. And I like being the responsible one for once! It's also weird because I am younger than Johnna and Steph is younger than I am. I guess maturity doesn't always come with age. (There are plenty of examples of that in this town.)

Something else really cool that I almost forgot to mention: My dear friend Jan Huffman, mother of Nash, whom I babysat for this summer, is really helping me out with her connections! She is on the board for the Indiana Down Syndrome Foundation, and she knows someone named Madeline Will whose son has Downs. She is divorced, but her ex-husband is George Will the famous opinions columnist. SO, she very kindly got the number from Madeline, called his office and explained the situation, and they are trying to set up a time for me to meet George Will! Isn't that so cool? Jan is one of the nicest people ever! I love you Jan! She is a former D.C. person, so she must know how important networking is. The pic is of Nash and me clowning around this summer. He's the cutest. (I've been meaning to send you those pictures, Jan...I will try to this week!)

So, that is my life. Please feel free to call me and talk about it more. I miss you guys a lot! Every single person! However, please note that I am now a grandma, and I try to go to bed at 11...so don't call too late.

Talk to you later. Loves!!

p.s. If you ever want to read my articles, e-mail me and I will try to make that happen. ;-)

Deciphering D.C.

Now I think I know the true meaning of "Thank God It's Friday." After never working more than around 6 hours in a day, a work week of 9 hour days has been a slight shock to me. And to think, this was only a four day week! Haha, I know, I'll get used to it.

Actually, I really like my job. I ride the metro every morning to the Union Station stop. It's about a 30 minute ride, but it's really not so bad. The first picture is of the inside of Union Station, and the second is my office building, which is about 2 blocks away from the metro. I told my parents-- it's really hard to picture where I am in the city since I only travel underground. I know where I am when I get out at most stops, but it's hard to piece them together. It bothers me a little because I'm somewhat of a directional person, but hopefully it will come with time.

When I get to work I check for my assignments, and then it's off to Capital Hill for the day. It's a 15-20 minute walk each way (in heels) and sometimes I make more than one trip per day, so I'm thinking my calf muscles are going to be massive by December. For those members of the Shaw family that caught those numbers...yes, my walking time is going to increase drastically, so you better get your shoes on now! :-)

So far at Capital Hill I've gone to hearings, a rally, and a speech. It's weird to see all of the people you see on TV in real life...and it's amazing how many hearings and meetings go on every single day on so many topics on Capital Hill. I kind of see now why it's so hard to get everything accomplished. There's so much to talk about and include in every decision.

I have a kind of cool story though-- The first day I got to go on my own to Capital Hill I had a hearing at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. The first hearing lasted until 1:00, so I had to decide whether or not to go back to the office for lunch. I started to go, but half way there I realized I probably wouldn't have time, and I should just eat in the basement cafeteria of one of the House buildings. So, I turned around and cut through the Capital building. I saw a bunch of police cars as I walked in, but didn't think much of it because there are tons of police around that place constantly. I continued my walk through the Capital, passing the visitors on tours, thanking God I didn't take a job with a congressman or senator because it would have been me doing that.

Then, all of the sudden a swarm of security was walking right toward me and shoving people off to the side of the walkway. "Just stand out of the way please," they were saying. "Stand out of the way and you'll get to see him!" I just stared at the security guard, but quickly moved out of the way wondering who it could be (obviously hoping for a certain someone). An then he walked right past me-- three feet away.

Okay, I'll tell you who it was...Dick Cheney. Sorry to disappoint those who were thinking I would say Bush, but it was still very exciting for me! He's shorter than he looks on TV, I must say. The next day I saw Nancy Pelosi speak, and today I had to go to a speech given by Richard Durbin. So I am getting my excitement in D.C. In fact, I read my school paper, the Newswire, today online, and they say I'm learning to "schmooze." It made me laugh.

I'm also touring the city as much as possible so that I'll know where to take everyone when they come to see me! Last weekend I visited the Natural History Smithsonian with some friends, went on a tour of Georgetown, and went shopping in a town called Chevy Chase-- just outside of D.C. near my apartment. (The picture of all the shells is from the Smithsonian, and the picture of the lion statues is from Judiciary Square--where all of the law offices are, and where Johnna works.)

Georgetown was my favorite by far. I love the atmosphere. However, the restaurants must make all of their money on tourists because they have awful service! We went to one called Cabana where the waiter told us he didn't really have time to get our food for us. It made for a good story though, and was so unbelievable that it was actually pretty funny.

I still like my roommates. I hang out with Johnna a lot. We also do things with Naty, Stephanie (not from the apartment) and all of the Mexican girls who are so much fun! The other night they made us a sour-salty cucumber dish that was really good. My roommate Stephanie is in my program and my class, so of course I see her a lot, too. I took pictures of all of them for you to see. Johnna is the one one the phone, Naty is the one with me, and Stephanie is the one with the glasses. (There are so many Stephanie's here--I think of my Xavier Stephy so much! :-))

I was happy to see that the Colts won their last game--but I confess I didn't watch much. I was also happy to talk some of my Xavier buddies this week. It made me feel like I was there again. :-)

I am definitely looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow morning, so it's adios for now. Thanks for reading again! I miss everyone tons! Lots of love.

Firsts

I have made it safe and sound to Washington, D.C. I have to say my nerves are doing much better. I thought I would throw up on the plane ride I was so nervous, but the minute I got here, I knew it would be great. I already love it.

Yesterday I got to my apartment-- the Grand--even before orientation opened, so I was the first in my apartment. It's amazing...as you can see by the pictures. The staff is exceedingly nice, and I feel very welcomed. It does seem more like a hotel than an apartment. My conservative family will be happy to know that I met someone who works for Fox News in the elevator on my first ride up. He was also very nice, and told me he'd see me around...yes, already networking, I know. Haha. I am on the 14th floor, and I have a view, though it is mostly of more high-rise apartments and buildings. The metro is right across the street, and I've heard there is a mall close. Right outside the apartment there is a McDonalds, so I know Jay and Whitney will appreciate that when they come to visit. :-)

My roommates finally arrived sometime after four. The first was Natalia (she goes by Naty), and she is from Mexico. She is extremely nice, but still working on her English a little, so we nod and smile a lot. The second was Johnna, and she is sharing my room. She is from University of Cincinnati...small world. She's 5'11', and of course reminds me of my Xavier roomie, Steph. The last to arrive was Stephanie (made me laugh, once again), and she's from Milwaukee.

We met everyone in the complex who is in the program last night, and I'm pretty sure I'm one of the youngest here...kind of bad for the night life, but at least I'm getting a head start.

Today we took our first metro ride--and I swear it's like an entire city down there. Very nice. It kind of reminds me of Space Mountain, too though. :-) We went to a mingling thing at the Washington Center, and then went to lunch with a new friend-- also named Stephanie. Then we navigated ourselves around to a few monuments (in the pictures), and after our feet couldn't take it anymore we came back to the apartment.
My boss at Roll Call called me today, and told me that they would have me working mostly for a part of Roll Call called Congress Now. I will be writing about two stories a day! WOW. I am nervous about the workload and getting to know Capital Hill, but she assured me I would be fine. We'll find out on Tuesday, I guess!

Tonight we're going grocery shopping and fixing our first dinner in the apartment. We are going to try to have days for each of us to cook during the week, which should be fun (especially for me because I love cooking!).

Call me anytime you want--I love talking about DC! I miss you all dearly. :-) *Lovelovelove*