Life lessons from Calvin

 

This is how I feel about everything in my life right now. 

For some reason I think I'm going to get to a point where everything is on track and I have it all figured out. I'm just beginning to understand that that will never happen, and it's freaking me out. There is always more to learn, and not even just secularly. Spiritually, emotionally, mentally, socially. The adverbs never end.

The City of Brotherly Love

This weekend we packed our bags and headed to Philadelphia! On the way we stopped in Delaware, which didn't really have anything to offer except license to cross it off my state bingo card. We'll have to get better acquainted another time.

Our little cohort of interns spent the night in Pennsylvania at a place called the Freedom Foundation--a summer camp-esque institution where we had (a questionable) lunch and then took a tour of the surrounding Valley Forge area.

The Eastern countryside is just gorgeous. Freeways lined and hooded with trees, miles and miles of rolling green hills, yellow buttercups and purple fringed orchids. The years have stacked up here, heavy with history, sunken into the soil. I think I could live the rest of my life in this place and be perfectly content.

Our passionate tour guide took us to the place where General George Washington forged his Continental Army and the place where thousands of soldiers died during the harsh winter of 1777. It was fascinating. There is so much US history that I don't know.

Unfortunately, the experience was hampered by the fake philly cheesesteaks we'd had for lunch. Everyone was feeling sick.

After a night of upset stomachs and creaky beds, we gracelessly rolled out of bed the next morning and headed out to spend the better part of the day in Philadelphia,

Philadelphia is beautiful. I was traipsing down those old brick sidewalks in euphoric awe. The streets are so much quieter than the streets in DC--there's almost a ubiquitous reverence to the whole city. We stood inside Independence Hall, in the very room where the Constitution was signed; we stopped at a few cemeteries, ate the obligatory philly cheesesteak (legit ones this time), visited the Tomb of the Unknown (Revolutionary War) Soldier, and dropped by the United States Mint.

I watched squirrels chase each other up and down trees and thought, "I could live here."

Outside the Mint, I balanced on a stone pillar as clouds gathered. It was starting to drizzle but we had an hour before we had to be back at the bus. We decided to visit the Reading Market, which meant we'd have to walk through a sketchier part of town. Unfortunately my high opinions of Philadelphia were a little sullied on our little journey to the market, but I think the other parts of the city make up for it.Opposition in all things, or something like that.

After a dinner of Italian pizza we piled onto the bus and drove home toward the sunset--the first sunset I've seen in awhile. I stared out the window hoping that this wouldn't be the last Philadelphia and I saw of each other.

 I don't think it will be.



P.S. I learned one less historical, albeit still important lesson on this trip: Restaurants at rest stops don't need to worry about maintaining a good reputation because they don't have a solid returning customer base. So they can get away with charging you $5 for a "shake" that is really just blended soft serve ice cream with two packages of reeses pieces dumped inside.

"I can't finish this milkshake. Like, it won't go away!"

An easy swing

Sometimes I leave the bathroom fan off while I'm taking a shower so I can hear my music better. Lately I haven't been able to get over this song.

I think it's the guitar.

It's the guitar.

I've been waiting to stumble across a DC theme song for myself, but this one isn't it. At least this isn't supposed to be it. Maybe it is? I don't know. Other suggestions welcome.

This post doesn't really have a direction. I was going to make a list of all the adorable quirky things that I do and start each line with "Sometimes," but apparently I only do one adorable quirky thing. And I don't know if it can actually be classified as adorable or quirky. It's practical. You can't hear music when you're taking a shower and the fan is on. Duh.

Instead I'll just give you a play-by-play of what I did today because that's always entertaining and I'm procrastinating my homework.

Woke up.
Got dressed.
Ate breakfast.
Took the metro to work.
Worked.
Sat outside and read.
Worked.
Took the bus to GW.
Stopped by Starbucks.
Walked the rest of the way home.
Took a shower.

I promise my life is not that boring:

I had an intriguing conversation with my co-worker colleague about religion today. She said, "Jesus and I had a very amicable break up. We're still on good terms. We might get back together someday." And then she asked me my religious background. BAM. Nailed it. But the whole time I was crossing my fingers that she wouldn't ask why we don't drink coffee because I don't know!! I  mean, Word of Wisdom, but that doesn't mean anything to anyone outside the church.

I read about the Constitutional Convention at lunch and found this absolute gem of a line about James Madison: "He had a quiet voice. In meetings, members called out, asking him to speak louder, or the clerk omitted parts of his speeches "because he spoke low and could not be heard.""

I feel you, James.

In case you didn't know, James Madison is kind of an important person in history. Like Father of the Constitution and fourth President of the United States important. And he was quiet, like me. So I can be quiet and important too. You have no idea how thrilling this discovery is.

Usually I metro or walk home, but today I discovered that there is a $1 bus that takes me right from work right to home. It's called the circulator bus. Apparently circulator is not a word. But it is a word because it's slapped right there on the side of the bus. Anyway, I had a great time watching a creepy man hit on a pretty blonde girl from Belarus. It's nice to know that happens to other people too.

I picked up a caramel cream frappe at Starbucks. It was good. I think I'll make a (monthly) habit out of it. It was a million times better than the one I had at Kneader's.

I watched the trailer for the movie "The Fault in Our Stars." That book has literally been on my to-read list for a year and a half. I'm kind of mad I saw the trailer (youtube sneak-attacked me) because now when I read it I'll have to reconcile the actors in the movie with the characters in the book. I hate that.

I took a nice warm shower while listening to Bon Iver. Fortunately I have this adorable little quirk of turning the bathroom fan off so I can actually hear my music.

How's that for full circle?


PS: Here's a picture of some stickers on a tree for your viewing pleasure (mom).

Birthday Cake M&Ms

Today after work I stopped by the "newsstand" to pick up a packet of peanut butter M&Ms for my roommate because last night was rough for her and duh, M&Ms fix everything.

But the cute Asian man at the counter wouldn't know, because he doesn't even like M&Ms!

"Birthday cake flavor! Have you tried it?"
"No, I don't eat M&Ms."
"What? You don't like M&Ms?!"

The total for the two bags of M&Ms came to $2.40. Outrageous I know. I pulled out my card but apparently $2.40 is not enough to warrant card usage. I scrounged up my last two dollar bills, but I didn't think I had change.

"Whatever you can find," said the man.
"Uhh...I don't know if I have any more..."

A few more awkward moments (I hate rifling through my bag for money. It makes me feel poor.) and then,
"We're in luck! I found another dollar!"

That cute Asian man smiled, gave me my change, and handed me my M&Ms.

Then from behind I heard, "Excuse me ma'am. Do you have a dollar?"

Another man. Blue beanie. Wide eyes. My size. He looked a little frazzled, like he was on a stimulant or something.

"No, I'm sorry. I just gave him all my cash," I said, gesturing to the cashier.

And then that man in the beanie walked away.

And I walked home. 

I don't know what it was, but today I felt different as I padded over the Potomac.
Older. Clearer. Less like a girl and more like a woman.

Georgetown Waterfront (not the Key Bridge)

As I crossed the Key Bridge, burlap bag slung over sore shoulder, I thought about why.

It wasn't because I was wearing professional clothes. In fact, today I wore my teal jeans, fake Sperrys, and a red button-up to work (if you're wondering how I pulled that off, I pulled it off with class.)

It wasn't because I'd spent all day in the office. In fact, today I didn't go into the office until 1 because I spent the whole morning at the apartment, (frantically) finishing up the design of a grant proposal.

It obviously wasn't because I have a brimming bank account, a real job, a car, or a husband. 

I don't know. Maybe it was because my boss was impressed with my work, or because I got to contest the writing of someone with a PhD, or because I wasn't even scared of that man at the newsstand who asked for my money. 

Or maybe it's just because C.S. Lewis had it right when he said, "Day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different."

Peddling Pond Scum

Getting to the temple here is hard.

I was about to not go. It was 7:15 PM and it takes an hour to get there and the weather was crappy and I was tired and I was trying to make a million more excuses.

But I went.

On the metro ride (it's a looong metro ride), I felt like we were on our way to an apocalyptic concentration camp. The sky was a sheet of solid gray and as the train took us out further and further from the city, the mood got more and more depressing.

Graffiti was scrawled across every building, old telephone wires were crisscrossed over abandoned homes and trailers, lone figures trudged along trails with bulky bags tied to their backs. And to make it worse, a thick fog was settling in.

Have you seen the movie or read the book, The Road? It was like The Road. 

It was this bad. Just kidding. It wasn't this bad.

"How can this be the way to the temple?" I thought.

At the first stop outside the District, we got off the train and entered the deserted station. It was so strange. Nobody was around. We walked through a long cement tunnel and emerged into a foggy parking lot.

Fortunately, there's a free shuttle service that takes temple patrons up the serpentine hill. As we pulled up, I was stunned by the beauty of the temple. It is by far the most gorgeous temple I've ever seen. The heavy fog and the light drizzle of rain added to the effect. I don't know how to explain it. To be cliche, it was breath-taking and 100% worth the depressing journey to get there.

A metaphor for life, maybe? 

It was this good. Not kidding. It was this good.

So much stuff

Every day here is just filled to the brim with fun and interesting things. I feel like I'm wearing my body to the ground.

Yesterday we trekked through the city to visit the World Bank, CSIS, and the Department of Health and Human Services. Career-wise, I'd never given those institutions a second thought, but I tend to forget that there is a variety of positions in every organization.

At least something from each speaker piqued my interest, and now I have three nice crisp business cards connecting me to each of those places. Networking. DC is about networking.

Speaking of networking . . . the girl who showed us around CSIS yesterday said, "If you don't have good people skills, you won't get anywhere in this town."

Confession: I don't have good people skills.

But I've been learning. I've probably introduced myself to more people in the past week than I have in my entire life. I meet literally at least a dozen new people every day. Fortunately, every introduction gets easier. Yesterday I found myself quelling the urge to approach random people on the street and ask them their names. Maybe I really am an extrovert at heart!

After our long day of city exploration yesterday, I came home, took a thirty minute nap, and then went out with some friends to do more city exploration. We hopped on the metro, got off at a random stop (we were following "the vibes"), and ended up in China Town.

Martin Luther King Jr. sure had some great things to say.

In case you were wondering, there are no Asians in China Town. But there sure are a lot of black people. Just kidding. There were like, four Asians.

After turning down some street scalpers who were trying to sell tickets to the Wizards game (and a t-shirt laced with charming profanity), we found ourselves at a little Japanese sushi restaurant. Then we continued to follow the vibes through the city. The vibes took us to the Ford Theater (where Lincoln was shot), past a sexy saxophone man, to the Old Post Office, the Treasury, and finally, the White House. Last night I was completely wiped.

So did FDR.

Today we got up at 9 and did some more embassy hopping. The lines were outrageous, so we were only able to make it to Luxemburg, Greece, Italy, and Germany/France. The embassies were fun and fancy, and we got to eat some interesting food, but we probably spent 75% of the day in lines. However, I'm pleased to report that I even though it was raining, I was hungry, and my feet and back hurt from walking so much, I was a fairly happy camper. Since I tend to be a bit of a complainer, my lack of irritation at the situation surprised me. I was standing there thinking, "Hm. I have no idea why I'm not grouchy right now."

Maybe it was that delicious French cheese or that adorable little Greek boy with freckles splashed across his nose or our unexpected tramp through the conservatory in the middle of the city.

I was told this is a really nice car. So I took a picture with it.

Or maybe I'm just learning patience.

Observations from a Metro Newb

Today was an important day: my first experience with the metro.

I hate it.

No sunlight to be seen.

If you know me, you know that I'm a sucker for sunlight. I just neeeed sunlight to be happy. Well the metro is basically a black hole of death. No sunlight whatsoever. I got down there and thought,

"Well, this is ugly. Can't they build a skytrain instead?"

Also, the metro train is definitely not public health. I stepped off with some strange white powdery substance on my butt; and we can only guess what that is, right Olga?

The stop I get off though has the world's longest escalator. And by long I mean if you tripped at the top you would be hamburger meat by the time you landed at the bottom. And you'd probably also be a year older.

But for all its darkness and dirtiness, the metro is an efficient way to get around, I guess. It just kind of saddens me that I'm stuck in an underground metal tube when I could actually be walking and, you know, experiencing life.

In other, brighter news,

Today we went out in groups of three or four to find our respective internships. Our little excursion took us all around the city. We went to Capitol Hill, walked past the Supreme Court building (without knowing what it was), had lunch at Union Station, and then explored Arlington Cemetery.

The second you walk through the gates of Arlington Cemetery, the air changes. It's a sobering place. Just thousands and thousands and thousands of white gravestones, all lined up in neat rows. It was good to get away from the bustle of the city and be able to feel the history and patriotism of the area. We want to go back soon to explore the rest--I'd really like to see the Tomb of the Unknowns.

That's all for today. And then the daily work grind begins tomorrow!

Bright lights and the big city

Things have been good.

-Everyone on the program is super nice.
-Robbie (my roommate) and I got the extra big handicap room at the end of the hallway. This does not mean we're handicap; it means that the coordinator likes us, or so we've been told.
-The weather is fabulous.
-My fear basically vanished once we landed in D.C.
-The singles ward is great. Lots of friendly, ambitious people.

It's interesting, living in the heart of the city. There is definitely a thrum of energy radiating through the air. Probably because this is like, the hub of the country or something.

Here are some noteworthy verbal snapshots of life you might enjoy:

-Yesterday we saw a biker get hit by a car. Don't worry; he lived. Don't worry; I won't be riding bikes around here.
-I have zero sense of direction. I thought I did. Unfortunately, it it turns out that knowing that the mountains in Provo are eastward does not count as a sense of direction.
-On Friday there was some gay youth pride fair going on and we had to walk straight through it. Just keep the culture comin'.
-On Saturday all the embassies were open to the public, so we got to tour them. Basically all the other countries in the world took over the old colonial homes in the city. Kind of ironic, if you ask me.
-The sunsets here are really pretty. Unfortunately you can't see them because we are, in fact, in the middle of the city.
-I walked home from the Lincoln Memorial without shoes on. Not public health for sure.
-"Bright lights and the big city" has been stuck in my head since I've been here. I know it's a song, but I don't know what song, and I don't know any other line besides that one. 

That's all for the verbal snapshots. Here are some actual snapshots, special thanks to my phone:
 

Filipinos have skills. 

Walking to the memorial.

The lovely Lincoln Memorial.

Cute Asians and the Washington Monument.