ramblings.

it's been a while since i've last written so this post will consist mostly of "catching up."
my computer decided to end our relationship the day after i moved here so trying to find a computer to borrow has put a dint in my writing.

i'm quite sure that only my parents read my posts and they already know everything due to our daily phone calls... but just in case a straggler wanders in - i'll commence with a quick summary.

so grab a cup of tea and a comfortable chair and let's go.

i ended an internship with a congresswoman last wednesday. i had been there for three weeks doing the usual internship type jobs. writing letters, articles, editing, surfing the internet, press clips, talking to angry constituents, etc. it was completely worth it though a rather short stint of three weeks. but there's nothing like waking up in the morning and walking into the house of representatives office building to make you really feel like you're in DC.

i've always been interested in politics since i was a little girl and considered entering the field. while other girls dreamed about becoming ballerinas, i dreamed of being an ambassador (don't let that fool you - i also wanted to be a veterinarian, like every other little girl).

so the opportunity to do an internship on the Hill was amazing. of course, i also learned that... i'm not like politicans. at all. no offense to them, but there is a certain type of personality that tends to dominate Capitol Hill and i tended to feel like a brightly colored fish out of water.

the end of my time on the Hill came with an internship offer from NPR. yes, the NPR. let's just say that i was thrilled to even interview and when i got the email saying i got the internship - i literally sat down on the street curb in shock. i then proceeded to call my mother in exuberance and even my sister as i did twirls in front of union station (while i may not have had ballerina aspirations - i still enjoy a good twirl).

the internship starts tomorrow. but i'm approaching this like i've been approaching everything lately, with reservations. i know, who has reservations about NPR? but i've determined that if it doesn't quite fit - then i'll quit and spend my free afternoons writing.

the afternoons would be free but my mornings will always be spent at ebenezers coffeeshop. every weekday morning i'm up before the sun, catching my bus to open up the shop that is right by union station and around the corner from CNN (hence, the visit by wolf blitzer). i love working there even though it goes against my nature to be awake that early. while i may be more used to going to sleep that early rather then waking up - i like a challenge.

i also like the regulars. and we have a lot. my current life has about as much consistency as the DC metro system (that's to say - none) and there's something about seeing familiar faces throughout the week that provides me a bit of stability. also, it allows for conversations, recognition and friendly smiles. ah - it's truly the little things in life.

i also moved. again.
i'm no longer crashing on mollie and emmie's chair (due to the lack of a couch) but now reside in the district in the basement of a house. the biggest improvement? a bed. yes, i haven't slept in a bed since i left texas and it really does make a difference. while i did get to snag an airbed every few nights - there is still nothing like the firmness of a mattress beneath you as you dream.

with an new house comes new room mates which translates into new conversations, introductions and exchanging of stories.
ah, if there is one thing DC is teaching me - it's how to make friends.
unfortunately, making friends isn't necessarily easy. sometimes you strike out, other times you find one somewhere you least expected.
making a friend is like trying to date someone. you hope they're as interested in you as you are in them. you hope that they won't reject you when you ask them to hang out. there's the fear of them not showing up to dinner, etc. etc. or perhaps i'm the only one who experiences these anxieties concerning friendships. i actually think dating might be easier than making a friend. but that might be because i'm shy.

yes, i am shy.

but i am becoming less shy. which is hard, in case you were wondering.

i'm also growing patience. this occurs when you have to wait at a bus stop for a bus that you're not even sure is coming. yes, even the metro can mean waiting for a train for about 15 minutes. it's happened and it'll happen again. i have a love/hate relationship with public transportation but it has enabled me to not think anything of a hour long trip that remains within one city. when i get back to texas - the roads will seem so much shorter.

i have my good days and my bad days. my good 5 minutes and my bad 5 minutes. i would think i was bipolar if i didn't know any better. instead, i'm just growing up and it hurts like the dickens.

so besides moving to a new house, attempting to figure out another bus route, getting an edgy haircut that causes double takes in mirrors, making new friends and starting a new internship - life in the district has been pretty normal. i'm even contemplating dying my hair red.

love you all.