This is my last blog post in DC... my plane leaves in a few hours and it has yet to hit me that I am leaving, and not coming back. I had a great last night and topped of my time here. I'll continue to blog, since I still have Sunriver and San Francisco adventures to come. I'll write more later.
Do I really have to leave?
>It's my last week living in DC :( How could it already almost be the end of such an amazing chapter in my life? I feel like just yesterday I was trying to pack my life for 3 months into two suitcases... and now I am wrapping up my last Monday here... with most likely three suitcases.
I'm not thinking about this being my last week because it'll go by too fast and I'm not ready for it to be over. There is so much I still want to do and things to see... more of a reason to visit in the future. SO much has changed in my life, but I have learned so much about myself, the ecotourism sector and that you can't plan how things are going to pan out - and most importantly, time heals.
Luckily, I get to continue my summer adventures with Sunriver for a week and San Fran for a week. Then I will eventually make my way back to Bellingham... slowly, but surely.
I'm living up my last week here and cheering on the USA in the Olympics!
My dad has been here since Thursday evening and we have definitely been doing the sightseeing. here's a few pics from the days so far... and there is an endless amount of things to see, phew... and continuing the post, we did more sightseeing on Sunday and after the weekend, walked to both ends of the mall. My dad left this morning. It was a great weekend and I'm so happy he was able to come. I've added a few more pictures.
[world peace]
[WWI]
[Vietnam]
[top of WA Monument - Capital side]
[dad and i]
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Saturday I went hiking at Great Falls, split by the Potomac River. It was definitely a touristy park, but we went off the beaten path and found a nice place to relax, take a nap and enjoy the soothing sound of the river, right below us. It was great to get out and do nothing, but have it still be fun and fulfilling. Being secluded and not having the city noise was peaceful and made it feel like we were not in close proximity of DC. We hiked back up the hill and it was as if we had tele-ported to a whole different area. It reminded me of Bellingham and how I love both worlds... city and nature. I am definitley a city girl and alway have been, but I do enjoy nature as well and getting outside the limits and enjoying the even more beautiful offering.
Today I went to Dupont Circle and people watched around the circle. I love the diversity of DC, which is not lacking. The city brings people from all over the world. Some people may not be as open to all, but it's amazing to see such diversity in a small area (the circle). People in DC come and go and it's more of a transitional city, so there are always an abundance of people to meet and out. I don't want to leave this. I love Bellingham, but I am going to come back and be so familiar with it. The places to go are usually the same, most the people are the same (except for the freshman) and I think DC is starting to rub off on me in the sense that is has so much to offer, in a fairly small area. But in Bellingham's defense, I do love being right by the ocean and the abundance of green all around... two different worlds. Being here has also made me realize that I love Bellingham and the West coast, for the matter. It offers so much and we have 4 seasons of weather... or, maybe just the rainy season :)
I am trying to put what I am feeling into words, but I don't think I succeeded as well as I would of liked to. I am thinking about it too much... just need to let it flow.
I don't want to count, but it's coming down to the wire and it makes me sad. I will for sure be back to visit. I am making the most of my time and couldn't be better! and, sorry for the lack of posts. I guess I've been having too much fun :)
Love to all.
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i was THIS close to him
Some of TIES and I went and saw Al Gore speak at the Daughter's of American Revolution Hall. He talked about global warming and his plan/ challenge he has for the government and nation... for free! He's also involved in wecansolveit.org, which if interested, has the transcript of his speech and video. It was amazing to see him speak, which I thought he did really well at.
My time is going by so fast! I have been hanging out and just trying to have fun. Work continues to be going really well, but I am getting sad about leaving. I am definitely going to have to come back to visit people and the things I didn't get to see!
My dad is coming July 31-August 5 and will get some sightseeing done then :)
It's starting to get really hot and humid here. Last week it was in the 90s and continues to rise. Nothing like stepping outside and starting to sweat.
Hope everyone has a great week! Love.
>It's only uphill from here. I think I have reached my low point of the roller coaster of being in DC, and I think it is only going to get better - actually, it is going to get better. I just needed a few wise words which I toughly accepted and thought about and I am ready to have a good time. It also probably helps that I did the "night scene" sightseeing of my trip and has put me in good hopes again.
Friday I went to stand-up comedian Gary Gulman's show with Josh and his friends and then we went out to 2 bars and ended up in bed quite early in the morning... and Saturday Josh, Kat and I went out to Porters in Dupont Circle. It was a good time hanging out with the 2 of them and put on the dancin' shoes :) Sunday was a super lazy day. Watched TV movies and ate pizza with some of Kat's friends who I have met as well, so I think that makes them mine also. It was good to go out and have a good time and not worry about anything. I have to finish the second half of my trip with a bang, right?
Today I received an e-mail from my aunt in San Fran asking to nanny for a week... now, how could I deny that it's only going to get better from here. And then I will still have almost a month of Summer left when I get back. Time heals and good things come to good people.
One project I am working on for my internship in the Eco-auction and currently I am working on getting trip donations for the auction. It has really sparked my interest to travel (not that I wasn't already). There is so much to see and do and engulf myself in. Endless opportunities. I want all the trips for my self! Now only if I came across a stash of money somewhere... Then I have been thinking about Peru and how I miss it. It was such a great trip and I think will be the beginning of my travels. I can't stop thinking about the nature, culture and beauty I experienced. It's something I won't take advantage of and makes me want to explore, explore, explore!
I have also realized I really enjoy photography, or more, reinforced the fact. I have become more aware of how I take pictures and try to capture the essence of the photograph and what will create some emotion and thought. I have always been the one to take a lot of pictures at outings, parties etc... and still am :) Once I save money, I want to invest in a SLR camera. My digital camera has done me well, but I think I am ready to upgrade and expand.
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Drum circle at Meridian Hill Park - just before the treacherous rainfall
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Happy 4th and happy 5th birthday Maesun! - a day late. I watched the fireworks at the mall. We were in front of the Washington Monument and have a straight shot view of Lincoln Memorial, which is where the fireworks go off. There was an insane amount of people around the whole mall area, probably 60,000 or so. The walk back was just as crazy - walking downtown while people are trying to drive through and then Metro Center, which is a main station for downtown, was insane. The crowd was probably 4 people deep. We walked around downtown to a different metro station. It's cool to say though that I celebrated the 4th in the Capital!!
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I have officially decided to cut my time short in DC and meet up with my family in Surviver, Oregon. Today I changed my plane ticket. My family, included my 2 aunts and uncles and cousins and Nana+Bob will all be together, and I didn't like the idea of being the only one who wouldn't be there. And I don't know the next time we will be able to be all together again... and Sunriver has always been a family place for our family. Many memories there from many past years. I haven't been there in a while, so it will be great to visit again. Sunriver=family time. My aunts live in San Francisco and Hawaii, so this is a rare occasion to have both their families and mine in one place. I am very excited and it will be a great way to top off my DC adventures.
New dates: I am leaving DC August 17th and will be in Sunriver till around the 22nd.
Another note of exciting news- my Nana got engaged last night to her boyfriend Bob! Very exciting news and it's going to be great. (Nana, we are all very excited, obviously!) Love you!
Today was very hot, humid and raining! Start of the DC summer. This weekend I hope to do some sightseeing, remembering to go to the farmer's market I forgot about last weekend, attending a PINK party for my boss' girlfriends b-day party and maybe catching some of the Euro 2008 final game. Oh and trying to catch up on some sleep.
it's official :)
Bio on TIES webpage
and I was trying to log into my work e-mail to attach the other bio, but it wasn't working.
Yesterday I did an interview with a reporter from the Seattle PI asking about Crooked Trails, which is the company I did the Peru trip through. We talked about the trip, Crooked Trails and their mission/practices and what I learned. The reporter is doing an article on Crooked Trails and a separate one about eco-tourism and items relating to it. I liked talking about my trip because it brought back all the memories and how much I enjoyed the trip and gained from it. Now I will plug them- I would definitely recommend them if you want to do an adventure-based trip :)
Have a great weekend and love to all
>Today we left work to watch the game, just like last week. Germany won! The final game is on Sunday. Today there were weather difficulties, so we only saw parts of the game. A bit frustrating, but we did see the goals- Germany's more importantly :) Sunday should be fun!
DC is having the Smithsonian Folk Festival till July 6th and Texas is a main sponsor, and so happens to want TIES to have our conference there, so last night, Erika, Miakel and I went to the kick-off, invite-only gathering hosted by the Governor of Texas and his wife. We went more for the experience and Texan margaritas (just a benefit, actually!). There weren't many people there that we should of met. It was interesting to go to- everything is beneficial. We did talk to one guy whom name tag said he was with NASA, but his friend was actually the one associated with NASA. Erica and I small talked with him through the event, and he is now well educated about eco-tourism and TIES. There were 2 live bands, one being country, which I am not a big fan off... but I survived.
At TIES we're starting to get more into the conference. One of my big jobs is to get donations for the Eco-Auction. I am striving to blow them out of the water. I really want to prove that I can do it. I finally met the last staff member of TIES. She has been in Costa Rica for the past 2 weeks and got back this week. I'm loving the staff! Jumping ahead of myself, I cannot wait to see the final product of the conference (everyone does, I know)... it is going to be a great moment.
It's almost already been 3 weeks in DC! I need to make use of my weekend time because before I know it, I'm going to be going home. This weekend I plan to see some sights... and pictures will follow :)
To my family who reads this, I am highly considering coming to Sunriver! I will keep you updated with the final decision... but I am leaning towards yes. When are we going to be together like this again? :)
To everyone, thank you for the support.
And I have realized how much I really appreciate a few of you and that you'll always be there. Vise-versa.
That is my favorite quote.
This week has been fairly cool compared to the rest of the time I have been here. I have seen it rain 3 times within one week... but, unlike WA, it only rains for a few minutes, AND, it isn't freezing while it rains. That makes me miss home so much... ;) And I have actually turned off the AC because it was too chilly. BUT, I'm sure that won't last for long. Today at TIES we figured out a majority of the tasks that need to be done for the conference and assigned them between Erica and I. We are going to be busy, busy. We are mostly planning the whole conference, aside from getting sponsorships and the big planning. I am excited even this early in the planning to see the finished product. Erica is going to be a great person to work with on the conference. We have been getting along really well and I think we will actually hang out. Phew.. everything has been working out so well for me. I was apprehensive coming here because I am living in an apartment found on Craigslist and didn't know anything about the city. But, knock on wood, I haven't had any negative run-ins or problems. And TIES is amazing... great people, experience and resume builder :) And we eat lunch at the park across from the White House most days of the week... how many people get to say that? Jill, my advisory/teacher, felt this was meant to be, and I think it is. One of the big clues is that the conference just happens to be in Vancouver, BC this year. Could it get any closer? It's a mere 40 min. away from Bellingham.
I figured out that Ryan will be able to visit me at the end of my internship in August! Which will be perfect because we will have a week to do whatever and see everything and take in the last of DC!
Love you all
I've been meaning to update this for a few days... somehow the time just disappears.
I'm wrapping up my first week of the internship! My first Friday and I get to work from my apartment. There was a fire in the metro this morning that was causing up to 60min. delays and then there was a power outage around the area I work, so my building doesn't have power. So essentially, we're all working from home. Not too shabby.
This week I have been working on small projects and familiarizing myself with everything. Once Erica starts, which is this coming Monday, we will split up the conference tasks, allowing us to concentrate on specific areas. The TIES office is made up of 4 full-time staff, 1 part-time and 2 interns. Very small, but TIES manages to be the oldest and biggest ecotourism society. Biggest in the sense of international connections, contacts and presence. The staff I have met so far are fairly young and all diverse. German, Japanese and Brazilian. This is going to be such a great experience and I cannot wait to really get involved... and then see the final product!
I have explored DC a little more since last weekend. Yesterday I went to this area called Adams Morgan which has a street lined with restaurants and bars/clubs. One of my roommates met me there and we had dinner at 'The Reef.'
This weekend I think I am going to the National Mall and do some more sightseeing. And maybe try to make a friend or two... It is a little tough I think because people at this age already have their 'group' and don't really need to reach out and make more friends. I'm trying and I'm sure something will come out of it.
My roommates and I have been hanging out a little more now. We seem to be home during the nights together, so we talk over reality tv. Kat and I have hung out a few times. Hope we continue to hang out.
I am slowly getting used to the time difference and the heat/humidity (but I don't think one ever gets completely used to it). We have had a few cooler days (a mere 85deg.--which to the people at home are probably wishing for!) and those make it actually enjoyable to go outside. BUT... I'm not complaining because I don't want to be in 50deg. raining weather! :)
Love you all!
Today was hot! Almost 100degrees... plus humidity! Whew...talk about lots of sweat. But I am convinced I will get in good shape with all this walking. The metro and my 2 feet are my mode of transportation these next 3 months. It's my second day in DC. Today I took the metro for the first time so I could find where I am going to be working, which was easy to find! It is also a few blocks from the White House so I visited there and walked around. I was going to go to the Washington Monument, but there is limited shade and I had already been walking in the sun for some time, so I decided to keep that for another day. I wanted to enjoy it fully. I then wandered around and took the metro to Dupont Circle, which is known as the Gay Pride area of DC. It wasn't over the top and was a nice place. Since I don't know very much about DC and it's areas, I walked around and tried to take in the sights.
I feel like I'm on vacation, and not here for 3 months. Once I start work, it will probably set-in with me more. Oh and the 3 hour time difference... hasn't been to bad, except I went to bed at 1am DC time and work up at 11am DC time, which I was thinking was late, but technically, my body thinks it is only 8am. And trying to coordinate talking time mainly with Ryan hasn't been troublesome, yet, so I hope it stays that way.
Everything is going great so far. It definitely isn't as nerve-wracking as I thought it would be and I feel comfortable. A few friends, and everything will be great! Oh and the apartment is good.. bigger than I thought it would be. I can tell it's old because some paint is peeling and I can just tell, but my room is nice with it's own bathroom and comfortable bed. I brought a few picture frames, so they give my room a more homey feeling.
If you would like my address for snail mail [which is always accepted:)], let me know and I'll give it to you.
Lots of love to all
