Developing in DC

Have you ever been in the exact right place at the exact right time and felt it? There's a lot to stress and worry about right now, (looking for a part-time PAID internship, attempting to register for a French class, student loans, the price of textbooks, making new friends, and oh yeah, the actual core classes all 23 of us are taking, which are going to be soooo good and relevant and perfect to turn us all into little practicioners, but it's not going to happen magically, eep! We've got our work cut out for us), but there's more to be excited and feel confident about. Living at the center of the known universe is pretty heady stuff. I'm going to meet important people, and (Incha'Allah) become a mover and/or shaker myself someday. It's time to stop second guessing myself and wondering if I really belong here. It's time to man up and seize my destiny. I am smart and capable and so jazzed about the work I will be doing, saving the planet one malnourished under-5, one undereducated youth, one bednet, one fortified packet of cooking oil, one health center, one school, one well-trained teacher, one scholarship, one well-managed program, one grant, one inspired girl at a time. Eeee!!

I'm a Hoya.

Sanyo and I at the Lincoln Memorial on the 50th anniversary of MLK jr's speech. Unfortunately, we had to leave to get to class before Obama, Clinton, Carter or any of the Kings spoke. In American vernacular I've recently taught Wei-Di, my Taiwanese roommate: wah wah!

DC

I have descended from the nation's capital back to Oregon, a provincial hinterland full of rain, and soon, reading for my classes. But what a fabulous week! So sweet to see all our hard work pay off, and watch the Inauguration of the president for whom I worked for 2 incredible months from the lawn of the Capitol. With my friend Sally, and hundreds of thousands of like-minded weirdos (something seriously wrong with us nutcases, willing to wait for hours in the cold to see Beyonce lip-sync...or did she?...). Freaking cold, but fur coats for the win!

On other business, I toured Georgetown and American Universities (to which I have just applied). Nothing'll make you feel old like attending an undergraduate campus tour with high school juniors and seniors. Looking at long lists of seriously inapplicable and irrelevant majors (theater? sociology? music performance?), I just wanted to shake them all and say: "Major in something that'll get you a job!" but who am I to dash dreams? Best moment was in the 10 minute movie at American University. The girl and her friends graduate and get great jobs, at Booz Allen Hamilton, or med school at Johns Hopkins, or one of them even joins the Peace Corps!! Hahaha, guess I'm not all wrong. Now I just have to wait until March to hear about admissions decisions. Good thing I'll be keeping busy at a tax office between now and then! ... I can see myself living in DC, although I felt like a country mouse come to the big city this last week, a know-nothing newb who couldn't recognize Supreme Court Justices on site and didn't think to ask what the chef recommended.

I also attended the Staff Ball and toured the White House (NBD). I've never felt more classy paying way too much for drinks and waiting outside in the cold. I saw Lady Gaga in person and George Sr. in portrait (and Tony Bennett). Overall, the trip was a success!

But now it's back to work and school...April 16th, you can't come soon enough!