The "Oops, I Forgot You" List

Throughout the semester, I have gradually gathered a collection of miscellaneous photos that either didn't merit its own blog post or didn't come into my possession until too late. In simpler words, it is a group of miscellaneous photos from the semester that I "forgot" to post on the blog. Now that I am back home in my comfy bed that easily persuades me not to do thesis work, I have decided to unleash the small, yet substantial beast - the "Oops, I Forgot You" List.

The First Weekend: Nats Game

Funny Tidbit: We bought cheap seats on the night of, so were at the very top and I did not bring my glasses. I wish I could say it was a good game, but I honestly wouldn't know...

Ray's Burger in Rosslyn - HOLY BURG, BEST BURGER EVER.

Warning: If you are meeting someone here, make sure you tell each other the exact location because there happens to be three! Yup, I do know from experience... (Not that it is really a huge deal since they are across the street from one another, but STILL can be awkward if it is with the right person. Just trying to help a pal out.)

By the river in Georgetown

Meet the Press[ure]: We woke up early one Sunday morning to go to the set of Meet the Press with David Gregory!

...Sadly, no funny stories with the last two. These pictures just happen to be chilling here.

So, awkward. This so-called "collection" is a lot smaller than I remembered. To make up for this lack of comedy through images, I will provide comedy through words. Sorry for those who are illiterate!!!

Notable tweets from the semester (Warning: Some may or may not be political. I mean I wasn't in DC or anything like that...):

• "Looking like an absolute hobo, eating my home made sandwich on the metro. Glad to be ending the semester with a bang" -November 16 (The last night from work to the movie. A girl's gotta find time to eat [cheaply]!!!)
• "YES Clare and Lizzy in da senate #iloveyouwomen" -November 6, Election Night (Hashtag is a reference to Ann Romney's RNC speech of course)
• "#thatawkwardmomentwhen your purse gets stuck in the metro doors..."-October 18
• "Need your dumbbell now, Paul? #joejoebiden" -October 11, VP Debate (Dumbell Reference is to Time's workout photoshoot of Paul Ryan.)
• "#thatawkwardmomentwhen one of your bosses passes by you on the metro escalators with his head down. Well, see you tomorrow then?" -October 8
• "Start writing thesis today to me means spend a questionable amount of time on a cover page #butitspretty" -October 7
• "I really need to start taking a tally of the number of dogs I see in these apartments" "Really though, with each passing dog, I realize how much work I'm not doing." -October 4 (THERE WERE SO MANY DOGS THERE!)
• "Starbucks is playing "Hallelujah," aka the song that played when Marissa died in The OC. Would it be pathetic if I start bawling?" -September 30 (One of my first days spent doing work at Starbucks; Casually becoming acquainted with their playlist)
• "Well, nothing made me feel more like a freshman again than trying to find the library at Georgetown... #sofrosh" -September 29
• "HAHA what's with the raspy conductor voice on the metro. Buddy, you're not a dj at a club #overkill" -September 28
• "I love you, Microsoft Word citation toolbox. #AbusiveRelationship" -September 26 (Honestly, A LIFE SAVER.)
• "DC, why do you have the absolute steepest escalators ever? Then again, thank god they're escalators and not stairs..." -September 14 (By the way, this is actually embarrassing to post in retrospect because this is SUCH a DC touristy thing to say. Oops.)
• "Someone called today to say that Hitler was the best orator the world has seen and for that deserves an entire segment on the show #nothanks" -September 11 (Oh, the interesting viewer calls at work...)
• "Just had a 3 second panic attacking, thinking I threw my keys down the trash shoot. #theusual" -September 5 (Yup, this continued to happen to me every time I took the trash out throughout the semester)
• "Some of us put the labor in labor day #Werktomorrow" -September 2 (News doesn't sleep...)
• "Don't worry guyz, I packed my mace! #strangerdanger" -August 24 (Too bad it just sat at the bottom of my backpack all semester. Good thing I was prepared!!!)

Kicking It Like Link

Just as Abraham Lincoln left left his irreplaceable and nation-changing footprint in Washington before he tragically passed, we also wanted to leave a Lincoln-esque impression in the District before leaving. Although certainly none of us have abolished slavery or were shot during a play (knock on wood), we did spend our last night in an honest Lincoln manner. (Yes, the "honest" was indeed a pun.)

The new movie Lincoln premiered on Friday, our last full day here in the nation's capital. Could you have more impeccable timing? I think not. So, after my last day of work (eek!), I took the metro down to the movie theater where a group of us went to see the movie. Then, immediately following the movie, we took the metro back to DC to L'Enfant Plaza in order to walk the monuments, particularly the Lincoln memorial. On the way, we walked by the Washington and WWII memorials. I have never been to the WWII memorial at night and it was absolutely gorgeous.

The Big W

WWII

The Last Supper

It was the most poignant end to a memorable semester. I am so excited to return to Holy Cross as a real college student and take my English literature classes again, but nonetheless I would replay this entire semester just as it was. I feel especially lucky to have been here during such a stimulating election.

Next stop: Finish up the thesis, an hour and a half defense, and one last paper for my policy seminar! ...Unfortunately, my laptop did return to CT with me.

The Last Weekend... EEK

I cannot believe I am about to type these words, but yesterday marked the start of the last week of my semester in Washington, D.C. (Sad face/tear/gasp.)

Well, the thesis rough draft was sent last Monday and there is only one week left, I spent the past weekend parked away from my usual spot at Starbucks in Pentagon Row and truly enjoyed the living in the District!

On Friday night after work, I met up with a friend her college friends at a pasta restaurant in Gallery Place/Chinatown called Vapiano. DC Chinatown is not nearly comparable to NYC's, but it was nevertheless still so cutely decorated. The restaurant we went to was very contemporary in the way you ordered. When you walk in, they hand you a card that you swipe after ordering your pasta and drink. Then, you watch as they make your order of freshly made pasta right in front of you and proceed to your seat. At the end of your stay, you hand your card to the cashier who again swipes it, so you can pay for your final order. 

After that, I took the metro down the yellow line and passed my usual Pentagon City metro stop to get off at Eisenhower Ave. stop. A lot of the others in the group and I went to see the new James Bond movie, Skyfall. Not to become a movie reviewer here, but if you want two hours worth of refreshing new energy with a substantial taste of nostalgia, go watch this movie.

The next day, I went to the Embassy of Czech Republic for a Christmas Market. Not going to lie, attending this event made me feel very cultured! It was really fun to go to--- The ornaments and decorations were beautifully crafted, while the hot wine and little foods were definitely a plus.

Later that night, I went to see War Horse at The Kennedy Center. I wish I took a photo of the theater because it was gorgeous. I did not realize it until I walked in, but I actually visited the nation's performing arts center during my eighth grade trip as well. I recognize the parade of the states' flags in the grand foyer immediately.

Kennedy Center (during the daylight)

The Ken Den

After accidentally almost stumbling into the Opera, we managed to find our terrace-level seats. Being in this theater was completely different than attending a Broadway show. The theater was so wide and spacious that it set a grander tone. The entire center in fact gave this tone because it was so massive, as it consisted of many, many different theaters.

View from beyond the speed of sound (aka the very last row of the theater lolz)

The play itself was so impressive, particularly the horses. The simple operation of the horse is what made illuminated the performance. That is the best part of the theater: A show's production does not require advanced technology to leave a lasting impression; it's actually more impressive with simple operations.

Lincoln Memorial

The Nocturnal Washington Memorial

I have been dying to go to the monuments at night and finally did! I don't think I need to describe how beautiful they were, but I do wish I brought my real camera to take photos!

Sandapocalypse

So, remember that little betch named Sandy? You know, that wolf that huffed and puffed and blew NYC and New Jersey down?

Okay, perhaps, it is too soon to joke about a natural tragedy that caused such immense devastation. In all seriousness, my hearts and prayers go out to all of the victims. It absolutely devastates me to see the photos of an area that has already suffered so much.

However, I realized I have yet to discuss the Hurricane Sandy narrative from my experience. Well, let's just start by pointing out how unwise my nonchalant attitude was toward the impending storm in the days before. While my friends were rightly preparing by stocking up at the grocery store and filling totes with water, Sara naively did not foresee there to be any disturbances. I would naively say, "Oh, please. This is an exaggeration. We'll be fine and will be going to work tomorrow."

Well, Sunday night, the federal government announces that it has closed the District of Columbia. Naturally, a lazy intern celebration commenced among us all. Stubborn Sara was still planning on going to work since the show would still be airing. Then, around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, we heard the news that the metro was down.

FIESTA to my ears! Get out the blow horns because there will be no way for me to get to Tenleytown without transportation!

Monday comes and so do the heavier winds. I work in the apartments' business center all day on my thesis. Then, I break for dinner around 5 pm with the expectation to return for the night. As I cook my dinner on the stove-top, I see the lights flicker.

Well, oh snap. (Literally, the lights snapped on and off.)

Honestly though, at that moment, my stubborn little mind finally snapped as well. This storm is serious. The power can very well go off. Therefore, I quickly finish my dinner and jump in the shower before we lose water.

As the glob of shampoo sits in the palm of my hand, the power officially turns off. I scream to my roommate, "Noo, just five more seconds!" and shove my freshly shampoo-ed head underneath the fading water.

A group of us ventured up to the apartments' club room to fortunately discover that the room's emergency lighting works, so we spent the night reading and talking.

One conversation only three and a half hours in:
Person 1: I'm hungry.
Person 2: I wish I could shower.
Person 3: I wish I had water.
Me: We're acting like we have been in a desert without water for days and it has only been a couple of hours.
Can you say, #FirstWorldPains?

The next day crawls through and again I cannot go to work since the metro is still closed. Good news, our power is still off!!! My iPhone battery is down to about 60% and I have no food! Therefore, to Starbucks we went with our electronic chargers, hungry stomachs, and eager-for-warmth pursuits! (Side note: My laptop conveniently decided to stop working the Saturday before, so I still couldn't work on my thesis at Starbucks. It was still at the Apple Store. Womp Womp...)

We spent the day rotating our phone chargers with the open outlets at our Starbucks tables, while also regularly checking our text messages for signs from the others that the power returned.

I personally could not wait until the power returned because I needed to use the business center's computer to work on my thesis. I did as much as I could without it--- Editing my first draft, writing questions for a thesis interview i had the next day at Georgetown. There was only so much i could do, however, so I just spent the rest of the time leisurely reading Great Expectations.

Finally, around 7:00 p.m., I'VE GOT THE POWER! (Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BRv9wGf5pk)

What a relief it was to shower and you know, actually see when walking around the apartment!

The two-day sandapocalypse really was not too detrimental for us here in Pentagon City. The next day, the metro reopened and I headed to Georgetown for my interview and then to the capitol area for class at night, as my DC semester proceeded as normal. I cannot imagine being in NY or NJ during this storm. My hearts truly go out to all of them.

A very heart-warming tweet from the event:
"I feel like an Amish girl who has found the light #powersBACKon" -October 30

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas: ELECTION NIGHT

Election night was truly like Christmas Eve - the glee, the anticipation, the attempts to peek at the final results. I was so happy to be a part of it here in DC, but was even more proud of the results, especially in the Senate. There is so much woman representation and an openly gay senator--- Couldn't be prouder of our country's leaps.

God bless America and to all a good night!

English Major Haven

Books on books on books.

On the same day I went to Arlington Cemetery, I also ventured to a very popular DC round-about called Dupont Circle. It was my favorite neighborhood in the city by far. A lot of the District contains chains, but Dupont possesses more character. It's small, but I think it resembles Boston--- the bars, cute cafes, and the BOOK STORES!!!

Well, book stores are not necessarily characteristic of Boston, but they were the most exciting part for my English major self. I have been dying to go to this used book store called Second Story Books that people have been telling me about. It was just as awesome as I expected! The narrow rows contained all genres from history to photography to first edition classics to literary illustrations. The Victorian nerd in me was really hoping they would have the literary illustrations from Charles Dickens novels. However, my wallet was ultimately saved even though my hopes and dreams were crushed.

Outside of Second Story Books

There is also another bookstore in Dupont that is even more well-known in the city called Kramer Books. Although the books are all new without the more antique feel, it had such a cool atmosphere. The place was narrow and was filled with a ton of classic and new books with 90's alternative music in the background. I was in heaven already, but there is more--- Kramer Books is also a restaurant in the back! Books, music, and food are all of the ingredients to ship me right to Nirvana.

Arlington Cemetery

I live so close to Arlington Cemetery, but it took me two months to finally take the 2 minute metro ride there.

Yesterday, I went to the historic site during my eighth grade trip to DC, but like all U.S. history's excitements, I have such a greater appreciation for it now. It was just me who went on Monday, which was nice since I was able to fully take it all in and go to certain spots twice. 

JFK's grave was by far the sentiment that means so much more to me now. In fact, I think I only thought the eternal flame looked cool back in eighth grade and felt a little somber. Since then, JFK has become my favorite U.S. historical figure. Seeing his and Jackie's grave was extremely sobering. Even though his presidency was not really too long ago, I never think of his presence as that recent. Seeing his grave inches before me, however, gave me the reality that his presence in DC - my home for the past two months - was not too long ago either.

The changing of the guards was my most memorable experience of the entire three day trip back when I was fourteen, so I was eagerly awaiting to relive that. Although I have full memory of the procession, that too was even more uplifting this time around.

Then, the sensation of walking the grounds itself brought an odd mixture of emotions. With the autumn foliage, the immense cemetery was undeniably beautiful. Yet, the sea of graves rushed the reality of heroism and death as well. The cemetery captured the epitome of beautiful melancholy.