As I am commuting via the metro for the third day now, I am still awed by not only how nice the aesthetics are, but also the people.
On my first day of work, I walked the dark alleys of the Pentagon City metro station at about 7:20 am, a time when I assume many would be scurrying off to work in the city. Yet, I was able to RIDE the escalator, not sprint like I did in NY. I thought to myself, "Okay, that is weird, but I better pick up the speed to get a seat on the train." However, when the train arrived and I hopped on, there was not only one seat, but multiple available.
You and I both would think that this would be a welcome change of pace. I can actually have the chance to take in my surroundings instead of just merely waiting for the next train, next stop, next destination. Still, I find myself feeling nostalgic for the out-of-breath sprints and race to grab the two inches of cramped space on the subway bench.
Moreover, I also am fascinated by how nice people are in the stations. People not only allow others to pass in front of them instead of trampling them over like a bull in a China shop, but they also say the simple "hello." this certainly isn't Midwest Kansas, but this definitely isn't New York either.
I can't help but question my expectations from people - from strangers. Despite of the fact that I am using public transportation, why am I dumbfounded by the calmness and sincerity of other people who are literally doing the same thing as me.
The irony is that I am sure that tourists from other areas like the deep South and the Midwest find DC residents cold compared to their hometown neighbors.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
...Well, this is the real world? No.
Six hours came and passed with the chain of tolls and bridges that brought my family and I to Arlington, VA. We arrived at my apartment around 9:30 a.m. and went in to receive my key. As I was turning the key to unlock my room's door, I was immediately received with an eager welcome from one of my roommates! While the unpacking unraveled (and thank God I had help from my mother), I realized that I completely over-packed with clothes, as two of my roommates who flew down had only two suitcases in comparison to my four huge bags. My excuse is that I can't go to work naked!
After saying goodbye to my family, two of my roommates, another girl from a different apartment, and I went to the hotel that one of the three girls stayed at during the prior nights to grab a quick bite to eat and get a SmartTrip card for the metro.
The metro system here blows my mind, as it is completely different than New York's. First off, in comparison to the slimy subway stations of New York that appear as if someone just slabbed some cement underground and called it a day, the metro stops here are beautiful. That may sound ridiculous because, but the ceilings are oval shaped with these "engravings" (probably not the correct word because they aren't that elaborate), while the lights are slightly dimmed to give off a much nicer vibe than the NY subway. Plus, as many have told me before arriving, the DC metro truly is the cleanest form of public transportation that I have seen.
However, I am NOT a fan of how their metrocards work. Unlike the simple and cheap metrocards in New York, a true commuter should buy a SmartTrip card. You need to pay $5 for just the card itself and then put money on it. That marks DC metro rip-off #1. Then, you get charged depending on how far you go. Although this could save you money if you don't go far, I can already tell that it is going to be very costly, especially since my work is about an hour away.
Regardless of my personal analysis of the metro system, my apartment conveniently has two metro stops nearby. There's one in that is connected to that hotel, which is the "Crystal City" stop, and another one that is near the huge Pentagon City mall (where we also went during my 8th grade DC field trip), which is naturally the "Pentagon City" stop. (I wonder where they came up with that name...)
Shortly after, two of my roommates and I decided to go to the Newseum since one of them had extra tickets from her trip with her family. It was a couple of metro stops away, making it my very first metro ride! I found it interesting that the cars represented more of a traditional train card than the typical subway. I also thought it was neat that it not only goes underground, but above ground as well to stop at the Arlington Cemetery.
The National Archives was the beautiful sight that greeted us, as the escalator carried us from underground. It was my first taste of DC in a while and it felt so exciting. The museum was only about two blocks away. As someone who is very interested in journalism, I thought the museum was awesome! I loved it. It was a great mixture of the significant issues of today and monumental events of the past. My favorite exhibits were the FBI section that featured mob criminals among many other famous cases and the display of the day's front pages from newspapers of each state.
Although the day was already jam-packed with activities for the entire Holy Cross group, we ended the night together, getting dinner at a sports bar/burger restaurant called Champs.
Today, the real world hit me with a ton of bricks. A group of us went to Trader Joe's, which was also a couple of metro stops away, to get groceries. You need to bring your own recyclable grocery bags here because they charge you for using plastic grocery bags, so it was an odd feeling entering the metro with groceries and even more foreign feeling riding the metro with my groceries. I also never realized how weird it would be to buy groceries for myself and trying to decide what I will need. Mom, I now admit that I've always taken your grocery shopping for granted!
Another new circumstance that I needed to consider was that I could only buy how much I can carry. Even though I succeeded at Trader's Joe, walking back from Costco later in the day was another story. To sum it up, I am an extremely weak individual. I only had five boxes to carry, yet struggled immensely. It was like a snail trying to make its way through a marathon. In the end, I made my way back without completely embarrassing myself.
After that draining experience, my noodle-arms were pleading for a break. For the rest of the night, we are relaxing and preparing for the first day of work tomorrow.
Welcome to the real world, except this isn't even close to it...
 |
| View from the balcony |
The metro system here blows my mind, as it is completely different than New York's. First off, in comparison to the slimy subway stations of New York that appear as if someone just slabbed some cement underground and called it a day, the metro stops here are beautiful. That may sound ridiculous because, but the ceilings are oval shaped with these "engravings" (probably not the correct word because they aren't that elaborate), while the lights are slightly dimmed to give off a much nicer vibe than the NY subway. Plus, as many have told me before arriving, the DC metro truly is the cleanest form of public transportation that I have seen.
However, I am NOT a fan of how their metrocards work. Unlike the simple and cheap metrocards in New York, a true commuter should buy a SmartTrip card. You need to pay $5 for just the card itself and then put money on it. That marks DC metro rip-off #1. Then, you get charged depending on how far you go. Although this could save you money if you don't go far, I can already tell that it is going to be very costly, especially since my work is about an hour away.
Regardless of my personal analysis of the metro system, my apartment conveniently has two metro stops nearby. There's one in that is connected to that hotel, which is the "Crystal City" stop, and another one that is near the huge Pentagon City mall (where we also went during my 8th grade DC field trip), which is naturally the "Pentagon City" stop. (I wonder where they came up with that name...)
Shortly after, two of my roommates and I decided to go to the Newseum since one of them had extra tickets from her trip with her family. It was a couple of metro stops away, making it my very first metro ride! I found it interesting that the cars represented more of a traditional train card than the typical subway. I also thought it was neat that it not only goes underground, but above ground as well to stop at the Arlington Cemetery.
The National Archives was the beautiful sight that greeted us, as the escalator carried us from underground. It was my first taste of DC in a while and it felt so exciting. The museum was only about two blocks away. As someone who is very interested in journalism, I thought the museum was awesome! I loved it. It was a great mixture of the significant issues of today and monumental events of the past. My favorite exhibits were the FBI section that featured mob criminals among many other famous cases and the display of the day's front pages from newspapers of each state.
 |
| FBI exhibit |
 |
| Plane engine from 9/11 |
 |
| Capitol - View from the Newseum |
Today, the real world hit me with a ton of bricks. A group of us went to Trader Joe's, which was also a couple of metro stops away, to get groceries. You need to bring your own recyclable grocery bags here because they charge you for using plastic grocery bags, so it was an odd feeling entering the metro with groceries and even more foreign feeling riding the metro with my groceries. I also never realized how weird it would be to buy groceries for myself and trying to decide what I will need. Mom, I now admit that I've always taken your grocery shopping for granted!
Another new circumstance that I needed to consider was that I could only buy how much I can carry. Even though I succeeded at Trader's Joe, walking back from Costco later in the day was another story. To sum it up, I am an extremely weak individual. I only had five boxes to carry, yet struggled immensely. It was like a snail trying to make its way through a marathon. In the end, I made my way back without completely embarrassing myself.
After that draining experience, my noodle-arms were pleading for a break. For the rest of the night, we are relaxing and preparing for the first day of work tomorrow.
Welcome to the real world, except this isn't even close to it...
Friday, August 24, 2012
REST STOP: New York City
Since I've been asked much about my NYC internship this past summer, I thought I'd take a little "rest stop" during my trip to DC (which starts in about 5 hours!).
I interned at a financial newsletter called Asset Securitization Report in the financial district of Manhattan. My building was directly across from the Staten Island Ferry and a convenient two second stroll to Battery Park where I often ate lunch to the sounds of the Statue Liberty Ferry horns . Also, interestingly, it is about a 5 minute walk to Wall Street and the World Trade Center in one direction and a 10 minute walk to South Street Seaport in another direction.
I commuted four days each week from the Waterbury station at 5:56 am and arrive home either at 7 pm or 9:20 pm, depending if I stayed later in the city or not.
Let me tell you, nutmeggers, there is quite the disparity between the commutes on the Waterbury line and the regular New Haven line. The Waterburians were SO loud. Each morning, I aimed to sit away from this particularly loud group of men, yet they always seemed to creep up in my train car. Girl just wanted to take an undisturbed snooze!
Then, I arrived in Grand Central around 8:10 am and took the 4/5 subway line downtown to the very last Manhattan stop.
The days were typically filled with writing for the newsletter's online website. I wrote 3-4 articles each day ranging from breaking news about the implementation of new federal policies affecting the capital market, new deals in securitization, or recent bond deals in the market. When the publication came out in June and July, my boss trusted me with a printed article in addition to assisting with the layout/copy-editing process. It was a terrific experience and I learned an immense amount about finance. Beforehand, I did not even know there was a difference between economics and finance (THERE IS ONE!) and even what a term as simple as equity even was.
Holy Cross also granted me with some outstanding opportunities to network with HC alum at networking events held after work. However, the most memorable experience with a Holy Cross alum this past summer was my tour of the Bloomberg office by an alum who's currently a reporter there. If no one has ever described this building to you, allow me to take a gander. It was absolutely amazing - from the brightly lighted elevators to endless sea of fishbowls on every floor to the "pantries" stocked with snacks, fruit, soda, and coffee. I felt that I was placed in a scene from Monsters, Inc., if that allusion even gives it a little bit of justice. More than that, the alum was so sweet and told me about how she rose to her position in journalism.
I also stayed later to meet with friends who either lived or worked in the city after work, took a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET a.k.a one of my favorite places in the world), witnessed the transportation of the NASA space shuttle from my office window, went to free movie night in Bryant Park, attended conferences for work that were scattered about the island, read Charles Dickens on the Brooklyn Bridge, and visited Columbia University.
Overall, I loved the entire experience within and outside of the constraints of work. I met so many people who are all such characters, while truly living my dream. Since early in high school, I have always hoped to work in journalism in NYC, yet it felt like such a far-off fantasy. Although I was only an intern, that dream really did become a reality for me. I will never forget it.
STILL, naturally, I was not exactly as classy as Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Here are ten of my innermost thoughts expressed via Twitter throughout the summer, which reveal a mix of embarrassing moments, blunt observations, and "sensitive" sentiments from my commute.
 | |||
| My building. I went up to floor 26! |
I commuted four days each week from the Waterbury station at 5:56 am and arrive home either at 7 pm or 9:20 pm, depending if I stayed later in the city or not.
Let me tell you, nutmeggers, there is quite the disparity between the commutes on the Waterbury line and the regular New Haven line. The Waterburians were SO loud. Each morning, I aimed to sit away from this particularly loud group of men, yet they always seemed to creep up in my train car. Girl just wanted to take an undisturbed snooze!
Then, I arrived in Grand Central around 8:10 am and took the 4/5 subway line downtown to the very last Manhattan stop.
 |
| Where I came out in the morning |
 |
| Where I went at the end of the day to go uptown |
Holy Cross also granted me with some outstanding opportunities to network with HC alum at networking events held after work. However, the most memorable experience with a Holy Cross alum this past summer was my tour of the Bloomberg office by an alum who's currently a reporter there. If no one has ever described this building to you, allow me to take a gander. It was absolutely amazing - from the brightly lighted elevators to endless sea of fishbowls on every floor to the "pantries" stocked with snacks, fruit, soda, and coffee. I felt that I was placed in a scene from Monsters, Inc., if that allusion even gives it a little bit of justice. More than that, the alum was so sweet and told me about how she rose to her position in journalism.
 |
| Yes, that is girl-heaven in the back, Bloomingdales on 59th St.! |
 |
| On the MET roof - the most exquisite piece of art in the museum ;) |
 |
| Brooklyn Bridge - A 15 minute walk from work and across from City Hall |
 |
| Just chillin' with 100 of my closest friends, watching Roman Holiday at Bryant Park |
STILL, naturally, I was not exactly as classy as Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Here are ten of my innermost thoughts expressed via Twitter throughout the summer, which reveal a mix of embarrassing moments, blunt observations, and "sensitive" sentiments from my commute.
"I must look so attractive when I nap with my head facing up and mouth open to my fellow train passengers#makingfriends" -June 19- "Watching middle aged, suited men flamboyantly run to catch the train each day never fails to make me laugh
#runforestrun" -June 15 - "A parade of drunk, middle aged men in navy Yankee tshirts just flooded the train. Was there some kind of match or meet today?
#ewbaseball" -June 27 - "Best thing about NYC... Free wifi everywhere!
#nerdyorcheap?" -June 29 - "Um guy who is blasting Alicia Key's "New York" through his headphones while in NYC subway, please just
#lookatyourlife#lookatyourchoices" -July 5 - "An hour to kill when surrounded my stores uptown (including Bloomingdales) + need of shelter from the tsunami = shopping
#onlyformysafety" -July 18 (Posted before a conference during the treacherous hail storm) - "My knuckles are SO sore from typing all day ee'ryday
#writersproblems. But, I'd like to think of this discomfort as#battlewounds lololol" -July 24 - "I spy a summer camp in the time sq subway station? I'm assuming the counselors are hoping to lose the children...
#dontblameya" -August 1 - "Although this Swedish restaurant was so cute, I'm pretty sure their overpriced meatballs tasted EXACTLY like ikea" -August 6
- "Omg how precious. A mother is teaching her toddler-aged son the ABC's and numbers by having him find it like I Spy on the subway map" -August 9
Thursday, August 23, 2012
From College Hill to Capitol Hill
Hello everyone!
As the pilgrimage to Washington, D.C. quickly approaches (a little over 24 hours!), I am excited to share my next adventure with you all. I thought I'd start off my hopefully-to-be-witty-and-entertaining account by describing what I will be doing - or at least what I expect to be doing.
I will be residing in the Pentagon City area in Arlington, VA, which is a part of the Metro-DC area, with fourteen other Holy Cross students. I will have one direct roommate and two other suitemates. I'm sure we'll be getting acquainted with one another through our cooking/cleaning endeavors. I know my true colors will shine through from the start. Honestly, the most complex meal I can put together is plain pasta!
There are three parts to Holy Cross' Washington Semester Program - the internship (1 1/2 credits), a 50-page research thesis on policy (1 1/2 credits), and a policy seminar (1 credit). Unfortunately, I cannot reveal where I am interning in my blog because if I did, I would not be able to write about my tasks due to legal issues. If you are interested in knowing, please don't hesitate to ask me! I can tell you that it is within broadcast journalism, which is an aspect of journalism that I have never encountered before. I am really excited to work on the editorial side of things!
Regarding my thesis, I am still at the very preliminary stage of research, but I am equally looking forward to this as well! I will be examining editorials from "non-partisan" newspapers and Catholic publications in order to determine how the various writers attempt to persuade either Catholics or women to their side of the HHS Mandate debate. --- For those who aren't familiar, the HHS Mandate is also known as the contraceptive mandate since it requires individuals, or employers that provide their employees with health insurance, to include contraception in their health insurance plans. It's a huge conflict between the Catholics and the Obama Administration/HHS, especially as it is the election season.
The seminar takes place once a week for about three hours. I have never taken a policy course before, so I am eager to learn from the books along with my peers.
Although I admit it has not fully hit me yet, I can only imagine that this extremely demanding work load will have me running for the hills! (Yes, pun intended. --- WARNING: The multitude of puns that I'm sure will be slyly mixed in my posts will most likely all be intended. Who doesn't appreciate a good pun?!)
DC is a metro area in which I am only vaguely familiar with. I am especially excited to venture the grounds, particularly with the hype of the upcoming election.
As for now, I need to continue packing, but I promise you I will not ramble on for snore-provoking lengths in my future posts. While, I also hope to share the many tidbits of comic relief that my days bring in the nation's capitol!
As the pilgrimage to Washington, D.C. quickly approaches (a little over 24 hours!), I am excited to share my next adventure with you all. I thought I'd start off my hopefully-to-be-witty-and-entertaining account by describing what I will be doing - or at least what I expect to be doing.
I will be residing in the Pentagon City area in Arlington, VA, which is a part of the Metro-DC area, with fourteen other Holy Cross students. I will have one direct roommate and two other suitemates. I'm sure we'll be getting acquainted with one another through our cooking/cleaning endeavors. I know my true colors will shine through from the start. Honestly, the most complex meal I can put together is plain pasta!
There are three parts to Holy Cross' Washington Semester Program - the internship (1 1/2 credits), a 50-page research thesis on policy (1 1/2 credits), and a policy seminar (1 credit). Unfortunately, I cannot reveal where I am interning in my blog because if I did, I would not be able to write about my tasks due to legal issues. If you are interested in knowing, please don't hesitate to ask me! I can tell you that it is within broadcast journalism, which is an aspect of journalism that I have never encountered before. I am really excited to work on the editorial side of things!
Regarding my thesis, I am still at the very preliminary stage of research, but I am equally looking forward to this as well! I will be examining editorials from "non-partisan" newspapers and Catholic publications in order to determine how the various writers attempt to persuade either Catholics or women to their side of the HHS Mandate debate. --- For those who aren't familiar, the HHS Mandate is also known as the contraceptive mandate since it requires individuals, or employers that provide their employees with health insurance, to include contraception in their health insurance plans. It's a huge conflict between the Catholics and the Obama Administration/HHS, especially as it is the election season.
The seminar takes place once a week for about three hours. I have never taken a policy course before, so I am eager to learn from the books along with my peers.
Although I admit it has not fully hit me yet, I can only imagine that this extremely demanding work load will have me running for the hills! (Yes, pun intended. --- WARNING: The multitude of puns that I'm sure will be slyly mixed in my posts will most likely all be intended. Who doesn't appreciate a good pun?!)
DC is a metro area in which I am only vaguely familiar with. I am especially excited to venture the grounds, particularly with the hype of the upcoming election.
As for now, I need to continue packing, but I promise you I will not ramble on for snore-provoking lengths in my future posts. While, I also hope to share the many tidbits of comic relief that my days bring in the nation's capitol!
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| The hot mess joining me for the journey |
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