Hey Everyone!!
Welcome to week 3 of an amazing experience like no other...and what a third week it has been. From new sights to new speakers to new thoughts...here it is...weeeeekkkkk 3!!
Again, my class has been graced with some awesome speakers. On Tuesday we got to hear from a very well-spoken Republican Political Consultant. Anne Stone brought much enthusiasm and fun stories to the class as well as teaching us all about political campaigns. Her specialty involved Direct Mail and Response, and it was crazy to see all of the science behind just putting a letter in an envelope. Did you know that just the way the envelope looks can determine if it is opened or not? How about the fact that there is a formula of how to write a fundraising letter? Intense!! Stone was so funny and took time out of her busy and hectic schedule to answer every single one of our questions after her lecture. Today, we heard from Susan Morrison, a media enthusiast. She has literally worked in every single media organization. I really learned a lot about how the news has changed, especially with events like Watergate, the onslaught of 24 news coverage, and the social media (twitter, Facebook, etc.). She also taught all of us to take every job offer you are given. No job falls right in your lap, you have to work hard, take the crummy jobs and eventually you will find the job you want.
Another week brings more time to wander around. That, in my opinion, is one of the best things about DC..WANDERING!! There is so much to do here that the best way to see it is to get off at a Metro stop and see what is around there. My friend Liz and I did this on Thursday. We got out of class early in the day and decided that since there was nothing else to do we would find something. Getting off at Metro center we walked and found Ford's Theater, the place where Abraham Lincoln was killed. I remember visiting this site a few years ago and it was not my favorite, but after they refinished the museum and redid a lot in the actual theater, Ford's theater is a MUST. The museum is more interactive now with a walk though plan through the Lincoln presidency ending at that fateful day, a path that brings you right to the balcony where the president was shot, a sight that takes your breath away. As Liz and I kept walking, we took pictures of the monuments (because you can never have enough) and ended up right outside Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and were able to talk the lady into a $16 ticket (yayy for poor college kids). This museum was so much fun and led to many hilarious pictures that will be up soon...promise!!!! This week, my housemates focused on visiting a new neighborhood and chose Chinatown to start, and besides good Chinese food, we found an amazing gelato place..soooo goood! Today, I had the opportunity to visit the NEWSEUM and attended a lecture by Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. This is one of the only museums in DC that costs money, but the exhibits are definitely worth it. I will be venturing back soon and will most likely spend an entire blog on it, stay tuned.
On a personal level, this week has had its ups and downs. This weekend we realized how our "Real World" house could actually get real as drama struck. Tensions got high, words were said, some said louder than others, and silence from individuals loomed for a few days. I believe this is just another experience of moving into apartment life. Not every family is perfect, but with time things are discussed and taken care of, and we are slowly working our way back to full unity. Things are not all bad at the "Real World" house though. I have become so close with some of my house mates as we grow and experience DC together. This week we actually welcomed a new roomie into the mix and she has already made herself part of the family. The best part of the week is always Sundays. Our house has created a tradition that every Sunday night we all get together around my dinner table and share a meal. It is an amazing sight to see 12 people around a table all eating, talking, and most of all laughing.
I have learned a lot this weekend. Of course, I have learned so much both in class seminars with our amazing teacher and through guest lectures, but also I have learned a lot more about myself. This year I really explored what I wanted to do when I grew up. Of course I would do something in education, but what. Now, I am leaning more to politics, but who knows what this semester will bring. Also, I have learned that life is not all fun and games. Being here has made me become more serious, as my Mom says, more "adult". Here, I cannot go to class then go have fun with my friends. It's constantly moving around, attending different seminars and lectures, attending meetings, doing research, interning, etc. Sometimes life can be so hectic, but I love it. Believe it or not...I am feeling like I am becoming an ..... Adult!!
Stay honest and keep those around you honest
- Josh
This is funny to reflect on because I thought at this moment, my life was so stressful. Boy was I wrong! Little did I know that in the coming weeks, I would become entrenched in the work for my senator, be attempting to author a 60 page research paper, balancing classes, and still trying to have a social life. However, this blog post does describe the beginnings of an epiphany -- the first moments of realizing the importance of growing up and what life was like in the "real world".
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