Things That Have Happened Recently. So Many Things.

Gosh, it's been a few days since I've told you what's going on here, and so much has happened that I don't even know where to start.
So, since I got to see my significant other, the Washington Monument, what have I been up to? How have I been feeling? What's going on? Honestly, everything is such a whirlwind that I hardly even know. Maybe if I retrace my steps or something. Or leave breadcrumbs behind me.

Work
I'm loving it in the office. Really. I'm starting to get projects that are more complicated and ask more of me, and it's really fun to test myself. Also I'm learning the tunnels slightly better. A right turn and a left turn. If I can remember that I'll be okay. The thing about the tunnels is they're twisty enough that if you haven't seen them enough to become familiar enough to learn landmarks, then it's like walking down a blank hallway. Which way should I go? I have no idea! One way will take me where I need to go and the other will get me hopelessly lost! But I'm working on it.

I went into the Capitol building for the first time today! That was awesome, and it looked different than I expected. I thought it would be clean white marble mostly, but it was a warmer pinkish and tan, with crazy tile floors. Super elegant, and I can't wait to get a real tour in there. I just feel special walking around there. I bet everyone does.

I went to a presentation on preservation at the library the other day, were they taught us all about paperboard thicknesses and the correct way to remove unwanted staples from fragile documents and how exactly to fold the flaps of your document containers. And the dimensions of folders. It's a big deal. (It definitely was not the most boring presentation I have ever been to.)

Food

Ted's Bulletin. Was it a newspaper place? Stock trading
center? I haven't bothered to look it up.

Ted's Bulletin-- We went here for their shakes, and if I had a bit more money in my pocket, I would come back here again and again. The atmosphere was perfect: it was sophisticated and casual, and so very comfortable. They are famous for their all-day brunch and mile-high cakes.

Dunkin Doughnuts-- This is cheating, I've had Dunkin before, I just want to brag that we've got a Dunkin Doughnuts in the basement of the building I work in. No, really. I'll let this buzzfeed article take it from here.

Baked by Yael -- cake pops right at the entrance of the National Zoo. They don't have prices on their baked goods, and for good reason. If I had known that the single bite of undercooked cake goop covered with some tasteless frosting was $3.50, I would have cackled forcefully as I backed out the door with wild eyes.

Pi Pizza-- We were desperate for food at the end of a day of sightseeing, and this was the first best place we came across. Great atmosphere, pizza consisted mostly of tomatoes. I can make better pizza than this place can. Really. Ask my roommate Miranda.

Good Stuff Eatery-- I stopped here for a shake and it was a transcendental experience. So Monday was MLK day, and I went to a concert at the Kennedy Center all by myself (I felt very grownup and slightly lost). On my way back home, all buzzed on the shining atmosphere of the concert hall and the music, I treated myself to a shake, and I do believe it was the best thing I've ever tasted. The milk must have been made by holy cows. So. Good.

Pitango Gelato-- Props go to Miranda for adventuring and finding this place and dragging me there. It's a classy little place, with pretty high prices, but you know what, it's worth it. I had their cardamom (I think?) gelato, and the consistency is not as smooth as some gelato I've had, but the flavor, the flavor is top notch. Miranda and I went back tonight, and had their hot chocolate, which was divine. It's simple: just high-quality chocolate, milk, and a touch of sugar. Plus Miguel is friendly ;). We decided we'd try to go there no more than once a week, but that promise might be hard to keep.

Tourism

I've never spent so much time watching elephants;
They have so much personality! There was
food in that swing, but this one didn't care.

National Zoo-- I have two words: Bao Bao. That baby panda is worth the trip, the rain, the wait.

Arlington National Cemetery-- I could spend all day just wandering the paths and looking at the gravestones. It's a different world, and even if you don't see the signs demanding quiet and respect, you can't help but quiet down and realize that most of the things you wanted to say don't matter at the moment. All becomes silence. The changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknowns was one of the most powerful experiences I've had in a long time. The part that got me was when the guard on duty relayed the orders, saying, "Post and orders remain as directed." Since 1937, the post and orders have remained as directed, and that just breaks my heart into tiny pieces.

Memorials-- We decided to walk home after Arlington--a good 4.5 mile walk--and to take detours to see the memorials and monuments. We stopped at Lincoln (an elementary school shoebox diorama), MLK (stunning), FDR (super cool, definitely recommend it. It's half maze half outdoor museum), and Jefferson (glorious). I hope to go back many more times and just chill and wander.

BAO BAOOOOOOOO

Fun
I've already mentioned the concert I went to for MLK day. It was really awesome! My first concert by myself, and I was previously told by a friend that they cried the first time they went to a concert alone, so I prepared myself for the inevitable loneliness. The concert was part of the Kennedy Center's free concert series (365 days of free music. No joke. I'm nerding out), and featured the Georgetown University choir and Natalie Cole. The focus was civil rights and MLK's legacy, and it was uplifting, exciting, and sobering all at once.

On Saturday, I volunteered at the Capital Area Food Bank with a group of fans of a YouTube show that I watch. I've wanted to meet up with fans of the various things I follow for a long time, but I'm always too far away from a big city, so I figured now's my chance. There were 12 of us, and it was about as awkward as you would expect a meeting of introverted internet nerds to be, really. But we were all happy to be there, and we helped pack a lot of food for the food shelf, so in all, it was a successful trip and I've already signed up to go next month. Here are pictures.

I don't even feel like I've been too busy, I don't feel socially exhausted like my introverted self usually gets when I do lots of things. The balance has been pretty good. At work, I'm sometimes chatting with people and other times just working on my own. My roommates aren't tiring to be around (well, one of them is, but I'd better not talk about that here. Plus, I can give as good as I get when it comes down to it. Don't worry about me). Though I should be doing more job hunting and resume work, I'm trying not to be too hard on myself; I'm trying to relax a bit. It's quite nice, after the last semester of school I had.


Oh, and I got off the elevator on the wrong floor TWICE today because it stopped for someone else and I didn't pay attention. But I recovered better than I did on my first day: I just walked confidently to the next closest bank of elevators and took that the rest of the way. So I'm not really learning how to be a city girl, I'm just learning how to disguise my mistakes better. Is that how city girls do it? Maybe.


Maybe my next blog will be something more in the typical blog "existential crisis" style, but right now, I'm enjoying soaking in in the big city and stumbling across evening Tango lessons on portable dance floors in empty markets.