Monday: My first day as a big girl.

I wake up at 6:30, 5:30 Texas time, because my room mate isn't the quietest person alive. (Although I'm pretty sure that she is the weirdest person alive.)

*I'll take a moment to describe her:
When I got here Sunday and she finally came home to find that I had moved in she said, "Oh, I didn't know I was getting a room mate. I was sort of hoping I wouldn't." Well, my name's Lisa. Nice to meet you too. She's from Minnesota, and she's working for some bleeding heart liberal non-profit and she talked so fast when she told me the name that I didn't attempt to recall it. She doesn't match her clothes at all. She doesn't even try. She owns two pairs of shoes, and like 80 pairs of earrings. Her name is Tatiyana, and she laughs at everything I say. She was HIGHLY dissapointed when I told her Sarah would be our other room mate and that she was a competitor in Miss Arkansas. "Really??! A beauty queen?" she said. "Why is God punishing me?" Wow, I like Sarah and she hasn't even met her yet.

Back to my big girl day:
I realize that my bed is possibly noiser than the train that's outside my window... and also that my air conditioner works VERY well at night, and the quilt I brough with me isn't that warm. I'm freezing. I also realize that I don't have anything to eat for breakfast, so I dress and run to the corner where I'm meeting Katherine and Kate to find the metro. Of course, they're both late, but I don't mind since the weather is STILL beautiful and it's my first day. I mean, they can't fire me yet, right?

We rush off and make it through the metro ordeal without many complications. I saved both of them several times from getting on the wrong train and being REALLY lost. I was pretty proud of that fact. I did learn, however, that people in D.C. do not simply stand on the escalator. If you're on your way to work you walk up the left half of the up escalator while tourists stand on the right. So, to avoid looking like tourists, we walked.

Luckily, after Katherine and Kate switch trains I was able to meet a nice girl who ironically works in the House building next to mine, and she pointed me in the right direction. At this point, I am definately feeling all the prayers at home, because God just KEEPS taking care of me. I find my office building pretty easily and go through security (which happens every day in every building: UGH!).

The morning is fairly quiet. The wacky receptionist/might-as-well-be-the-Representative-because-she-makes-all-the-calls-in-the-office introduced me to everyone and helped me fill out the mound of paper work that's required to work in the House. Everyone seems nice enough, not iverly-friendly, but cordial at least. I am sat beside another intern and she shows me the software that we use to sort mail, physical, fax, and email. Eventually I feel brave enough to use the spare computer and start on my own mountain of mail. Glamourous, I know. But hey, I gotta start somewhere.

The afternoon drags on... Lunch in the cafeteria downstairs: food is mediocre.... then we have a tour at 2pm that I get to tag along on. We give tours when needed every day at 2, and eventually I'll start giving them on my own, but for now I'm just watching. We see the House, the Senate, and most of all, my fav. part: the ROTUNDA. It was beautiful. I've been to D.C. twice before, but I've never seen this, and I seriously think it is the most beautiful part so far. One of the ladies on the tour, I don't remember her name, was the Executive Director for a multi-million dollar non-profit that works with victims of cerebral palsy. She was amazing and I'm thinking of contacting her later on for a grad school project. The people on the tour, originally from Arkansas, but now living in Oklahoma, were just great. I feel like my favorite part of my job so far is getting to know people on a one-on-one basis. For some reason it's easier when you're not in a familiar place to get to know other people.

The day wraps up nicely after the tour is over. We get to leave at six, which seems late, but the day really flew by, and we aren't even in session. Next week, when the session starts, I'm told things will get crazy. But, honestly, I'm not complaining because it's nice to get my feet in the water before things get chaotic.

I get home and set out to find Safeway, which is QUITE a journey. It ends up being in the Watergate Complex, so I get my dose of history for the day, but then again, when am I not getting history while I'm here. I buy groceries, but to my chagrin remember that I can only buy a few things because I have to carry my purchases seven blocks home... which limits me. I spend close to $40 on two bags of groceries and return to my apartment. On the way, I run in to the SigEp house and the SigNu house. They are tiny and VERY different from what I think of as a fraternity house. These are nestled in the middle of a city block and are more like townhouses than the 30 bed mansions I'm used to. weird.

When I get home I eat a scrumptious dinner of already-cooked fried chicken and wheat thins. YUM! My room mate and I had plans to go to pub trivia, but she didn't get home til closer to 9, so we skipped out. My evening consisited of fighting with computer and ending unsuccessful at getting internet access. I also explored our building, finding vending machines and a television in the basemet. I texted all night, catching up with friends. I talked to Brad... =). I read a little from my completely useless fiction novel, and went to sleep around 10:30. What a bum!