Final Post

This week, this week... Is the last week I will be here in Washington D.C. The holiday season is a relishable time to be wrapping up. I get to attend five, yes FIVE, cinco, cinq, cinque, fünf Christmas parties. Please try to control your jealousy. First off was my boss's cookie party, then a Coca-Cola party, then the big mCapitol party, tonight is the Recording Industry Association of America's party and tomorrow I will round out with the mCapitol office party. Party, party time. Let me just tell you why these parties are sweet, in case you are unblissfully unaware. They are sweet because they provide endless amounts of cute bite-size morsels, all at no charge to Gina Marie Christensen Messamer. I have been eating a lot of mashed potatoes at my apartment lately, and whoooeee does some variety taste splendid.

For the mCapitol party, I worked the coat check. I enjoy that because I also write out name tags, so I get to check out who who shows up. A more enterprising person would probably exchange scads of business cards at these events, but that's not my bag. I'm just there to hang out. Networking stresses me. As the party died down, the other coach check intern exile and I snuck inside to hang out with the real employees. It's fun to talk to the people in my office now that I know everyone better.

I am in a super mood at this instant. Last night I turned in my final paper and gave my final presentation for my Political Psychology class. The Peaceful Solutions class has also drawn to a close. We took a class photo and wise Colman McCarthy said in closing that when he gets discouraged about things sucking in the world, he just looks at the bulletin board where all this class photos are displayed and it encourages him instantly.

My roommate Michelle and me with Colman McCarthy, living legend

Anyway, since everything is finishing up, I'm almost carefree right now. Except for cleaning out my apartment. Barf.

I feel like I should have some deep, introspective comments to share now, looking back on my semester and the copious amounts of knowledge that have wandered into my brain during my stay here. Well ladies and gentlemen, it was very fun. I definitely overuse the word fun, but you know what, biiiiite me!! It was fun! It is also an extremely comprehensive semester. I got two classes that I loved that I learned a ton from and actually enjoyed attending. I became more socially aware. I got to hear a great variety of "How I Made It" stories from successful Washingtonians through The Washington Center programming events. I made new friends, I socialized with my new friends. I gained an understanding of how lobbying works and how a lobbying office works. I learned that I don't want to be a lobbyist. I learned that I love big cities for all the interesting activities they offer at a very low cost.

I would definitely recommend it. For me, it was as close as I will come to a semester "abroad." When you take yourself out of your normal environment, you have to learn and adjust. Experiential learning is the bomb. Not as painful as sitting in lectures all week and taking multiple choice tests.

PEACE OUT!!

gina marie

Week 14

Washington D.C. is still good. It's a pretty consistently fun place to be. Friday was World AIDS Awareness Day and a few of us from the Peaceful Solutions class met at Dupont Circle to participate in a candlelight vigil.

It was interesting because there is such a large population of people who are infected in D.C., much more so than the rest of the country. I believe the statistic is 1 in 20. It's strange to think there are so many people who have the disease. No one I know has HIV...at least that I'm aware of...so I don't realize how widespread the epidemic is, even here in the U.S.

Saturday my boss invited me to a cookie exchange party at her home. It was a good opportunity to solidify a relationship with her before I leave, and it was also nice to get to see her home and meet her family and friends. I brought my roommate along so I wouldn't be overwhelmed by the pressure to mingle. For about two hours, Michelle (the roommate) and I sat by my boss's fireplace and ate crab cakes other delectable finger foods. MAN we ate A LOT. We would eat as much as we could, then sit and let it settle and then try to squeeze some more in our bellies. After a while we got into some natural mingling, which was entertaining. Some people really like to talk. One of my boss's friends asked us if we were going to lots of holiday parties.... We hadn't even thought about the possibility that we could go to more parties. She told us how there are tons of parties going on, and invited us to her company's party next week. We're pretty pumped about that.

Monday my boss John took me out to eat. I think just because he's nice. But it might have been my "goodbye" lunch. We went to a restaurant that we had been to before. The previous time John had tried to hook me up with one of the waiters. He gave the waiter my business card and told him to call me. When the kid finally called a month later.... mmmm...I didn't call him back. So when we went back to the restaurant, of course John calls the guy over to our table and says, "So she said you called, but she didn't call you back!" Just called the guy out. It was pretty awkward, but really amusing. I just sat there and laughed. The waiter didn't look like he thought it was quite so fun. John teased me for the rest of the meal. He says he must be from the "old school," where consideration is in style. He is silly.

And finally, the big news of the week.... IT SNOWED! I love it! It is getting pretty brisk. But I need to get used to it because in TWO WEEKS I will be getting right back into it in Iowa. My mom booked a ticket to come out here to help me "move out." She basically just wants an excuse to come back to D.C. But heck, I guess more power to her.