I left Friday night (and luckily got on an earlier flight) to fly to Fort Worth for the Virginia-TCU game and to get my ring! :) It was such a good weekend! I got in about 10 p.m. and my parents flew in also because it was an 11-o'clock game Saturday, so they picked me up. I finally got my Raising Cane's when we met Trey at the one in Arlington. Within an hour of being in Texas, I got to see my parents, eat Cane's, see Trey, and even see Trey's new car! And that was only Friday! I got to see Trey's apartment and watch a little TV before joining my parents at their hotel to get some rest before the game.

Saturday morning when we went to Frog Alley, it was HOT!! At 9 in the morning we were already sweating. But it was worth it, we got some free breakfast sandwiches (apparently paid for by Gary Patterson). Then we found "Big Daddy" and "MadDog" at their tailgate. Big Daddy is a friend of Uncle David's and Big Daddy and MadDog played football for TCU in the 1970s. Big Daddy's sons also went to TCU and played football and baseball. Then we found the Bishops and Mrs. Polasek. We talked with them for a while and then went into the student section with Trey. We both finally got to see a home game! And to make it better, we saw Lauren, Megan, Kim and Wyatt too! Then it was time to go to the Bookstore and dinner.

family :)

ADPi sisters <>

Sunday was the ring ceremony! Mimi and Stephanie came up from College Station to see me get my ring. I was sitting next to Cameron luckily, so I knew someone. And with like 5 ADPis there, Cassie had to get us to take a picture! And I had to get my picture with the family, my mom, my dad, my parents together, Mimi, Stephanie and finally one with Trey. Afterwards I found Bryn, which was a nice surprise! We all went to the reception and relaxed a little before heading to the airport. My parents went to their terminal to go to Houston, and I went to my terminal to come back to D.C.

Then it was back to the everyday grind of D.C. life. Programming took up most of Monday. Then the rest of the week was pretty much spent researching the NG Kids wild card ideas and Guinness World Record stories. Friday I got to go on a field trip, though, to do some more research for a potential special issue of the Kids magazine coming in the future.

Friday I went with Mariah and Katy to a charity hockey game between the FBI and the Canadian Embassy. Surprisingly the FBI won! It was a non-contact game, so it wasn't that great as far as entertainment goes, but at least it was hockey. If the NHL is going to stay in a lockout, a non-contact charity game is good enough for me. I had forgotten how much I missed the smell of an ice rink and the overpowering smell of hockey.

Saturday we went to another game-watching party for the TCU-SMU game. Unfortunately, the manager at Hill Country BBQ didn't plan things correctly, so we had about 60 TCU and SMU fans (it was a joint watching party with SMU alums) watching the game on two little TVs in the bar area. Hopefully that manager learned her lesson to remember our standing reservation for four reserved tables in the main dining room with the big projector screen down for the game. We can only hope for better next weekend. For once I was happy I wasn't at the game, though, because it looked downright miserable. The rain apparently didn't stop all game and it made for a very sloppy game in general. A win is a win, though, and that's all that really matters I guess.

Mariah and me with the Aston Martin

Sunday Mariah and I went to the International Spy Museum. It is such a cool museum! Even though it's $21 for a regular adult ticket, it is so big that it's worth the price! Plus you get to see James Bond's Aston Martin! And I got a really cool hat in the gift shop that has secret pockets. Even though I'm not planning on quitting school and becoming a spy, the hat pockets would be good to keep my keys, ID and money safe for when I'm walking or (if I ever get there) running. Then we walked around Chinatown and eventually came back to finish working on our research papers for the Media and Washington class.

So I know that I am the most behind I have been since I started this thing. I'm not going all the way back, but let me back track to Saturday, Sept. 15. You know it's bad and been a long time when I have to put the actual date to distinguish which Thursday. Anyways, I'll put a quick synopsis and only dwell on the good stuff. So, allons-y! (For those who got the reference, you're welcome!)

sweet tea, potato salad and BBQ

banana pudding and sweet te

So Saturday, Sept. 15 was our first time to an alumni-sponsored TCU game-watching party. It was a lot of fun! And not only did I meet a lot of really cool alums, we also had some pretty decent Texas BBQ! I was skeptical at first, but it turned out to be pretty good. As you can see from the pictures, I got the chopped beef sandwich, potato salad, banana pudding, and of course sweet tea! And the sweet tea was real sweet tea, not the packaged stuff. And I got to keep the Mason jar the pudding was in.

Monday, Sept. 17 I just went into the office to meet with Dori and Andrea about the roller coaster story ideas.

Tuesday wasn't really anything special. It was just another work day, so I won't spend much time on it. I just did some research for NG Kids wild card ideas and continued checking the NG Little Kids wild card facts. And Tuesday I had a group of people over to have a hot dog night. It went really well! I was happy because I got to meet a few new people, see some other people I hadn't seen recently (Michael) and got to eat hot dogs and Bush's baked beans!

Zeus - one of my stories

Wednesday, Sept. 19 was the day Dori and I got the news from Rachel that we were going to be able to WRITE a department! Needless to say I am pretty excited that I get to do this, not only because I'm getting to write something for National Geographic Kids, but also because it's the Guinness World Records page. How cool is that?! So that was by far the highlight of the day, and my month is May 2013, which just so happens when I should be graduating!!

screencap of iPad app Oct. 2012

Thursday, Sept. 20 was just a regular old work day I suppose. I got to review the iPad app with Rachel. Unfortunately it was the October one with a huge spider on the Bet You Didn't Know (BYDK) page, but it was still cool. Then I got to take part in a big meeting where the staff discusses the app together. It was pretty cool!

NG Little Kids cover

Then Friday I finished up some true fact-checking research for Kay for the NG Little Kids wild cards. I actually emailed a couple experts, so it was a little nerve-wracking, but I got the answers I needed. Then I spent the rest of the day at the Holocaust Memorial Museum for TWC programming.

Then I went HOME!!! I'm putting my adventures from the Fort and on in the a post all its own.

This week I tried to be a little better in posting. At least it's the middle of the week instead of the end!

JFK portrait

To start off with Sunday, Mariah and I went back to Gallery Place to the National Portrait Gallery. I have to say it was nice being able to use the free shuttles to get down there while the red line was closed. But we spent at least two hours in the Portrait Gallery, and barely got to half of the things, so we'll definitely be going back at some point. If you have a chance to go, do it! At first it seems very old, but some of the things they have are really cool, such as the original manuscript of Francis Scott Key's poem "Defence of Fort McHenry," with the first verse being best known to us as our national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner." There are also a lot of other really cool exhibits, especially one about the presidents.

And Sunday night, of course, for any Whovians who might be reading this (a.k.a. Dad) I watched the latest episode "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" on iTunes!

cupcake before...

... and cupcake after

On Monday we had our first day of programming for TWC (The Washington Center) down by Farragut North and National Geographic. We had that until 11:00, then Mariah and I went to Georgetown to shop and get some great Georgetown Cupcakes!! I had the Teal Velvet, which was just red velvet, but the proceeds supported the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. I found a blazer at H&M, we both got really comfortable PURPLE shirts at American Apparel (on sale!), then we made our way to the cupcakes. We also managed to have Qdoba Mexican Grill for lunch. It's not quite Chipotle, but it was still good. Chipotle's rice and spicier chicken just make their burritos a little more flavorful! But then on our way home we stopped by a gift shop in Union Station and got mugs for our tea. The ones that came with the apartment are espresso-sized, and definitely not the size for tea!

Monday night we had our first class of the semester also. Once we found where the AP headquarters was, the class was really good. It seems like it'll be really interesting, and we'll learn a lot. I was a little apprehensive mainly because I wasn't taking Law and Ethics with Chip Stewart, but I think it'll still be a really good class. Supposedly we're using the same syllabus and material as Professor Stewart uses at TCU.

Tuesday was the first day of the second week of my internship. It was a pretty good day! We had a meeting to look at pictures for different issues. Some of the pictures the National Geographic photographers are able to get are incredible! Besides that Dory and I did a lot of database work, and got pretty far.

Today (Wednesday) we started with a meeting to run through the proofs for the December 2012 issue. It was so interesting because a lot of what they said and did is what we were doing at the Daily Skiff. Four or five people look at the proofs and make any corrections they think need correcting, and this meeting is where all of those are brought to the table to discuss whether the changes need to be made or if things can stay the way they are. Some of the things the editors picked out showed how skilled they are at doing what they do. I don't think I would have found half of the things they did. Then we did some more database work and sorting of pictures for the photography contest. Then we had another meeting, which we have every week. After the meeting Dory and I were put on a different assignment. We now get to research roller coasters and come up with an angle for a story they will be doing! It's really amazing how much they are allowing us to be involved. I was never expecting to be allowed to attend all of these meetings, but we are encouraged to be at as many as we can.

Ok, so I'm thinking I might just do a weekly update. I keep forgetting that I have a blog because I'm not used to keeping one. Maybe I'll eventually remember every day. Until then, here's an update for my first week of my internship. I'll warn you that it's quite long, so I apologize in advance for that!

Tuesday was my first day at the internship, and I got there SUPER early. I wasn't sure how long it would take me to get there on a weekday, and I figured I'd probably get lost. Well, it only takes about 15 minutes on the Metro and then maybe a 5 minute walk. So far I've only gotten turned around twice, but I think I know the landmarks to get me in the right direction from now on - as long as the Results Gym and CVS don't close down or move! There is one other editorial intern, and we both reported Tuesday. That first day consisted of a lot of orientation-like stuff. We were introduced to everyone on the staff, which was actually smaller than I was expecting! Then we got our badges, so we could be official and be allowed to get up to the offices without checking in at the security desk every day. Not too much work, but a lot of setting stuff up and getting situated for the next day. A really good thing about this internship is that we're allowed to sit in on any of the meetings.

Wednesday we had our first true jobs. We had to cut out and put up the pages for the April (I think) 2013 issue. It's amazing how far ahead they work! And we were able to finish setting everything up once we got our email passwords. Now we're really official! We also got the task of sorting the submissions received so far for the International Photography Contest into each of the four categories. Then we went through the old issues of the magazine, when it was called National Geographic World, for the archives. It was really cool seeing the events and how information and knowledge has changed since as far back as 1975. On top of that, we got to keep any of those old issues if we wanted or else they were going to be recycled! Let's just say I have a few new magazines and Stephanie has a few more resources to pull from when she starts student teaching.

Thursday was my first day as the only intern. The other intern is working Monday through Wednesday, so Thursday and Friday are my solo days, although Dori had to come in anyways for a library orientation. After finishing up with the old Worlds, I got a new assignment to help with an "Amazing Animals" database. Although it's time consuming and a little tedious, it's cool to get to read all of the stories and compile all of them from throughout the years, starting with 2000. It's also funny to see what was in each magazine. First they dealt with the new millennium and kids in 2000. Then they had a behind-the-scenes story for both Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and The Lord of the Rings first movie. It's fun to see the design change (the name didn't change from World to Kids until 2001) and the content.

Friday I spent the majority of the day continuing to go through the "Amazing Animals" sections. I did get to sit in on my first "Wall Walk," though, which was really cool! The Wall Walk is where the staff go through an entire issue as it is at that moment and make any changes that need to be made and introduce interactive ideas for the iPad app. And it is called the Wall Walk because the pages are hung up on the wall for everyone to see. I definitely didn't have a lazy week, but that's a good thing! I'd rather have something to do than sit there twiddling my thumbs.

And on a side note about National Geographic, the staff cafeteria is REALLY good! I ate there Tuesday and Wednesday, and I was really impressed with the food. If I forget my lunch, I won't be upset that I have to eat in the cafeteria.

Saturday was a crazy day! Mariah, Katy and I decided to go to the National Geographic Museum because it was free, and I figured I'd go and see the things I missed when I went with my parents. After making the hour-long walk there, we waiting in line for another hour. It was worth it, though, and everyone enjoyed it. And of course as we're leaving it starts sprinkling. Then as we're 5 minutes or so from the station we need, the heavens open up. We finally made it to Gallery Place, so we could find a restaurant to eat in and wait out the weather. And we couldn't just take the Metro back because this weekend the part of the red line we use is closed for maintenance. Luckily they have free shuttles, though, which were pretty nice. We finally make it back, and then I realize the TCU game is about to start in Fort Worth. So Mariah and I had a crazy trip trying to find the sports bar that was playing the game. It's going to be so much easier once the games are on ESPN! We eventually found one and convinced the manager to let us stay for the end of the game, even though there was a private party there. We met three alums that were already there and enjoyed our 56-0 victory!! It was awesome to see Horned Frog football in D.C., and it felt nice to still be able to cheer on our boys!!

Well this update was far too long, so I will be trying to update every day from now on. We'll see if that actually happens, but maybe if I keep telling myself I'll do it, I might actually do it! Until then, GO FROGS!!!

From Wednesday through Friday we had meetings and orientations for The Washington Center and our programs. We did get to go to the Newseum again, which I still did not see everything I wanted.

On Friday Katy, Mariah and I went back to The Dubliner, only this time with a bigger group of 12. We learned our lesson, though, that The Dubliner is not a good place for a large group. Friday and Saturday were pretty chill nights. Saturday was, of course, the season premier of the newest season (season 7) of Doctor Who! Unfortunately the RAF's cable plan does not include BBC America, but thanks to Twitter I found out I could watch it Sunday on iTunes. And that is exactly what I did. I won't go into the episode here, but it was a pretty good start with definitely a few surprises!

Sunday was also my first true night out in D.C. Katy and I went to Rhyne (a former Frog and fellow National Geographic employee)'s apartment to grill on the roof and hang out with some new friends. We enjoyed three hours worth of pop music from "Video Killed the Radio Star" all the way through to and "Moves Like Jagger." It was probably the most fun I've had at an apartment party. We then went to the Biergarten Haus, and I saw the largest mug of beer I've ever seen. Rhyne bought one for me and one for Katy since it was our first time there. I can't say I did very well on it, but for someone like me who doesn't really drink, I think it did just fine.

As for today, Monday, it was a relaxing day as well. I went with Katy and my newest roommate Rosie, who just arrived today from Shanghai, to Target. Then once we got back, I watched "Much Ado About Nothing" with David Tennant and Catherine Tate while making a proper dinner of a (Turkey)BLT and a salad.





It's still felt like a vacation for most of our time here, but tomorrow starts my internship. That's when it'll hit me that I'm here for another three months and I'm here to work.

I know I have been a terrible blogger recently. I will try to do better now that I am catching up on everything. I am going to split this up between Alexandria and moving to when we actually got to the RAF (Residential and Academic Facility).

Last weekend didn't really hold anything special, so I'll just skip straight to Monday, Aug. 27. That was our last day of site visits. We went to ONE, the organization co-founded by Bono. They are all so passionate about what they're doing, and it was great to see that. After ONE we had an excellent lunch at Roti, a Mediterranean restaurant. If you're in D.C., definitely try it! Then we went to CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies). There we spoke with Andrew Schwartz, who is a fellow transplant Southerner from Louisiana. It was great to talk to someone who said "y'all" to us.

Then Tuesday was our last day in Alexandria. We had a final conversation discussions and took our class quiz. Then we started packing to say "adieu" to Alexandria on Wednesday.

Wednesday was our move day, and it looked like we were moving for a whole year, not just a semester. I had the most stuff, but I'd also like to think that part of that was because I didn't have any box to use like the others did because I did not ship anything. But we got here in the first wave of people. Lauren and I got to pick the room we wanted, as did the rest of the crew.


*Note: The images of ONE and Roti are from the respective websites. ( http://one.org/us/ and http://roti.com/locations/ )