Day 2 Continued...

This was my first Monday, meaning my first day of work at the Cook Political Report. While I remember being nervous (and therefore kept forgetting simple things like how to make coffee, which I do every single day of life...multiple times a day at that), I was definitely more excited. I couldn't sleep the night before -- the hours seemed to crawl by and I kept checking my phone secretly wishing that it was finally 6 a.m. And then 5:45 a.m. shone on the screen and I simply could not keep my eyes shut any longer.

The first morning was the most hectic, the most nerve-racking...and I guess that kind of means the most thrilling. Would the metro have a delay? Would I get there on time? Would I get lost -- well, that was kind of inevitable. Would they like me? Would I do well? As I nuked my Kashi oatmeal and brewed some very strong hazelnut coffee, I could feel myself getting giddy as I looked out my window and saw the sun warming the lawn of the Capitol Building. As I rushed to get dressed I had the urge every several minutes to steal a glance out the window...just to be sure I wasn't suddenly suffering from hallucinations. Nope, the Capitol was definitely there every time, peaking behind the foliage as if to deliberately mess with me.

In short, I made it alive (though a bit frazzled) to my stop, where I could all but run to the front glass door of the Watergate Hotel. The staff (small but brilliant!) was inviting and more than helpful, the building and offices were beautiful and I was esctatic to help in any way possible! Meredith (business manager...basically she takes care of EVERYTHING and EVERYONE in the office) showed me Georgetown University and the surrounding shops and eateries.

That later incredible night out continued soon...

Days 1 - 4: Dabbling, Dumplings & Dupont Circle

It's already Thursday, so I am obviously a bit late in posting-- I guess I am still getting accustomed to the non-stop nature of this incredible city! So here's what I can remember from the past few days!


Day 1: "Life without dumplings is not worth living." -Bangkok Joe's
As I sat there combing through the D.C. books (which I had frantically bought the night before at Barnes 'N Noble) on my lap, it all finally hit me. BAM. And by all, I mean all the feelings that the normal person feels in a natural order. I had lined up this internship months ago and yet when people asked me this past semester if I was excited or nervous or ready, I guess I gave some sort of answer...but I had too much going on to ever have the time to really sit down and think about my trip let alone giddily map out my itinerary.

But now, the flight attendant was announcing that were were landing in D.C. Already? A rush of many conflicting emotions suddenly overcame me and I found myself frantic, esctatic and anxious to just get up already. As I sat there with my open books, I realized that the only tidbit I could recall from my 30 minute cram session was that 70 percent of D.C. was park area -- which fascinated me, by the way. In the end, the emotion that won was unbridled excitement and the desire to experience absolutely everything while I was here.

After talking with a captain in the Marines and an official in homeland security about their D.C. "musts" and favorites and quickly touring D.C. with a new friend, I found my apartment (which, fyi, is on Capitol Hill and therefore mere blocks from the Capitol) and met my new room mate, Lindsey! We became fast friends and have been venturing and roaming the city every day since (which you will hear more of shortly!).

After settling in a bit (and by settling I mean throwing my bags down and changing shoes), we commenced our adventures by dabbling in a few of the countless colorful areas of D.C.

The Apple of My Eye (seriously)

Apparently, our apartment is also blocks from Eastern Market, which has quickly become one of my favorite spots in all of D.C. For those of you who have never been, it is very similar to the French Market in New Orleans. Tents of everything you can imagine -- soaps, crafts, hand-woven dresses, candles -- dot the sidewalks of Capitol Hill. Fresh, hand-squeezed lemonade and sweet tea stands beckon weary passersby, who lazily slurp the beverages as they stroll. And don't even get me started on the produce. Mounds of bright red, juicy strawberries, vibrant red, green and yellow peppers, mason jars of fresh mango salsa, and rows and rows of apples as far as the eye can see (okay, maybe I am exaggerating, but as an apple-lover, it was truly amazing) line the walkways, and if you're nice, a friendly vendor may even even let you taste a few.

"Days 1- 4" To Be Continued...

Similar to most of our adventures thus far, we came across Eastern Market (which I will now call EM) rather accidentally. As is probably evident by my ravings, we fell in love and stopped by every vendor, tasting orange tomatoes (which are deliciously sweet, by the way) and juicy satsumas, fingering through Vintage gloves and African tunics, and ogling the monstrous chocolate-chip cookies and rasberry and white chocolate turnovers. At the end of our overwhelming first experience with EM, we discovered Java, a corner cafe where we grabbed our lattes and rested our feet to the tunes of the weekend's featured local band at EM.

As someone who typically has a daily minute-by-minute schedule and drafts to-do lists for fun, I felt like a pioneer! Here I was roaming about town with no earthly clue where I was (hopefully my mom does not read this part too carefully) in search of what I again had no idea. And, honestly, it was (and still is) exhilarating!

Starbucks vs. Cosi

Now let me tell you about a little place I like to call (and so does everyone else, because that is its name) Cosi. While DCians may argue that this is no place special because there are basically 5 on each corner (and there are), to me this little eatery was uncharted terrain. For this reason, for those of you back home that have never had the opportunity to visit Cosi, here's the low down: (1) Think Starbucks...but add salads and flatbead, (2) Plush sofas and nice ambiance which makes it kind of...well, cozy (go figure), and (3) the food items on this menu are both healthy and scrumptious, which make it ADDICTIVE.

So, anyways, I got the Shanghai salad (my knees grow weak at the sound) and we visited on the couches overlooking the passersby. Here I will also note that I have yet to try the oatmeal, and for those of you who know me all too well, you also know that it's only a matter of time until I have tried all imaginable possibilities (note: they have a whole PAGE of mix-ins)...

My first peek into the perfect land of Georgetown

I hadn't seen Madeline, one of my good friends from LSU, all semester because she was off being her amazing self in D.C. all semester, so I was thrilled when she asked if I wanted to go grab dinner with her and one of her roomies. We ended up choosing this colorful, modern Asian-influenced restaurant called Bangkok Joe's in Georgetown.

Let me say a word or two about Georgetown. Imagine Stepford (like the movie but less creepy) or Seaside (in Florida) or Water Colors (also in Florida) and you may have a sketch of the magnificence that is Georgetown. As its Web site states, "Rich in history and culture, this charming and vibrant neighborhood offers the discerning explorer the most exciting combination of treasures from the expected to the one-of-a-kind." (check out http://www.georgetowndc.com/) In other words, it has the historic and charming feel of a quiet suburb but also the upscale boutiques, ritzy restaurants and unending excitement of a flourishing urabn center.

In all, the food this dumpling bar and cafe was delicious (we especially enjoyed the crab and shrimp dumplings), and I even felt a little daring by branching out and ordering the "Fresh Ginger-Lemon Tea" instead of my typical ice water...I live on the edge, I know. Visiting with Madeline was obviously fantastic, and it was nice to feel like I had some sort of connection to home on my first night in D.C. One more note about Bangkok Joe's...as if to demonstrate the integral role and power of the dumpling, a phrase was artfully etched upon the wall: "Life without dumplings is not worth living." Amen.

Day 2-4 Continued...

A Bit About Me

WASHINGTON, D.C.

A city enveloped in history and rich tradition, where almost every corner boasts the "first" something or other. As the center of the dynamic American political scene, the Federal City is also a vibrant urban center where groves of fresh-faced, smartly dressed interns can be seen milling about the congressional buildings under the hot summer sun. This complex interplay between old and new, history and progress, and tradition and innovation is what makes the city so enthralling and surreal.

This is the backdrop of my next four weeks as an intern with the Cook Political Report.

When I found out several months ago that I got this incredible internship with the Cook Political Report, it did not seem real. In fact, it still didn't feel real when I was frantically packing the night before. And even as I make my way to work every morning, I seriously have to pinch myself to believe this is all really happening to me. (It could have something to do with the fact that I pass in front of the Capitol Building every morning on my way to work...crazy, I know.)

For those of you who don't know me that well, my name is Aly Neel and I am going to be a junior in the fall at Louisiana State University. I am a mass communication major with a concentration in political communication. I am fascinated by politics and love analyzing the psychology, strategy and trends behind it all. So, having the chance to work with a non-partisan online publication that analyzes elections and voting patterns and is respected by both sides of the political arena (aka the Cook Political Report) is absolutely unbelievable.

As I said a second ago, my trip here is rather brief. So, in order to get as much as is humanly possible from this wonderful experience, I have set the following goals, to which I am binding myself for the next 28 days. (As anyone who has ever met me knows, I am a major goal setter and to-do list nut.)

Goal 1: Glean as much as I can from this incredible internship opportunity, including real work experience in the field as well as learning all that I can about political research/analysis at the Cook Political Report.

Goal 2: I refuse to let a single day go by without doing something new and adventurous (which my first few days have already proven won't be too difficult!).

Goal 3: Make new friends and meet incredible people!