Another Week in the Nation's Capital

It was an interesting week in DC.....lots of hours of work....and some exploring...more on foot and just in the neighborhood for a few days while I avoided the Metro as the red-line was really backed up all week due to the horrible accident on Monday. So sad! I'm glad it didn't happen a day earlier when my roommate, Sarah and I were on that exact line headed to the temple visitor's center for a fireside. :)

I am learning a lot at the GAO as I work with different kinds of people and teams. I see more and more the importance of communication, responsibility, delegation, and accountability. I am working hard to try and get things done and am learning a lot as I am helping to create a training strategy and communication plan for a new system that will be implemented soon.

Washington DC is a neat place. There are so many amazing things to see and learn everywhere you turn. It's neat to see preparations already being made for next week's 4th of July festivities. :) Stay tuned for some fun adventures next week! :)

Today I walked for about 10 miles just wandering around the city and the interesting summer events going on. I started at the Botanical Gardens near the Capitol, then checked out the Folklife Festival going on around the Mall, visited most of the exhibits at the Holocaust Museum (I watched a movie about the Rwandan genocide of the 90s which has been on my mind a lot since finishing "Left to Tell" this week....so horrible! We need to reach out in LOVE to all! We are all brothers and sisters--we're the same!), saw the first ladies dresses at the American History Museum, walked by the huge national barbeque going on down Pennsylvania Avenue, walked by the White House, visited the National Geographic Museum and offices (it would be neat to work there!), explored Embassy Row just past Dupont Circle, and went to the top of the Old Post Office to see the view of the city from the bell tower. Neat! It was a nice day and a good week! I am started to feel at home in this beautiful city and fun neighborhood. :) I'm grateful for the opportunity to be here learning and exploring.

Some other fun events of the week that aren't pictured include: the weekly run around all the monuments (Capitol, Washington, Jefferson, FDR, Lincoln, World War II and home), attending the first meeting of the BYU Political Affairs Society at the Barlow Center, grocery shopping (always an adventure), laundry, some good reading, studying and pondering ("Left to Tell", "Three Cups of Tea", Hebrews, Mosiah, General Conference April 2009--not that I read all of any of these, but parts of each...all VERY good!). :) Life is great!