Serious Ponderings

I follow my study abroad bloggers from my school and I have to admit: Today I had a massive wake up call. Unlike my international-bound friends, I live in a city centered around the current U.S. unemployment crisis. As a journalism student, I have been aware that journalism is still changing to adapt to a new era of news media consumption. However, you would have to be a hermit to know that in the change, traditional journalism jobs are beginning to dwindle at a quickening pace.

I think studying in a different part of my country has made me more aware of a life after college than if I went to study in Europe or South America. Let's pretend I went to Spain this fall. I would have the time of my life, take great pictures, fall in love with the country (and perhaps someone) but I wouldn't realistically believe I would move there after college. Living in DC has given me a taste of a life I could practically and most likely lead after college. That fact thrills me and scares me at the same time.

They call my generation the "lost generation". Meaning the college graduates of my generation now face worse economic possibilities than the generation of my parents. This has never happened before since the Depression. Also, the unemployment rate is now at 10.2% while the rate for minorities and women are much higher than that figure.

This post is not meant to be depressing but a reality check. Studying in DC has allowed me to not only meet some dear friends but also prepare me for some of the harsh realities I will have to face after commencement in 2011.

One day I will use the people I work with as references and put my experience here on a resume. I wonder if I had gone to Ireland or Italy if I would have this opportunity. I admit I am not living half as glamorously as my friends in Europe this semester but at the same time, I know a little more about what I want after college and my employment appeal has boosted itself a couple notches. If you, reader, ever have to choose about to study domestically or internationally I do not recommend one over the other. I know that everyone is different but for me, DC was the only choice for me.

Didn't really plan that one...

They say pride always comes before the fall...sometimes even in the fall of a shoe.

Earlier I wrote about the importance of wearing the right shoe for any and every occasion. While I do try to wear the best shoe to compliment the event and my legs, sometimes one can not always know which shoe will be appropriate...let me explain.

I do not claim to be a California girl but I have adopted the west coast acceptance of wearing flip flops for all twelve months of the year. I knew living in DC would probably limit my time in open-toed footwear but I was optimistic I would last at least till November. Yet November has proved to be mixed with rain and sunshine thus giving me a false sense of security that I could wear my beloved Rainbows till Thanksgiving. I even went out in the rain one day in my precious foot wear to the local 7/11 just to spite the rain and convention.

Yet all good things must come to an end, some more suddenly than others. The sunshine spilling into my apartment inspired me to bust out the Rainbows and go to Target this afternoon. My roommates who went with me laughed on our to the metro how fortunate we were to be in a place where it was still warm enough to wear short sleeves and sandals. But oh how we should have taken more care!! Stepping off the metro I didn't even see how close Angela stepping behind me. In one brief step on my shoe, my leather sandal flew off my foot and went bump....bump...bump...plop.

Yes that's right folks, my shoe fell down into the metro rail tracks, leaving me speechless. Nobody prepares you for when your shoe falls into the metrorail. It's about four feet down from the platform and you are not going down there but what do you do? I didn't have a shoe for goodness sakes. The metro personal were not friendly nor at all sympathetic, my friends did not pack an extra sandal in their purses and the nearest store was outside. Whats a girl to do?

I ended up transferring and riding the rest of the metro trip to Target as planned. I did it with one shoe and one humiliated complexion. I walked barefoot across the street to the nearest Payless and bought the first pair of flats in the shortest amount of time ever.

This was definitely not one of the more glamorous moments I have had in DC but at the same time it was hilarious. How many people do you know lose personal belongings on a metro platform while going to Target? It was a first for me. While I'm saddened by my small silly loss, I love the story.

Where the Hill Climbers Are...

So far I have only shown my life out and about in DC. While I do go out and explore my new surroundings, I also spend time in my apartment building. I've never lived in an apartment before so getting used to four other roommates has been interesting but also rewarding. I am spoiled to live with good people so I thought I would share with you some glimpse of my life when I'm not out meeting the Dalai Lama...

I actually got a brief snapshot of my apartment when no one is in it. The living room is where my apartmentmates and many guests hang out. Our apartment struggles to find a happy temperature to appease everyone in the room. We are constantly living in either a tropical paradise or ice igloo. I may be fine in shorts in the photo above but my poor roommate below is freezing in her blanket.Our small kitchen is somewhat unique, particularly the stove. Three of the burners are almost completely useless. I have been known to turn on all four of the burners and wait in anticipation to see which, if any, will heat up. However, all the burners are lopsided; meaning if anyone wants to cook anything you will be standing there holding your ghetto blackened pot while your Hamburger Helper simmers.

The heat controls are actually located on the microwave above the stove which leads us to believe this might be the first stove/microwave unit ever invented. Our microwave also has a metal rack in it thus it's not really a microwave at all...Luckily our silly little kitchen does not stop people from visiting or even prevent amazing desserts from being created.New favorite thing to do? Jam sessions. Oh and for those who are curious, our bedrooms are just as nice too...except they're a little bare. That's the thing that no one tells you about living abroad for a semester. You may get a nice apartment, but at the end of the day you're still gonna have blank white walls staring at you--reminding you of your lack of insight to pack anything that would take away from the blinding glare of egg shell beige. But with airport weight limits, who has the room?

One of the spacious closets... also in egg shell beige...

Still want more of where I live? No worries. My gal and roommate Angela made this awesome video for the program we're in (Washington Journalism Center). It shows not only the apartment but the apartment building and other areas I hang out. The video also highlights where the apartment is located and what's available to the students here. Oh, and I may have a small but important role in this as well...

Newseum Love

Recently the program I am in, Washington Journalism Center took all nine of us to the Newseum. Now I have been to many museums while in DC. Some cool and some interesting but none held my attention as this one museum. Finally, I have found a museum that intrigued me, challenged me, and inspired me.

One the sixth floor of the museum, you can take your picture to over look the Capitol building. This is one of the better pictures taken of our group.

I found it sad and yet humorous women were once banned from entering the Press Club...especially since I work there currently.

My new favorite phrase.

The Newseum has a lot of great films in it but my favorite was the 4-D film on the history of news. Naturally the glasses were a big hit.

My roommate and I loved the news studio we got to tour.

The Newseum is definitely a must see when in DC for just about anyone concerned with freedom, American history, politics, oh and news. It made me cry (seriously I don't the 9/11 film could be any more touching), laugh, and broke (the bookstore loved me).

The best thing I got to take away from the Newseum experience? Well let me show you...


This is my new gem to my collection...