This week has been really fun and chilly! On Sunday we had a Halloween Party where we had dinner, dancing and a costume contest. My friends and I were Charlie’s Angels and it was a lot of fun being able to dress up and seeing what other people did for their costumes too. Everyone was very spirited which is really important since there are only about 60 of us. The party actually ended early because one of the speakers was blown out but it was good because some people still needed to finish homework and I got to talk with my roommates and clean the bathroom for room inspection. Tuesday was really exciting because it was Election Day and everyone was really excited and we had a party watching the results. Being here has helped shape my opinions on different matters and know that what I think does matter. It’s such a great privilege to have a government that allows all citizens to have input. On Wednesday we didn’t go to school because we had a field trip to Arlington National Cemetery where we got to see the changing of the guard. It was a really beautiful place where the Kennedy’s are and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Later that afternoon I had to do garden club as punishment for forgetting to do kitchen duty. In garden club we had to go out into the cold and planting tulips and there were a lot of worms. On Friday I stayed after school to work on a project for writing a bill for Energy and Public Policy. We spent the evening at Pentagon City Mall and Amanda and I did some serious shopping. We bought presents for Meghan because her birthday was today and we also both bought Ugg boots for the winter. I bought a couple of headbands to keep my hair back since it’s getting longer and also a few long sleeved shirts and a sweater since it’s getting colder. On Saturday I got started on some homework and dressed nicely for a play about King Henry and then Meghan’s surprise birthday. Meghan had no idea that we were doing anything for her, we had one of her friends that she works with take her shopping right after the play while we got together 20 other friends to go to one of her favorite restaurants where they met us at. It was a seafood restaurant and on the menu it said “Happy Birthday Meghan” and they also brought her a slice of cake. It was so much fun and it was great together a big group to help her celebrate her birthday being away from home. After, we broke up into smaller groups and we stayed with Meghan and went into this tourist shop where we all got jackets and sweatshirts for $5. Today I just did my regular Sunday routine where I only went out for lunch and spent the rest of the day doing laundry, homework and watched church online. The relationships that I’m building with people here are unlike any that I’ve ever had; living with your peers is a completely different experience that always interesting whether were debating or joking around. This city is also amazing, today we filmed a project about the future and I still can’t get over how many colorful leaves, squirrels and buildings there are. Today the church message that I watched was all about discovering your gifts and sharing them with the world and I look forward to finding my gifts and I feel so incredibly blessed to be given this opportunity. Two more weeks until I visit home!
