Almost Home

In honor of today being my second to last full day in D.C., I thought I'd share some things I will miss about my job and this wonderful city!

1. Touching History

I will most definitely miss how close I have come to some of the most interesting books and documents I have ever seen. Today I got to observe the hyperspectral imaging of 2 such documents, both written by Abraham Lincoln. One was his draft of the Emancipation Proclamation (pictured below), and the other was a copy of his first inaugural address that was typed/printed with many handwritten notes/corrections attached that flipped open to reveal the original text below. It was SO COOL to be so close to something that good ol' Abe had ACTUALLY written in his own hand...definitely one of the highlights of my time here! And, of course, there is the gorgeous Ptolemy atlas that I have been working on all summer, as well as many other cool things that some of the other interns found and exhibited.




2. FOOD!

There are some seriously yummy restaurants here! Those of you who know me well know that I tend to get incredibly specific and intense food cravings for a particular dish from a particular restaurant. Unfortunately, the following D.C. institutions are not very easily accessible from Chicago, and so if a craving strikes I will be pretty much screwed....lol. Good Stuff, We The Pizza, and Firehook provided me with some deliciousness that I will definitely miss (especially the milkshakes made from homemade gelato.....soooooo good!)! I will also miss the convenience of Eastern Market, and all of its quirky vendors. I hope to find a farmer's market back home, because Eastern Market's delicious local produce has definitely turned me into a farmer's market devotee!









3. Things to see and do!

One great thing about DC is that you are never too far away from something cool! The free museums and monuments, as well as the events put on by these institutions, provide almost endless entertainment options that are almost always free! Even though Chicago/the suburbs has tons to do as well, I will miss the Botanic Gardens, the National Museum of the American Indian, taking walks around the Capitol Building and down the Mall, and of course the Library of Congress's beautiful Jefferson building and all of its exhibits.

Sleepy

I have been sleepy, almost constantly, for the last two months, hence the lack of updates. I plan to start blogging more regularly soon, though! In the mean time, here is a list of goals I have for August:

1. Get a JOB!!

2. Once I get a job, formulate a budget and stick to it!

3. Go to Chicago Comic-Con and not spend more than $20 (lmao, we'll see how that works out...)

4. Go to the Ren Faire and not spend more than $20 (again, we'll see how that works out!)

5. Make time for all of my wonderful friends, who I have missed since being gone!

6. Somehow repay my amazing boyfriend for all of the hard work he's done fixing my car for me!

7. Be a better cat mom and take Rory to the vet.

8. Work out at least twice a week/go to the gym at least once a week*

*note: I have a gym membership that does not expire until next year, and so I feel the need to go there even though it's slightly far from where I will be living when I get home because it's kind of an expensive gym. But, the group fitness classes make it totally worth it!)

9. Re-read the Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr books before November when the final book in the series comes out!

10. Clean/organize my room

I think 10 is good for now. I may add more later :) Happy August, everyone!