the verdict is in...

I love the District of Columbia.

The jury was out for a little while, but life looks a lot different these days from when I came here twenty days ago. I arrived wide-eyed, overwhelmed and unsure about what the heck I was doing. Three weeks later, I'm wide-eyed, overwhelmed and unsure about what the heck I'm doing. But I'm starting to enter a state of normalcy, and that feels so very good. What a difference new friends, great co-workers, roommates that can cook, the new Hillsong album, and a close Subway (sandwiches) location can make.

Also, sights like this are making me feel right at home:

*Please click on this picture to get the full effect.*

I thought about cropping this. But I just... couldn't... do it.

Go A-murica!

Here's a little taste of what my days are like.

Walk five minutes to work here:

Make my fellow intern take an awkward solo shot of me in front of the capitol:

Console fellow intern when he loses his glasses and has to wear his prescription sunglasses to work:

Try to make fellow intern feel better by wearing my own sunglasses at work:

Make pancakes (eat pancakes):

Hang out at Eastern Market:

Try to look cool and read a book here:

Do touristy stuff with my roommate:

Meet Jenni for the first time, go to church with her, go to small group with her, let her family cook for me, feel like I've known her for ten years, pay her to be my friend, and thank the Lord for providing such a wonderful blessing:

My mom brought a very important milestone to my attention the other day. It was the first day that I had not called her. I think this is a pretty good gauge of my overall emotional well-being. Research (my own) has shown that there is a direct, positive correllation between the number of times I need something and the number of times I call my mother. The results of my study have concluded that things are looking up, and I'm becoming less dependent. Until I need help with the Stouffer's lasagna recipe...

I'm still learning a ton. About everything. Politics, theology, life, how to make friends with the mailroom staff in the basement... you know, everything. But other times I realize that I haven't even touched the surface of all there is to learn. It's humbling, really. But that's another post for another day...

Right now I gotta call my mom.