Only 364 days left until next Christmas!

So I tried to give my blog a bit of a face lift, but I'm still trying to get the hang of it, so bear with me as I gradually make some changes.  I had a wonderful Christmas day with my parents filled with delicious food, fun presents, and quality family time. I got some great new jewelry, accessories, and makeup that I am excited to debut in the new year!  

In other news, I am officially moving back east in early January!  I got an amazing apartment on the 15th floor with my friends Shaun and Bri in Arlington, Virginia.  It's on the outskirts of Washington DC, across the street from the metro and a mall, has a huge gym and rooftop pool, and despite paying twice as much rent as I did in Oregon, we got it for a really good price.  Plus, I finally have my own room again! As of now I'm still working at the restaurant while I search around for my first real "big-girl" job.  Now that I won't be working 7 days a week, I will have more time to search for jobs and really put myself out there, and I'm going to be super aggressive about sending out a certain number of job applications every week.  I'm thinking 20 applications/week, since let's be real, 15 of those will probably never even be reviewed...but I might send out even more if I can!  I'm not excited about still working in a restaurant as a college graduate, but I am so thankful for my job and the wonderful people who work there, and am grateful for any source of income at this point.  I'm so ready to know what I want to do with my life...I love journalism, but I also want to do something that really helps our youth or less fortunate individuals, and I also have a passion for our government and criminal investigation...is there any way to combine all of these passions I have into one rewarding career?

Nevertheless, I have a feeling 2012 is going to be an eventful, life changing year, and I am looking forward to really finding my way into the real world and transitioning into financial independence (which I'm sure my parents are looking forward to as well!)

$39 spent well

So finding a job has been really stressing me out, not to mention my current living situation.  Groupon had an awesome deal for an hour-long Swedish massage for $39, so I decided to treat myself.  I think I deserve it!

21 days until an hour of pure relaxation and bliss after a 9 hour workday at CBS.

One month left!

So now that I'm about a month away from heading back home to San Diego (either for a while, or just for the holidays...depends on if and where I find a job!), I've decided to compile a list of things I like and don't like about Washington D.C.  Some of them aren't even about the city, but rather my experiences here.  Here goes.

Likes:

• The public transportation system is really easy to use and makes not having a car not as bad.
• There is so much history here! So many free museums, national monuments, and great photo opps.
• My internship with CBS is awesome--I've met so many interesting people, had so many great experiences, and I really love the people I work with.  I've learned a lot, to say the least.
• I enjoy my restaurant job...$12 an hour plus tips as a hostess? I can't complain there.
• There are so many restaurants and bars out here.  I'm never at a loss of where to get happy hour or go out on the weekends.
• Happy hours in D.C. are what people out here live for.  And I'm down to have a few drinks earlier in the night so I can still abide by my new grandma bedtime of 10 PM.
• It's surprising how many people from high school and college I've seen out here.  It's always fun to reconnect.
• It's fun living in an area so focused on politics...it's definitely an exciting time to be out here with elections less than a year away, and I'm learning a lot more about politics than I ever have before.

Dislikes:

• Catching a metro can take forever on the weekends.  I miss my car.
• Intern housing.  Sharing a bedroom is difficult enough at times, but even harder when it's with three other girls and bunk beds are involved.
• Everything is SO expensive out here.  It costs me about $5 to get to and from work every day on the metro, and don't even get me started on the cost of meals.  Let's just say McDonald's doesn't even have a dollar menu here because D.C. must have some law against cheap food.
• People out here can be quite uptight.  Won't apologize when they bump into you, have no concept of customer service...it's definitely a change compared to the laid back vibe of the west coast.

Regardless of all the pros and cons, I've still had a great time out here, and even though I work weekends, there's something about Fridays that always make me eager to let loose.  Only 3 days to go till the weekend!

Beauty on a Budget

I love trying out new makeup and skin care products, but I've been true to a few products since before I can even remember.  After browsing Lauren Conrad's website today, I was inspired to share some beauty tricks of my own, all of which are affordable on a recent college graduate's budget.

The most important part of a makeup regime is lotion, lotion, and more lotion.  I put on Olay's Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream (it's never too early to start preventing those bad boys!), and Aveeno's Ultra Calming Moisturiser right after I wash my face in the morning.  I always make sure to buy moisturizers with SPF...it's important, even in the winter!

 

I've found that cheap mascara is way better than anything you can buy at Sephora.  Maybelline's Define a Lash is less than $10, and has been true to me since high school.

As for eyeliner, I use a dark brown for my top liner and a light brown for my bottom liner...black is sometimes too harsh for lighter eyes, and I find that this gives me a more natural look while still providing enough definition for my eyes. For eyeliner, I stick with Revlon Colorstay in Cocoa and Brown.  It goes on really smoothly, stays on all day, and is only about $8.

Now my facemake up is a little more pricey than the rest, but it's absolutely amazing and can make anyone's skin look radiant.  Bare Minerals provides coverage while still looking natural, and has a lot of color options to fit everyone's skin tones.  I start off with Bare Minerals in Medium Beige, then use their bisque product for my under eyes or any blemishes.  Then I swipe some Bare Minerals bronzer and blush on my cheeks, and finish off my face with Bare Mineral's Mineral Veil.   A good tip: Buy these products on Amazon for much cheaper prices!

Finally, I'm completely addicted to chapstick and have to have one on me at all times.  Nivea's Hydrating Lip Care as well as Aquaphor's Healing Ointment always seem to do the trick, and I like to top it off with a tinted gloss to finish up the job.  Right now I'm loving my Lancome Juicy Tube, which was the "it" lipgloss to have in middle school...and apparently still gets the job done.

 

My last tip is to always wash your face at night before you to go to bed.  Even though it's tempting to pass out with your makeup on after a long night, it's important to wash off your make up and put on moisturizer before you let your face hit the pillow! I recommend using Olay's Anti Wrinkle Eye Cream again before bed, as well as Aveeno's Positively Ageless Night Cream.

I also swear by Proactiv's Renewing Cleanser, but you have to find a face wash that works best for your skin type! I hope some of these products help save your skin as much as they helped saved mine!

Let's Hear it for the Boy

So last night after a long day at CBS my roommate Lauren and I went to see the new remake of Footloose.  It was as cheesy as expected, but I absolutely loved it.  I thought the acting was great, the dancing was fun to watch, and the soundtrack is amazing.  I currently have Ella Mae Bowen's remake of "I Need a Hero" stuck in my head and have been listening to it on repeat...I'm definitely downloading the soundtrack when I get home.

I think it's safe to say that Kenny Wormald is my new celebrity crush.  With that sexy Boston accent, his amazing smile and his awesome dance moves, it was hard not to completely fall in love with him after watching him on the big screen for two hours.

Go see this movie in theaters--I promise you, it's worth your money.

I can sleep when I'm dead...right?

So I've been crazy busy lately but loving every minute of it.  My internship is amazing...my boss really tries to give me every possible opportunity to get exposure to the news industry, and I've been able to do a lot of research on stories that air on the national news.  So far I've seen or met John McCain, Hermain Cain, Newt Gingrich, Scott Pelley, and a few national news correspondents, all of whom have left me a bit starstruck.  It's funny how the "celebrities" out here are politicians, but I guess that's D.C. for you.  Anyways, I'm going to the opening of the MLK Memorial bright and early tomorrow morning and will get to see Obama speak, so I'm really looking forward to that (and a strong cup of coffee), since I haven't seen him speak in person since he visited UO in 2008.

My restaurant job is good and is helping me pay for a lot out here, and I know once the weather gets colder I will start making way more money doing coat check.  It's not a lot of money by any means, but it's enough to get me through my new habit of online shopping, happy hours, and take-out lunches when I don't have enough time in the morning to pack my own.  I really miss my friends and family back home and in Oregon, and although I have great roommates and awesome co-workers, it's definitely hard not being back in a college environment where I am constantly surrounded by my best friends, my sorority, and familiarity in general.  It's also hard working weekends since it doesn't give me much of a social life, but I do like that the weekend news crew is smaller, as it allows me to help out a lot more.

The two main things I really really miss: my own room and my car.  One of my roommates is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, but quite possibly the noisiest in the morning (as if it's not bad enough having bunk beds).  This morning she was leaving our apartment to take an early flight, and she answered her cellphone at 4 AM in our bedroom, left both doors open with the lights on, and was slamming around below me like she was searching for lost treasure.  Long story short, this is a frequent occurrence, and while we've all discussed multiple times about being quiet while others are sleeping, she doesn't seem to realize how loud she is being.  So basically, I have constant dark circles under my eyes from being exhausted, and even when I do get the chance to sleep in (which is about 8:30 AM for me on a good day), I still get woken up abruptly before my alarm even goes off.  As for my car, walking to the metro and back in the rain is miserable, and I don't enjoy having to lug my heavy groceries for 4 blocks on the walk home from the grocery store...so a car would be nice right about now.

But that's enough complainging for now...overall, I'm really loving D.C.  I don't know if I'd ever want to settle down here for a long period of time, but if I got offered a job out here I'd definitely take it.  I need to start looking into jobs, and at this point, I'd take one anywhere...I'm mainly interested in finding a job in New England, Portland, or even Texas, but I know I have to take any opportunity that comes my way.  I've loved living with my parents and I am excited to visit San Diego for the holidays, but I don't want to live at home again after the internship.  Fingers crossed that I find a good career somewhere, preferably in the news industry!

One Month in D.C. Already!

Hey all,

It's been a while since my last post, but I've unfortunately been sick with bronchitis for the last 2 weeks or so! I finally got antibiotics last Tuesday, and it took a while for them to kick in but I'm finally feeling better. So far I'm loving my job at Kinkeads, and I'm meeting a ton of great people! I missed all of last week at CBS because of the bronchitis, but I'm back at work today and helping out the evening news crew since my boss Christina is out of town.  My manager at Kinkeads asked me to help out for a few hours after I get done at CBS, so it's going to be a long night!  I'm pretty much tired all the time now that I work 7 days a week, but coffee and Diet Coke get me through the day.

I had a great 22nd birthday but it definitely made me miss all of my friends from Oregon and San Diego so much! I pretty much call my parents every day so I don't give them much of a chance to miss me, but it's hard keeping in touch with all my friends on the west coast because of conflicting work schedules and the time difference.  Anyways, my 22nd birthday was definitely more low key than my 21st, but I think that's only appropriate, and my roommates out here made it a good time.

I ordered some new oxford booties for work that I think will be fun for the fall and winter out here in D.C.  I got them in black, and had to have my mom send them to me from my house in San Diego after mixing up my shipping and billing address.  They should get here tomorrow, and I hope they fit!

New job!

So after searching Craigslist like a mad woman, I lined up some part-time job interviews and today I got offered a job at a restaurant named Kinkeads! From what I know of it so far, it's a very high end, well known, award winning seafood restaurant, so I'm excited for my first day tomorrow!  I'm going to be a hostess, and will be working there Monday through Wednesday when I'm not at CBS...which means I'll be working every day of the week! I'm tired already just thinking about it, but I think it will be good for me to stay busy, and hopefully I can make some new friends at work!  The restaurant is across the street from the World Bank, so I'm sure I will be meeting a lot of successful people from all over the world!  It's also located near George Washington University, so it will be nice to be surrounded by so many young people!

I'm currently fighting a cold so I'm going to try to get to bed early so I can get better ASAP.  No one likes a sick hostess!

Proud to be an American

So it's my 3rd day on the internship and it's going well so far! It was definitely a struggle coming into work on the weekend, but I didn't have to come in till 11:30 AM today and have been getting off early, so I can't really complain about my shifts! The most exciting part of the internship so far was probably yesterday when my boss and I went to Capitol Hill for an interview with Congressman Michael Grimm.  I'd never met a politician before, and it was a really awesome experience to meet him and see his office.  So far everyone I've met at the internship is really nice, and my boss seems to genuinely care about making sure I'm getting a good experience here.  It's definitely been slow so far when it comes to my specific intern duties, but it's really interesting being in a national news room when big events like the anniversary of 9/11 are coming up.

Speaking of 9/11, my boss told me not to take the metro today or tomorrow because of the terror threats.  I can't say I like paying for the taxi rides to and from my apartment, but it is nice not having to walk to and from the metro every day and I'd rather play it safe.  I'm praying the terror threats don't actually come true--not because I'm worried about my safety in the nation's capitol, but because I can't even fathom our nation and our people suffering through such a tragic event again.  All of the coverage on the news lately of individuals who lost family members 10 years ago makes me extremely thankful for my parents, family, and all of my friends.  I'm hoping everyone stays safe this weekend and as always, I'm proud to be an American.

Public transportation, I've got you down

So I have to say, after being in D.C. for 9 days, I'm feeling very confident in my metro skills and navigating my way around the city.  I've been having a blast here so far, and as of today all of my roommates have moved in! So it's me, Teressa, Danielle and Lauren sharing one room, and Jevonna and Meera in another room.  Everyone has really different personalities and career goals, but we all get along really well and I'm excited to get to know everyone even better.

I got dinner with a girl earlier last week who is friends with one of my closest friends from high school, and I had a lot of fun hanging out with someone who understands the California lifestyle but is still looking to start a new life in D.C.  I also got coffee and did some shopping today with a girl from my sorority, Lindsey, and it was fun catching up with an old friend.  Since I don't know very many people out here, I really have to take advantage of getting together with the few people I do know and friends of my friends. This weekend, some of my roommates and some other new friends went out in Chinatown for a fun dinner, and then Lauren, Jevonna and I explored the nightlife in D.C. together.  It's definitely different than Eugene and San Diego, but I had a lot of fun and am eager to explore more as the weeks go on! We also went to the D.C. Zoo this weekend which didn't even come close to the World Famous San Diego Zoo, but it was free and we still got to see a few cool animal exhibits!

I start work this Thursday and am so excited to get started and meet all of the other interns! I'm so eager to finally have a weekly routine and am looking forward to being more productive with my life! Until then, I'm forcing myself to work out, clean, grocery shop, and make sure I'm completely ready for my new internship! I'm also still brainstorming ways to survive the humidity here...the west coast definitely did not prepare me for this, and I'm missing my car with air conditioning more than ever!

All moved in!

I'm finally here!  I got to Washington D.C. around noon and after three hours I am completely done unpacking!  My apartment here is absolutely wonderful...there are six of sharing the apartment, and it's really spacious.  I'm sharing a room with three other girls and I'm definitely going to have to get used to sleeping on the top bunk, but living in Pi Phi for two years has more than prepared me for this.  Our bathroom and walk-in closet have plenty of room for all of our stuff, and we each have our own dresser and huge drawer under the bed.  The living room has the most comfortable couches and chairs (currently one of my roommates is passed out on one), and we have a flat screen TV which is currently set to the news to keep us posted on Hurricane Irene.  I'm not too worried about my safety in D.C. but I will probably be stuck inside my apartment until tomorrow afternoon.  Our apartment has a dining table, a nice modern kitchen, tons of storage for our suitcases, a giant pantry for our food, and our own washer and dryer.  Two of my roommates are sharing a room and they have their own bathroom too, so I'm really thankful our apartment is so spacious.

I've only met two of my roommates, Jevanna and Terassa, and they both seem really down to earth and sweet!  I'm guessing we will spending a lot of time together this weekend because of the hurricane, so I'm excited to get to know them better!

I had a great time in Maryland and got to spend a lot of time with my grandma, aunt, and all of my cousins.  My cousin Felicia who is only a year older than me took me to get Mexican food at her favorite place on Thursday, and although it was good, their fish tacos didn't even come close to the Mexican food at home.  I might have to stick to seafood while I'm here, which I can't complain about.  After that we went out for drinks and watched the Ravens/Redskins football game at a sports bar, and it was a lot of fun catching up with her.  I'm very fortunate to have family out here, and I look forward to visiting them when I'm not working.

I'm reading the book "The Hunger Games" right now and it's amazing.  I stayed up late reading because I couldn't put the book down, so I'm pretty tired already after waking up early and unpacking all afternoon. The grey sky and rain isn't helping me stay awake either.

Below are some pictures of my apartment and my trip to Maryland, and I'm praying for everyone on the east coast to stay safe in the hurricane.

Tomorrow!

I can't believe the day has finally come!  I leave for the east coast TOMORROW!  I've been packing and cleaning like a mad woman, and even though I feel like I'm traveling light I still have 2 suitcases, 2 carry-ons, and 2 boxes that I will have to fit into my apartment! I'm arriving in Baltimore around 2:30 and then my aunt and cousins are picking me up and bringing me back to their house to see the family.  I'm leaving for the airport around 4:30 AM tomorrow and I'm guessing I won't be able to get much sleep tonight, so hopefully I can fall asleep on the plane.  I'm hoping, praying, and crossing my fingers for a safe flight with no turbulence...I can't even begin to count the number of times I've flown in my life, but it's still my biggest fear.

My last to-do of the night is to paint my nails! I want to start this new adventure looking my best, and that includes freshly painted nails...my best friend Amanda would be proud! I've been wanting a nude polish for a while now so I got a new OPI shade...feminine, subtle, and way more professional than the sparkles and crackle nail polish I've been sporting lately.

I'm officially moving into my apartment in D.C. on August 24th...Capitol Hill, I'll see you soon! 

Internship assignments!

So I found out this morning that I am going to be interning for CBS Weekend News!  Obviously it will take some adjusting to working on the weekends, but the intern coordinator at CBS said the weekend staff is small so I will be helping out a lot.  She also said the Weekend News needs a really strong intern, so I'm flattered that she chose me for the position.  Additionally, she said she may have me help out the politics unit, as well as do research for Face the Nation. Overall, she said I'd be able to get a lot of first hand experience with multiple departments and get my feet wet in several different areas, so I'm really excited!  My first day is September 8th, so I'll have plenty of time to get familiar with the city before I start. I think I finally have everything I need for the big move after making three separate trips to Target and Walmart in the past three days.

 Goal number one once I get to the city: Figure out how to use public transportation.

Less than a week!

That's right, only six more days until I leave for the east coast!  I'm really excited to stay with my grandma and aunt in Maryland for three days before I move to D.C., and I'll also get to see the rest of my mom's side of the family.  It's been almost ten years since I've seen some of them, and my cousins who were little the last time I saw them are teenagers now. We will hardly recognize each other!

Until then, I'm just running errands like hair and dentist appointments and spending time with friends.  I'm spending the night at my friend Allie's house tomorrow, and I'm so excited to hang out with her and her roommate!

I took my watch into Nordstrom to see if there was anything they could do about the gold wearing off of the watch links, and they offered to replace it...again.  Nordstrom has the best customer service I've ever experienced. However, they didn't have my watch in stock, so I figured I'd change it up and go for a different watch instead.  I'm looking forward to debuting it on the opposite side of the country.

The date is set!

I’m officially moving back to the east coast on August 24th! I am flying into Baltimore and staying with my grandma and aunt until the 27th, and then moving into intern housing on Capitol Hill! My apartment is supposedly close to the metro, a grocery store, and is only a few blocks from the nation’s capitol, so I couldn’t be more excited about my location.  I should be getting all of my roommate information tomorrow, but as of now I know I’m sharing a room with 3 other girls and most likely a few other girls will share the apartment with us. It’s going to be a tight squeeze, but D.C. housing is ridiculously expensive, and I figure after living in a sorority house with 53 girls for 2 straights years, I will do just fine!

I’m really happy that I’m living in intern housing because the people I will be living with will all be on the same page.  We will most likely all be out of state, college-aged interns who aren’t familiar with the city, and I think in a sense it will be like living in the dorms again!  Fingers crossed I have laid back roommates who have a good balance between work and play.  It will definitely be hard competing with my roommates from senior year, but I’m optimistic that things will work out well.  I’m obviously in D.C. to further my career goals and gain more experience in the news industry, but I turn 22 at the end of September and want to have a few fun girlfriends who will celebrate with me and will want to get a few drinks every now and then to let loose on the weekends (that is, if I’m not assigned to the weekend news)!

I should be finding out more about my living situation and my CBS internship assignment soon, so I will definitely blog once I know more. Until then, I have to start packing, running last minute errands like dentist and hair appointments, and of course, shopping for work clothes.  D.C. is an extremely fashionable city so the pressure is on to find cute yet sophisticated work clothes…I’m thinking H&M and Nordstrom Rack will be some of my first stops. At my last internship with NBC, I could wear anything from dress pants and a blouse to cute Summer dresses with a sweater, and I rarely wore heels.  But D.C. is a big news market, so who knows what interns out there will be wearing.  I also have to factor in that I will be in D.C. from the most hot and humid part of the Summer to mid Winter…that definitely won’t make packing any easier!

The weather forecast for next week in D.C. has temperatures in the 80′s and 90′s, with a few scattered lightening and thunderstorms throughout the week…as much as I’m ready to say goodbye to San Diego for a while, it’s going to be hard competing with this beautiful weather.

Mind made up

Early last Spring, after waiting over a month, sending many emails, and being very frustrated by not knowing whether or not I was accepted, I was offered an internship position at CBS News in Washington D.C.  When I found out I was ecstatic…I was loving being part of a real news crew with Oregon News, I was co-producing DuckU News, and I felt confident taking on a new internship after spending last Summer interning with NBC 7/39 in San Diego.  However, after moving out of my house in Oregon and coming back to San Diego, my mood changed quickly.  I missed my friends, hated not being busy all the time, and questioned whether news was the right industry for me.  I decided to start applying for jobs, and if I found one that paid well and that I liked enough, I would take it over my internship with CBS News.

Days went by, I was still unemployed, and I started realizing that I had to make a decision soon.  I was scared, and part of me wanted to turn down the internship in hopes of finding a job that would pay, rather than pay thousands of dollars I don’t have to move across the country and intern full time for no pay. I introduced myself to a girl who works at my gym and is interning for ABC in San Diego this Summer, and her stuck-up personality and snooty questions about my reporting reel made me fear that everyone in this industry was going to be as self-centered as she was.  But I kept thinking about my favorite professor who wrote me a recommendation for the internship and even called me to congratulate me after I got it.  I kept thinking about how I received an $1000 scholarship from the UO Alumni Association of Washington D.C. to help with my living costs, and I kept thinking about how I would be closer to all of my family if I moved back to the east coast.  But I was still scared. No one, I mean no one hates failure more than I do, and to be honest, I am pretty bad at handling rejection and not feeling like I’m good enough…and part of me thought that would happen if I moved to D.C. all on my own.

I had to make up my mind about what I wanted to do, so I finally reminded myself thateverything happens for a reason.  If I wasn’t supposed to go to this internship, I would have gotten a job in San Diego that would have paid me enough to want to stay. God works in mysterious ways, and finally, out of nowhere, I got the courage to mentally commit to this internship.  I even applied to two different intern housing locations in Washington D.C. earlier today! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that one of those work out…I think it would be really fun to be surrounded with other interns my age who are interning for different Congress members, the White House, and hopefully even other news stations.

My mind is made up.  I’m moving to Washington D.C. in the Fall to intern with CBS News, and as soon as I figure out where I’m living, I’m booking a one way ticket to the nation’s capitol.