15 Days & Counting!

So as my time here in DC starts to get a little more awesome, it is only 15 days until I return home to wonderful CLU and prepare for another adventure called Semester at Sea. This past weekend my dad was here again and we did a lot. The weather has been wonderful in DC, the cherry blossoms are blooming and the sun is shining, the paddle boats are out on the Potomac in the Tidal Basin, and the grass is green on the National Mall, finally the weather I've been waiting for! While my dad was here I checked off quite a few things from my list. The best part was staying at the Ritz Carlton and hanging out with the Detroit Pistons haha. We finished the two Smithsonians I hadn't been too and that my dad was interested in, then we had dinner at Tombs in Georgetown that Candice told me about Wednesday night. We also went to this homemade ice cream shop in Georgetown that Candice referred to me it was amazing! We went through GWs campus and got me a shirt and his shot glass, then we also treked through Georgetown's campus looking for their bookstore, which was impossible to find. I didn't want anything by the time we got it because it was so hot from walking everywhere. The Capitals Hockey game was amazing!! Go CAPS they are going to rock the play-offs! Jefferson Memorial and Cherry Blossom Festival were awesome! That's basically what we did in a nutshell! Now n exactly five short hours I will be waking up to prepare on the best adventure to date: a Supreme Court Oral Argument. YAY! A group of us are getting up early to make breakfast for ourselves and the boys (Kevin Bumb, Eric, and Tyler) and the girls (Me, Amanda, Heather). Pancakes are my deal, Eggs are Amanda's and the boys better bring the syrup! lol. Actually we all need to wake up first! Haha. Anyway, then after that, I have a field trip for Violence and Values at the Arlington Detention Center, they told the girls to wear conservative clothing and nothing that sticks to you, uhh jeans stick to you!!! This should be interesting haha. Then our field trip with LCWS is to see Chicago at the theater! It's going to be a long and exciting day! I'm most excited for the Supreme Court hearing of course, it starts at 10am but since so many people try to go we have to get in line by 6:30am-7am. I bought my plane ticket home! I will be flying into LAX on April 16th, at 11:06pm WOOOO! This weekend I am doing all my community service hours working at the Cherry Blossom Parade and then an easter egg hunt thing here at the apartments.

Semester at Sea changed the itinerary on us again, we are no longer going to Croatia, Egypt, and Turkey due to piracy issues that they are unsure will be resolved by the time we go. So now my itinerary looks a little something like this along with my cheaper tuition because I got moved to an Economy cabin! WOO!
Fall 2009 Voyage Ports:
- Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Cadiz, Spain
- Casablanca, Morocco
- Accra, Ghana
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Port Louis, Mauritius
- Chennai, India
- Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
- Hong Kong
- Shanghai, China
- Kobe / Yokohama, Japan
- Honolulu / Hilo, Hawaii
- San Diego, CA

Yay! Although I had stuff planned, it's time to restart my planning now that my itinerary got changed. Emily I can't wait to talk to you about South Africa and Mauritius! Our Ghana stop is the first one EVER on Semester at Sea so that's really exciting! I'm a little nervous about the new African countries, but I think I will be okay, I just want to make sure I don't get sick or anything like that, I am really paranoid about that kind of stuff, I also have to get lots of shots before I go.

Anyway, DC is finishing out nicely, just one ten-page paper in my way, the debate and final test for Controversy should be a breeze, I hope I got an A on my presentation with my group last week because then I just need to Ace this paper and hopefuly get an A- but I'll more than likely get a B+ cuz he is not the greatest of professors.

Well I need to go to bed, long Wednesday ahead of me!

A-Ram

P.S - List continued after finishing some of it:
- Bureau of Engraving
- Mt. Vernon
- Resevoir
- Kennedy Center
- Eastern Market
- Army/Navy/Air Force Memorial

25 Days Left!

Only 3.5 weeks left! I really miss California, and I really can't wait to get back home, but I am definitely not ready to leave DC, it's just a wonderful city and beautiful to wake up to every morning and see the Washington Monument, having lunch in front of the White House, sitting on the steps of the Supreme Court, sitting on the steps at the top of the Lincoln Memorial at night peering over the national mall. I've gotten a few things off my list from two posts ago, but developed a few more things to add to that list haha. So here is the new list of things I need to do and I am going to do soon:

- Capitals Hockey Game (3/27)
- Tombs Restaurant (3/25)
- Thomas Sweets (3/25)
- State Department (3/25)
- Bureau of Engraving
- Finish American History and Air & Space
- Kennedy Center
- Eastern Market
- Jefferson Memorial
- Army/Navy Memorial
- Mama Ayesha's
- Caribou Coffee (3/27)
- Dupont Circle
- Adams Morgan (3/28)

Along with all my school work: 1 paper due (3/25), 1 presentation (3/26), 3 case briefs (3/30), 1 debate to prepare for (4/13), one 10 page paper (4/16) ...oh and my 12 hours of community service to finish.

Community Service Line Up: (9 More Hours to Complete)
- Cherry Blossom Festival Parade: 4.5 Hours (4/1)
- Easter Day Celebration @ Riverplace: 2.5 Hours (4/1)
- Serving Dinner at N Street Village: 2 hours (soon)

Oh man, I feel overwhelmed now, anyway, that's what my last few days in the District will consist of...oh I almost forgot.

Dad visits 3/25-3/30
Travis Becker visits 3/28-4/1
Natasha visits 4/9-12

I go home 4/17 and hello Coachella Fest!

Much Love,
A-Ram

One Month Left! :)

And I am home!! Yay! I can't wait, it's becoming overwhelming being here to be quite honest, I can't focus on preparing things for Semester at Sea, Emily I understand why you were stressing so much! We just got e-mails today about the payment deadlines and what not. So I guess this blog will be starting to shift in that direction soon, but before that can happen I have to finish this semester, and do all these applications for scholarships, grants, jobs, and what not for Semester at Sea and working this summer. So this weekend was really low key, just did a little bit of shopping and went to the American Art and National Portrait Galleries. So, check off that list! Tomorrow I am going on a tour of the Supreme Court, and then I also get finish the American History Museum! Check and Check! I ate some Afghan food today during lunch at the Koch Foundation which was really good, I can't wait till next Tuesday! haha! Maybe I will go there just for funzies by myself again soon! Hehe. It's only one stop down! Anyway, I guess I am making the best of things while I am finishing up here. My dad flies in on Monday which is great! And he will be here for a couple of days, so I can see him and it will make it go by fast. Then on Friday Travis Becker will be coming into town for the weekend so we will be havin some fun! Oh and we have our meeting with our advisors back home on the Friday Travis gets in. Natasha gets here the 9th-12th of April and I am good to go with 4 days left and going home! YAY! Anyway! I need to go get my favorite ice cream I discovered, which they don't have in California, Andes Mint Ice Cream Sandwich! :)

Busy..or not.

Well it's been silent lately.
Well, my birthday in New York City was amazing! Wicked was amazing! I can't wait to go back for another Broadway play/musical! I'm hoping to make it back to NYC to see In the Heights on Broadway before I leave. I really enjoyed seeing my mom and my sister, but once they left, I realized how badly I am ready to go home, I miss my nieces, they are growing up so fast and I don't even see it. Jessica and Victoria came to visit, Jessica is still here right now, she leaves on Monday. It was really good to see them, and sadly it was also bad timing, as I realized how much I don't enjoy being here. I am trying to stay on the upside and think the best of the rest of these five weeks that are ahead of me. I can't believe it's only five more weeks! Haha, crazy! Anyway, DC has been good to me, and I am sure it will continue to be good to me as I continue to finish out this semester. I have a list of things I still need to do, and I plan to get them alllll done! So here it goes.

- Smithsonians: American History (finish), Air and Space (finish), Portrait Gallery (done 3/15), American Art (done 3/15).
- Mint factory (see the money that isn't worth anything be made!)
- Crystal City
- Mama Ayesha's ...just for you Lizzy
- Jefferson Memorial
- Kennedy Center
- Navy/Army Memorial
- Night tour of National Mall (done 3/21)
- Mr. Smith's
- Georgetown Cupcakes
- Eastern Market
- Caribou Coffee

Hmm, I am sure the list will get bigger! lol. Which isn't good since I have so little time, but I plan to get through most of it this weekend! hehe.
Ok goodnight!