January 26 2

My weekend was really good! Friday night, I went to the corner market to buy some candy and juice with vitamin C in it. Macy was sick last week and I ended up working her desk after she left, and I most def did not want to get sick. The girls bought some wine. After that, we were watching Jersey shore, Michelle’s favorite TV show. The girls decided that they wanted to go out that night after all so I hung out with them while they got ready. I forgot how fun it is to get ready with a bunch of girls. I decided that I wanted to go dancing with them the next night. I ate way too many cookies that night and I payed for it later. Goodness. I also had my cranberry raspberry juice in wine glasses, which are the only glasses that came with the apartment. It looked a lot like the red wine that Clare was drinking, and Melissa was shocked to come home and find me looking like I’m sipping on some wine. Kyra then joked about coming home and finding me plastered. I like that these girls respect my standards so much. They know that I don’t want them getting plastered while home, but I can live with them drinking a glass of wine or two.

On Saturday, Clare had gotten a lunch set up with two of her high school friends for restaurant week. I guess it’s this thing where the restaurant gives you a three course for twenty dollars. The food wasn’t the best I have ever had. The waiter asked me if how I wanted my fish cooked. I always find that question odd. A hunk of undercooked salmon is icky but overcooked salmon is too fishy… so just cook the darn thing. Well mine turned up very undercooked. It also took three whole hours! But Clare’s friends were cool. They’re also from Utah, and also Asian (Clare is Korean and the two guys were Taiwanese). You know how I like my Asians! So I was down with that. Afterwards, they had planned on going to No Strings Attached. Last minute, I decided to be a good Mormon and say that I couldn’t go. The nice thing about Clare and Kyra being from Utah and Idaho is that they’re used to having Mormon friends, and are therefore, very understanding. Kyra offered to skip the movie and just go shopping with me. I felt bad and said I could just go home by myself, but all three roomies and the two boys decided to skip the movie and just go shopping. We went to American apparel. I love that store! It’s just my style. I would like to go back and buy some cloths… 0:) There was a pair of leather sandals that are just my style that I want! Unfortunately, I saw a lot of shoes I like, but those are the things I need the least. Well actually… thinking about it, most of my shoes are falling apart. My good shoes are the five pairs I have with me here. .. well.. yeah. Then I had Europe Déjà vu with Zara and H&M. H&M is very hit or miss, which I speculate is what the name stands for. I was also not enthralled with Zara’s cloths. Both were a bit of a disappointment. I will have to try again when they have a new season of cloths coming in. There was also a HUGE Forever 21. I actually liked forever 21’s cloths better than H&M’s, and forever 21 is just a cheap version of the latter. I think if I’m going to spend the money on cloths, I will do so at American apparel. That night, I came home and CRASHED. Well, before I crashed, I hurried up and emailed my new bishop with my conundrum. I had emailed his clerk before about my problem with living so far away from the ward, and he was no help at all, so I went ahead and emailed the Bishop. He was so kind that he contacted a couple people in the ward to see if they could give me a ride. A girl named Jessica said that she would be willing to and gave me her email.

The next morning, I was feeling a tad apprehensive about  going to church. My experience last week was just not what I needed, and I wanted to give up and not even try this new ward. Well, I did. I texted Jessica who came and picked me up. She’s a cute blond from SLC. She graduated from the U and is now going to law school up here. She works for a Utah Senator. I think it’s Orrin Hatch. She says her passion is campaigning. She’s incredibly nice, and seems to like me alright. I just hope I didn’t leave my usual awkward first impression! Well, she drove me out to church, which is in Maryland. This ward, in contrast to the DC one, is TINY. People there came up to me and introduced themselves. The Bishop personally came up to talk with me. Everyone was so nice. I love how little but close that ward was. Some ward members talked about how, when they were interns, went to the DC wards. They said that the wards were so huge that you just got kind of lost in the croud there, which is what I was worried about. They also said that those wards didn’t care about the interns because they weren’t there permanently, and were not as… legit, I guess. But the bishop wants to talk to me so it looks like I may end up having a calling. I’m just so happy about it. On the way home, Jessica and I talked about how we both left boys back in Utah. She said that she dated her boy for 2 years, and he never once said I love  you or fully committed to possible marriage. So leaving for DC was the best thing for their relationship. It looks like it made him kick things into gear. It’s funny how relationships differ so much like that, and I don’t think it means that her relationship is any less legit than say… mine and dan’s. it was just interesting to see her point of view. She also apologized if she spoke about her BF too much and I was all like “I do that too! I feel so bad for my roommates.” I’m glad I have her around because we can talk about our boyfriend stuff together. She also said that she and a couple of her friends are possibly going to go see Tangled and asked if I would like to go. I’m just so happy it all turned out well.

The only thing here, is that I feel so lowly and unmotivated. Everybody here, except the interns, are extremely professional and motivated. Jessica is going to Law School. Everyone else in the ward are either full time professionals or going to grad school. No wonder a lot of interns are looked down on. Even I feel a little intimidated by that, and that’s not an emotion I am used to! I’m prob one of the youngest girls there! I feel a bit like an underachiever, but then I remember that I’m actually here in DC gaining experience which is much  more than many BYU students can say for themselves. As soon as I get back to UT, being an intern in WA DC will sound impressive again. Here, though… it’s seriously not impressive at all. Also, this experience makes it clear for me that I don’t really want to work in an office for the rest of my life. As much of an underachiever as this may make me sound to many of these people in DC, working part time jobs in places like Yankee Candle sounds exactly what I would like to do. I’m suddenly very grateful to be a woman in Mormon culture where being a stay at home wife is still encouraged and respected.

Faith, an employee here who I get along well with, was talking about how one of her friends got dumped by his wife and now they’re filing for legal separation.  This couple dated since high school and got married right out of college then lasted for about four years. She thinks that that relationship is a perfect example why marrying young is a bad idea. She’s 28 and is possibly getting engaged while I’ll be here J she’ll have her wedding over a year after that. Wowsers. She’s catholic, which makes me like her more. But I guess our views on relationships differ somewhat. Like I said, being in DC makes me feel very young. I felt pretty grown up in Provo!

Speaking of religion in the office, everyone here knows I’m Mormon now. I can’t help but talk about it all the time. I mean, it is obviously a huge part of my life. I hope I don’t annoy them too much by bringing it up all the time .

I majorly blew it today. I missed my training for giving capitol tours. I was so upset because that’s the one thing I am looking forward to the most and now I have to wait until feb 9^th. Ugh. Great start to the week. Faith was being nice about it. At least I now get to go with Kelsey instead of with Welchie.  Macy went home yet again today because her voice is dead from being sick, so I got to work the front desk some more today. I got chewed out by some lady from who knows where. I asked her where she’s from and she says “it doesn’t matter! We all pay for the bills!” and I wanted very much to say “we’re here to represent Wyomingites and no one else” but I resisted and just let her chew me out about how obama care is good and gun control laws need to be implemented for like 20 min. haha, duuude. It never occurred to me to call one of my senators up before, let alone a senator from a state that is def not my state! People are so odd. And you are all known as constituents to us on capitol hill… idk why, but I find that odd. Maybe because it dehumanizes the population in a sort?  Yeah I really can’t put my finger on it.