First Week

Hello everyone.

I am a senior from Monmouth College in Illinois.  I'm interested in political campaigning and I hope to some day run a political campaign of my own.  That is why I choose to come to DC during the midterm elections and participate in the American Politics section at American.

I chose to live in WISH housing, which in near Capitol Hill.  Seriously, the capitol is right outside my door, about a block down.  The idea is pretty cool, jogging to the Washington monument everyday (well, let's see how long that lasts).  It is cool, but I'm from a super small town in rural midwest, so this was a major culture shock.  It's much different from what I'm used to.  The metro, the busses, the traffic lights.  All very different.  (And the stoplights here aren't only for the cars, people have traffic lights to!)

But have no fear small towners, you can adjust.  Just learn how to shift.  It will feel like it takes a long time to get anywhere and the cost of living is higher, but there is a flip side: FREE ENTERTAINMENT!!!  There is so much to see here (at times it can get very overwhelming), but it is super nice to take a walk and decide to go see the original U.S. constitution, to spend a day at ONE of the Smithsonian museums, or just to stop by a Chicago style pizza joint and enjoy a little slice of home.

And in all honestly I can't do much complaining, hey I live in a three story town house (fully stocked from pots and pans to a TV, thank you WISH housing) a block away from the heart of the city, I'm young, and I am in DC during the midterm election season.

That being said, this is a blog, and as I understand it, that means that I get to write about my time here. This includes all the papers, the mishaps (always make sure you get on the right metro, don't think just because you've been riding for a week you're an expert.  They have signs for a reason), and those awesome times when I have to stand back and just say, yeah this is awesome and I'm a part of it.  I get to write about all that.  So here it is, my time in DC at American.

Here we go....