This beautiful place

Here are some sites from around town. Some non-touristy sites.

I love DC. DC has character.

A little book store in Eastern Market: FILLED top to bottom. Literally.

Art at the farmer's market

Georgetown

And for you Dad, the JAMESON Memorial from across the pond

Extras:

Apart from the plethora of LCWS/ CAIR related blessings, this city and this semester has brought a refreshing breeze of people from different parts of my life. I've been able to meet up with people I've really been missing.

Here's a quick highlight:

Margaux! My best friend from my semester in Egypt! She lives in South Carolina but is an avid Capitols fan (the DC hockey team). This being the case, she tries to swing by a few times a season, which is quite a happy chance for me =) I'd only been missing her every second since the night we dropped her off at the Cairo airport last December. There was no one on the earth happier than I was the day we reunited!!

I've also been very lucky to have become a kind of honorary member of the Skelly family. Caitlin Skelly was my roommate my sophomore and junior year in college and one of my best friends at school. I met up with her family to go see the MLK Memorial and Washington Monument. They live in PA and her sister and brother-in-law live in DC. It was a cold day but we had such a fun time wandering around and catching up.

Bobby and Lyndsay were classmates of mine in Cairo! Lyndsay is here working for a senator and Bobby has some kind of cool secret government job. We've been able to meet up a few times and reminisce about our wonderful time abroad.

And this is my adorable Sara Smith. We met a couple years ago at USC through our mutual friend James. When I was abroad she was living in Australia and then galavanting around so I hadn't seen her in more than a year! She just moved to DC with her twin sister. Rachel and I met her at one of our favorite farmer's markets East of the Capital and explored and caught each other up on the insane past year we'd both had. We were having too much fun and forgot to take a picture together but here's my cute girl. She has a portable mustache, basically because she's awesome.

Saudi National Day

Last friday CAIR was invited to a party at the Saudi embassy for their National Day. It's like the Saudi counterpart to our Fourth of July- the day King Abdul Aziz Bin Abdul Rahman al-Faisal al-Saud united the country in 1932.

The invitation was passed around the office and after a while my boss announced she'd like to go, and asked me if I wanted to come. Well of COURSE! Free food? Free party hosted one of the richest countries in the world? Yes please. My favorite food, and for FREE. Yes. I'll go.

It was an awesome party, more extravagant than I expected even. The embassy itself is gorgeous, beautiful pictures from different parts of Saudi, woven Islamic calligraphy, models of the Dome of the Rock and Mecca and tapestries. Modern and folk arabic music bellowing throughout the rooms. And then there were the buffets; loaded with ever imaginable delicious Middle Eastern concoction... ever. Like a full goat. And an entire table with basically only baklava on it.

My favorite part of the event was all the different ways people dressed up. There were decorated officers in all their military guard and women wearing extravagant gowns. And there were men in suits, Saudi teenagers wearing Farari T-shirts (just like always, eh?), men in galabias, women wearing naqab, men wearing the traditional Saudi head turbans; and my favorite were the little kids =) All dressed up and ready to go.

It was such a sight to see and I was so honored to have been there. They even sent us with a parting gifts: a glass paperweight with the image of the Middle East from space. I'll honestly treasure it forever. It's going to be my favorite centerpiece when it gets home.

I don't know what it is about arab culture, but I can't be made happier when I'm around it. I guess I must love the contrast between it and what I'm used to. I love to watch the ways in which it fits into "modern" and western life too; a juxtaposed, dissonant beautiful mixing of two worlds.

Most of all though I know it's because of the memories the music and the smells and the outfits invoke for me. I always think of Egypt and the time I spent there. How can I not be blissfully happy when reflecting upon some of the happiest moments of my life? =)

Ilhamdulillah, life is so good.

Fanciful Friday

I'm not a graceful or particularly lucky person, but sometimes, rarely, I have a day in which everything goes perfectly. Perfectly.

I woke up after a perfect night's sleep, had some coffee, made myself an omelette and headed to work. At work I was able to concentrate, I organized a little bit, made some calls and actually CLOSED my first case. The letter was mailed and Mr. So and So's company knows now that they're under our watchful eye. If Mr. So and So is prevented from practicing his religion freely again they will have a lawsuit on their hands. I'm not one for threatening or aggressive language but I must admit I really do like writing these letters. I like that our organization is able to be the voice of people who need our help. I like that we are legitimate in the legal world and I like that we get things done.

No one should be afraid of being exactly who they are. No one should be prevented from performing their religious rituals if they're not hurting anyone. No one should be told that what they are is wrong or threatening or evil.
I'm happy to stand for the rights that our country is based upon but so easily forgets.

And I'm honestly so happy to be doing real work. I haven't fetched coffee once or made a single copy. I have a ton of responsibility, and I love it. It's surprising to me, but I really do love it. I feel accomplished at the end of the day which is stark contrast to how I would feel at the end of the day at the library.



So around 1 I brought something to my boss's office and she says "I'm going to Jummah, do you want to come?" Jummah is sometimes called "friday prayer." It's basically a Muslim church service. There's an opening prayers and a congregation and a speaker (and Imam) and a congregation and everything. So I went with her to "the hill."

No big deal, we'll just will go into the Capitol Building.

Every friday they hold a service downstairs in the Capitol Building. You get an "official business visitor" badge and meet with the others downstairs. I became really emotional during the service because it reminded me so much of my time in Cairo. The room wasn't like Cairo or anything and the congregation was totally diverse, but the call to prayer was flawless. It always makes me a little misty eyed. I still remember the first one I heard. And the ones we listened to while we watched the sun go down in Cairo and Luxor. It just is inherently beautiful to me because of the memories it invokes. And the fact that the man singing usually has such a thick, haunting voice. The one on friday was beautiful.

The crowd was African-American and Arab and Caucasian and Hispanic and red blooded American and fresh off the boat. Most of the men wore business suits and were on lunch break but a few were in traditional African shirts and a few wore Kufi prayer caps. The women had modern and traditional vails. (my boss dresses so beautifully, she is very trendy).

The Imam's message was one I wish every bigoted or biased person could here. One I think many Americans would be surprised to hear from a Muslim just because they've never given one a chance. He thanked Allah for America. He thanked him for our strength and guidance in Afghanistan. He thanked the men and women who fight to protect our country and asked that the congregation continue to pray for the leaders of America.

And he said "don't forget our Jewish and Christian brothers and sisters who are together with us in prayer."

I don't think he changed the message just because one little white girl walked in, I think he believes these things. And I think he loves America. I know a profound amount of Muslims who do.

The Wind Down

This summer produced a lot of good memories. Living in T.O. and working was a challenge and at times very lonely, but overall I really had a fabulous summer. And learned a lot about prioritizing and saving and that obscure place they call "the real world."

The last few weeks were refreshingly simple and good natured. I was with my family and the friends in the first place I really considered my home.

Here are some highlights:

Sara, one of my best friends since high school, is working on the Kern River as a tour guide and took us on a trip when our good friend James came down with some of his friends from school.

I got to spend two beautiful weeks just with my family. The first portion was spent in San Diego and the second we stayed in a cabin in Lake Arrowhead, a long time favorite of Mom and Dad's. This is a picture of Andrew taking some snap shots from a fire look in the San Bernardino mountains. On a clear day you can see almost all of California.

Reunions with some of the Dear Elizas (that means my gorgeous choir girls from high school)

I got to spend some time with Alyssa before she moved to Nebraska for school and even Charles came up from San Diego!

Gina, Melanie and I helped Monavie out with a photo shoot of her original designs!

Melanie and I ran away to the beach

The family at the San Diego Wild Animal Park

The next Metro stop is aefks blkbselkfjba dkjbfsdlk

DC has already become home in the short week and a half I've been here. I love the energy, the noise, the bustle. I love the sense of direction I now finally have. I love the other students in the program, our apartment, my teachers, my coworkers, the night life, the architecture, the history, the speeches, the senate meetings, the night life. I love it all.

I started real life last tuesday. I woke up early, ironed my slacks and donned a blazer. Big girl clothes, big girl work. I talk the metro into the city and emerge behind the Capitol Building. I walk two or three blocks in the light rain and arrive at CAIR's red brick building. Deep breaths, it'll be okay.

And it was. It was more than okay. My coworkers are gracious and patient with me on my first day. My boss is sweet and smiley. The people on the phone just want help, they don't mind if I stumble a little at first. The cases are real and important. I was expecting to be a nervous wreck- I really want to do a good job- but I wasn't. I was calm (cool and colected!) I'm lucky to work in such a healthy environment. Everyone greats each other al Salamu Alaikum. People on the phone are saying "yanni" and "inshallah." Everyone calls me sister. It's so nice.

I'm into the swing of things now and its beautifully exhausting. The work is incredibly taxing, it's heavy stuff and important stuff. We get bob threats, we get hate mail. We get lots of hate mail. But we help people. And so I come home every night so happy.

Not to mention I'm greeted with some incredible smiles. My roommates are fantastic. And we go on the metro to buy cupcakes and we go to book stores and we wander the city and I am so so happy here.

Soon I'll start blogging specific stories but for now, that's what you missed.
Remind me to tell you about the Institute of Peace and about the Cairo reunion! =D

Our beautiful Capitol Building, just a few blocks away from work!

Nationals vs. Dodgers with everyone from the
Lutheran College Washington Semester

The view of Rosslyn from my balcony

The Council on American - Islamic Relations headquarters 

The hallway into the office with news highlights
of cases handled or publicized by CAIR

Proof I survived the first day! Big girl clothes and everything!

My beautiful roommate Rachel and I on our
way home from a congressional hearing

LCWS with Esther Brimmer, Assistant Secretary of State
(She's in the yellow and she had just given a speech at the US Institute of peace)

United States Institute of Peace.
I'm going to work there one day.

Do you have any idea where you're going?

Yesterday while walking around campus I saw the words "do you have any idea where you're going?" scrawled onto the sidewalk in white chalk. I stopped, tilted me head, re-read what was before me and said out loud.. "nope!" And walked on.

And now it's all I can think about. No, I have no idea.
Ask me where I'm going after graduation, ask me where I'm going with my major, ask me what I want. I have no idea. None at all.
And adulthood and real life are looming!