13 clothing items for $89!!

What do you think when you hear thrift store? I use to think...

D.I.
Out-dated clothing
The sketchier part of town

Now that I've gone to "The Recycled Clothing Store" in Alexandria, Virginia and this is what I think when I now hear thrift store...



Ann Taylor Loft
Banana Republic
Coldwater Creek



That's right! All this stuff for $89. I think they get it from the stores when the stores have just one of something so they can't really sell it, and it's mostly the season before, but really, I'm so excited. I love love the long jackets. I have to build up my work wardrobe so I'll be visiting every couple months.

Cherry Blossoms and Fish

The Cherry Blossoms have blossomed! I actually went to see them about a week too late, but those that were there, beautiful.
The picture below, correct me if I'm wrong, are actually magnolias. They are currently in full bloom and are so aromatic! They have the most tantalizing smell.



A friend and I this past week walked around the tidal basin to see the blossoms and enjoy the wonderfully warm, not too humid yet, spring. As we were walking I see this man with a fishing pole. Now we are thinking- ha, yeah right, like you're going to catch anything in the basin. Oh how we were wrong! This man starts to fight with something that is pulling his pole into a arch that I've only seen with large trout. Now I don't have a lot of experience with fishing, but what I have tells me, this is no small fish he's trying to catch. After about 2 minutes, he reaches down and with both arms, pulls this massive carp out of the water! What?!



Apparently the basin has a bunch of them. I never in my life thought I would posses a picture with a carp and the Washington Monument in it. Hahaha. It was a unexpected event on a fun day downtown.

The more I explore and experience this area the more I like it. I'm starting to feel successful in my job, I'm making friends, transitioning to my new apartment over in Arlington, and yes, going on dates. I think this is the beginning of good things.

Bear River Mutual - highly recommended

How often is it that you say, "man, I wish I could have stayed with that insurance company- they were so cheep and treated me so well!" I haven't heard it, except with Bear River Mutual. Kudos to Kimi for the recommendation.

Bear River is unique in the fact that you have to sign a document saying you will not smoke, drink or do drugs, ever. Not just while driving the car, but the entire time you're insured with them. This apparently allows them to provide insurance for an awesome price. I understand why this company thrives in Utah, and I'm sad it only exists out there in the West.

Is that all you might say? Is that all about the company you can recommend? That their prices are cheep because they discriminate against vices? No! They have good service too. I cancelled my renters and my car insurance and they did it with no questions, easily, and sent me the prorated premiums with no problem.

So I say to you Bear River Mutual, a sad goodbye, but maybe a see you soon- I'll come back to you if I ever live where you'll cover me.

Argyle, the only white person in Walmart, and Casserole made me cry...

1. ARGYLE So, a couple weekends ago, I went to an Argyle party. That's right, an Argyle party. The entire downstairs of the house was wallpapered with colored paper that had an argyle pattern copied onto it. It was awesome! Pictures to come, as soon as my roommate emails me them... Everyone was wearing some form of Argyle and some, too many forms. Ha.

I met a bunch of people, salsa danced, and a cute Marine in the Naval Academy (the one I salsa danced with) even got my number. Hehe. Now, he hasn't called, but still it's always a nice time when you get to dance and he doesn't go running the other way.

2. WALMART So I went to the Walmart South of my house- yeah I had forgotten that it's better to go North lol. It wouldn't be a big deal if they had actually had a selection of items, but the things I was looking for, those aisles were a little bare. K, so imagine the following: I walk inside, and immediately notice, I'm the only white person in my line of vision, so I'm thinking, well, there must be some of the minority in here somewhere ... no. I was the only white person in an entire huge Walmart. I thought it was a great/odd experience for this white girl who grew up in a fairly white world ;)

3. CASSEROLE So, this weekend, I thought- I miss the family a little, I think I'll make the sweet potato casserole Liz made for my going away dinner with the Hollands- that will make me feel better. Yeah- it made me cry. I'm sure everyone has experienced this at one point or another- I'm really far from home, everything is pretty unfamiliar, and I just had one of those weekends- I wanted my friends, my family, my local shopping spots, my home. I cried a bit, I talked to someone who made me a feel a little better, and though I'm still feeling a little homesick, I think it will get better.

The thing about making a move this huge is that it needs time right? I think I'll reserve judgement on if it was a good move or not, for a year. It will take a year to get to really know the area, to make friends, to establish some of the things that make me happy and secure right?

I love you all who are reading this. I can't believe how I've been blessed with such awesome friends and family. I'm grateful everyday.

The first of many D.C. posts...

Well here I am in Washington D.C.!!

The snow has been crazy! 55" is a lot for anywhere, but here they don't have enough snowplows and no one knows how to drive in it! Ha! My plan to come a week early to get a bunch of things set up before I started work turned more into a week of playing in the snow, shoveling in the snow, and trying to use public transportation in the snow!

So here's my first of I'm sure many stories from the city:

I learned:
1. I'm living in Washington D.C.! I think it finally hit me.
2. Buses and the metro don't run normally in the snow.
3. If you talk to a single guy for more than 2 minutes he asks for your number. Ha!

So, today I got to the metro, by roommate drop off (two of my roommates go by metro stops on their way to work, so that's awesome and convenient). So I left at 7 am, (needing to be at work theoretically by 8:30), got to the metro, and proceeded to wait for 45 minutes because the metro line had maintenance because of the snow. When I did get to the place I'll be working- that was great, it all worked out so good there right?

So then I decide I'm going to the Washington Monument in honor of President's Day- so I got a ticket and spent the time in between in the Julia Child's exhibit in the Museum of American History- awesome!! So that's #1, that's when I hit me, I was looking between the capital building and the washington monument and it hit me- I LIVE IN WASHINGTON DC!!! That was an awesome moment. I took time to just savor it. :) The Washington Monument is cool too. Oh, and I might become a member of the Smithsonian, we'll see.

So after a day on the National Mall, I decided to head home- well I picked a metro stop with a bus route that I thought was close to home- turns out- no, no, not at all. I get off the Metro - not the best area!! Good thing it was daytime! The Rhode Island Ave stop- yeah. So then after 45 minutes of waiting I get on the bus, it's the correct bus, I'm feeling all good about things, looking at the neighborhoods- yeah neighborhoods I won't be in after dark- and then the bus driver announces that he's on snow routes. SNOW ROUTES?! What does that mean? It means he doesn't go by my house- he doesn't even get near my stop. So I end up at the New Carrollton Metro. Ha! I took 2 hours of busing to get to another metro. Durr! So I call my roommate because there's no bus that goes near my house and see if she'll pick me up at the metro she dropped me at this morning. It's a go. So still making it, but not in style that's for sure. I then proceed to get on the very end of the red line and go all the way back into DC to then get on the Green Line and go to the end of that. Ha! She picked me up and 3.5 hours later I get home. Ha!

K, so when I was waiting for the metro at the New Carrollton stop- this nice looking young man started talking to me. I asked this guy if he was a regular at this stop (to see if it was safe to come home and catch the bus there (when it's not snow routes), and that was it- he talked to me all the way into DC. Very nice- from West Africa, almost done with a bachelor's degree here in the US. And he ended up asking me for my number. Hahaha, oh good times in the city.

So that's my story, I thought it was interesting, but maybe it only is because I lived it, lol. We'll see how I do tomorrow. My first day of work...