Week 14

I finally got to go to The White House!! And here is the seal for proof:

It was a close call--I almost left D.C. without getting a tour, but my roommate's contact came through and three of us got to visit The White House last Thursday. I put on my blue blazer for the first time, just in case--you never know who you may meet at the White House. I should mention that I didn't meet anyone, but the tour was great. There were four of us in our group, so it was nice to get an intimate tour of the most significant residence in the United States.

We entered through the West Wing entrance, where I am told everyone important enters and exits the building. This entrance takes you right into the basement, so we saw where workers order food. The walls were adorned with many pictures of the President and the Vice President--pictures that made them out to be very normal, regular guys. Apparently George W. Bush is the first president to employ a digital photographer, and in doing so he is able to hang newly updated photos every week. Thus, we saw some great shots of the President with the Pope along the walls.

Here I am in the Rose Garden...well, next to it actually. I was to scared to step onto it.

Of course the Oval Office was something to behold, as was every other room. The White House is meticulously decorated, and since it's a historic building the architecture is incredibly detailed. I have no pictures from inside, as we weren't allowed to take any, but I do have one that I took from the outside looking in. It's almost like the real thing (or like a picture a stalker would take).

This is the creepy one where I tried to get a glimpse into the White House through the window...Peeping Tom

At the office I am able to work very independently now, which I think is a great asset to my supervisor. He has so much going on that the more I can tackle on my own with minimal explanation from him the better. I am happy to be more self-sufficient as well; it makes me feel as though I have really learned some valuable skills from this experience. It has not hit me that I will be flying back to New Hampshire in a little over a week. I still have work to finish. I have scheduled meetings for my supervisor and I right up until my last day, so things will be fairly busy until I walk out the door.

Classic shot of The White House at night