I Just Got Lost & Some Quality Time With Dan Brown

This Thanksgiving break was such a great one!! After hectic months of going to class, work, or volunteering at the Newseum, it was nice to slow my pace down and just enjoy the city. Yes, I didn't go home for the break, and now I learned that trying to buy airplane tickets at the last minute is not a great or cheap idea. However, it's not like DC is a boring city. So between going to the Smithsonians, getting lost trying to find another museum, getting lost trying to find the German embassy (except that this time with Gunperi), having dinner in Georgetown, and spending Thanksgiving with Anna's wonderful family; I must say that this break was a very good one.

One thing I learned about myself during this break is how much I don't freak out anymore. For example, when Alex and I were looking for the old postal office that's near the Washington Monument, we got lost. Yes, believe it or not, Alex and I could not find a giant building that has a giant tower, with a giant clock on it. Even though we asked a security guard for directions, and even though we were carrying a map, we still could not find that building. When we finally found it, it was only to be told that it was closed. It was at that moment that I realized two things. One, I seriously need to improve my map reading skills. Two, I don't panic as much as I used to. If a year ago I would've gotten lost the way Alex and I did, I would've worried and panicked at the idea of being lost in a city I wasn't accustomed to. Nevertheless, that's not the situation anymore. In fact, I enjoyed getting lost, I saw new parts of the city that I did not know were there. Did you know that there's a Barnes & Noble on I believe it was 10th street? Or was it 11th? I don't remember but it's somewhere around there. Anyway, I think that I've become a bit more spontaneous and unplanned, which to tie it back to class, I guess I have been absorbing the advice that has been given to us by guest speakers. The advice that we shouldn't plan or organize our life so much, just let life take its own course. Yes, maybe we'll get lost but there's always the chance that you'll end up liking it.

Just to add a quick note, I would like to thank Anna W., Alex, and Gunperi for making this Thanksgiving break an enjoyable one. Also, my friend Adam for lending me his book "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown. Yes the writing sucks, but the story is great!! Especially because it's set in DC. I've actually found that some of the areas described here I've visited which only adds to the excitement. I really recommend it. So, to sum it all up, great break, good times, and now it's hard work until finals are over.