A working girl makes it through another week

Wow, where on earth has this week gone? Where has my life gone? In less than 10 days I turn 25 years old! I still feel like I'm 12 and people still think I look like I'm 19. But I was extremely content this week, despite my birthday looming around the corner.

I just wrapped up another whirlwind week of work in the big city. Today I went to work at 6 a.m., but I didn't mind, because I was going into D.C. There is always such an air of anticipation and activity that draws me toward the bustling place. It's also fascinating to meet so many interesting people on a daily basis...

Today I went to a breakfast with Congressman Donnelly from Indiana. My boss managed to snap a photo of us at the Monocle, which is a classy little restaurant people have been going to in D.C. for 125 years. I think I almost look 25 in this picture. Happy Friday!

A working girl has a holiday

At one point in my life I was very proud to be an American. I think I'm still patriotic somewhat, but not as much... What happened? I'm thankful I'm American, but I don't believe that makes me any more special than anyone else in the world. I'm blessed to be an American not just to be blessed, but so that I can somehow bless others.

Anyway, I tried to be festive this Fourth of July weekend. I missed our annual neighborhood picnic, but we still found plenty to do here in Virginia. I had a great time:

-Visiting George Washington's home at Mt. Vernon
-Eating a picnic by the Potomac
-Taking the metro into D.C. with about 25 million other tourists on the hottest day of the year
-Going to the White House, Capitol, Art Gallery, Chinatown, Washington Monument, Air and Space Museum, lunch with Aunt Susie, and Georgetown
-Walking many miles
-Laughing a lot
-Swimming
-Going to church
-Listening to an army band in Reston
-Hiking in basically a swamp at a national park
-Eating Asian food
-Shooting off a giant firework

I was also thinking of my dear mother who has been in China for almost a week now! She is doing fabulously and I'm so proud of her...

A working girl is still working

Probably one-third of my blog reading audience has now declined--my dear mom has now departed for her 6 week adventure in northern China! Please remember her as she teaches, learns, serves, and shares life along precious Chinese people the next several weeks. I know her life will never be the same! :)

Life is still somewhat the same here, however. I had a great weekend hiking with my friend Kelly, and then have been holding the fort down while my hosts for the summer have been away. They return tomorrow.

Work is still fun and interesting--last night I got to attend a reception at the British Embassy. It's way classier than the French Embassy, and was filled with guys in skinny suits and skinny ties. My boss has a British accent, but I could barely understand most of the people. It was neat also seeing people I had met at other functions previously. What a life! I also made a presentation today in a nice conference room, and was able to use all my presentation skills from school and teaching skills from China. It was great.

There's not too much else to report, except I can't believe I just finished up week 6 of my internship--just 6 more weeks to go! When I first got here I thought 12 weeks was an eternity, but now I feel like I wouldn't mind working here for a lot longer. Plus, it's nice to have a bit of money--I'm saving the vast majority for tuition, but I'm allowing myself to eat real food, like blueberries and meat.

I'll leave you with a few random pictures. Happy July 4th weekend almost!

At Great Falls National Park.

With Kelly before we started hiking up and down tons of rocks.

Sadie, my responsibility and now good friend.

A working girl has a pet

Hello from the D.C. suburbs! I have officially been here for over 5 weeks now. Isn't that thrilling? It's hard to believe I'm almost half way through with my internship. There's a lot coming up in the next week. The people I live with went away to the Northwest for a few days, so it's just me, the dog, and a big 'ol house. I really hope I remember to feed the dog, Sadie... Then they return the same day that John arrives for a couple of days to visit.

There's not a whole lot to report. Probably the most interesting thing about the week was a fundraising dinner for a couple of very powerful and high up Congressmen. We went to a super swanky steakhouse right on Constitution Ave. There were only 10 other people and we had our own dining room, with lots of steak and good food. It was a little surreal to be "rubbing elbows" with these people and talking with them. And who knew I could make stuffy old Congressmen laugh? I guess that's one of my spiritual gifts.

Last night I talked to baby Reborn, who is living with her sister this summer in eastern China. I would much rather talk to her any day than hang out at political fundraisers... I'm just so thankful she was still discipled this past year by a new foreign teacher, and her passion for the lost puts me to shame! She's such an inspiration and encouragement. Please remember her older sister who is not a believer, that Reborn can be a light to her this summer, and for Reborn's post-graduation plans.

Now I'm off to go hiking with a friend. Hopefully I'll remember to feed Sadie when I return!

A working girl has a reunion

The past several days have just sped by! Life just speeds by! I can't believe I've officially been back from China for one year. China has been on my heart a lot lately, especially as I hear about flooding in Jiangxi province and have finished reading that book, The Heavenly Man.

I'm acutely aware that this summer I'm not living in the real world. Who lives with a nice family in a huge house, eats steak for dinner, has a soft bed, works at a fancy corporation, and visits embassies? I guess that's me for now. It's a lifestyle like I've never experienced, and although I'm trying to enjoy it, it's also difficult, knowing that I'm living like .0001% of the world's population or something. But hopefully I'll use these blessings to bless others.

Speaking of blessings, I drove down to Richmond this past weekend to attend the wedding of one of my good ODU college friends, Jon. He married an amazing and godly woman. They'll be wonderful in ministry together. But I guess I forgot to tell the rest of my friends I was coming. So I waltzed into the University of Richmond chapel after not having seen these dear friends since graduation 3 whole years ago. So I think we were all happy to see each other, and I spent the entire day catching up, laughing, and dancing with them. That has probably been the highlight of this month.

In work related news, I get to go to the British embassy next week. We'll see how that compares with the French one. :)

Looking all swanky in my $20 Gap dress.

With Jess and Dani.

The bride and groom.

My InterVarsity friends from the old college days.

A working girl runs for president

Wow, yesterday was a whirlwind! I was meeting so many different people in so many different places in D.C. that I felt like I was running for president. Since I technically worked for 14 hours yesterday and will be working until 8 p.m. tonight, I don't have to go into work until 1 p.m. Hooray for resting!

Slowly D.C. is rubbing off on me. Other plans and boyfriends aside, I think I would get a job here next year if I could. Sure, the place is crowded and gritty (in a different sense from China), but it's a place where decisions get made for the country and impact the whole world.

So I went to a breakfast with a senator in the morning at The Monocle. I'm getting a lot more comfortable in my role, and was able to talk with various people. The overwhelming majority of them are men who wear nice suits, ties, and fancy cuff links. Many of them are vice presidents of their respective companies. But God has reminded me that they are also just human, and I'm not really nervous around them.

Then at night I went to the French Embassy for another event. There was a reception, which included additional suit-wearing guys and only a handful of women wearing their equally impressive suits. The Embassy itself was rather disappointing. It's nestled in Georgetown, so the scenery is gorgeous, but the Embassy isn't that impressive. There was a huge locked gate we had to go through, but the "guard" looked like a teenager in a t-shirt and jeans.

The people then were also a little less interesting, even though they came from all over the world. With my water glass in hand and half of a lox hors'doeuvres stuffed in my mouth, I met a guy from the U.S. Department of Commerce who immediately asked if I was French. I had to tell him, no, I was from Kansas and not to let my special Midwestern accent fool him. He said I looked French, and he should know, because he travels there extensively. Later a lady at a parking garage asked what country I was from. Not many people seem to assume I'm American.

Anyway, it was a fascinating, but exhausting day. Tonight I get to go to yet another reception in the heart of D.C. at a fancy restaurant. This week sure is going by quickly...

A working girl mingles

Wow, working 40 hours a week doesn't leave too much time for fun! So I've been cramming a lot of things to do into the weekend. Saturday I rode the metro into D.C. to see an IU friend, Kristen. We had a pretty fun afternoon wandering around the gigantic national zoo with every other kid on the planet. The zoo was very nice, but a lot less exciting than Chinese zoos, which are more like the circus. The animals here are fed so well, and probably have nicer habitats than the majority of humans on earth.

After that, I headed back to northern Virginia where I met an acquaintance, Paula, at her house. She used to be the staff worker for the InterVarsity ministry I'm a part of at IU, but left at the time I arrived. I "randomly" emailed her, so we could meet up. Except for church, I am never around other believers. It was like a breath of fresh air; I almost wanted to cry. We have basically the same background, and she and her husband had been missionaries in Kazakhstan! That is the place I have dreamed about going, especially after I hung out with Kazakhs in northwestern China. They still have friends there, and said I could always visit them if I want to visit that field. She also just helped redirect my focus to my purpose here, which is easily become skewed after hanging out in such affluence and secularism for the past few weeks.

Today I went back to that great church I mentioned, and decided to go to the adult Sunday school, which meant I was hanging out with people twice my age. But I'm more comfortable around older people anyway. :) There were a few people in their thirties, and there were also a few graduates from schools in Indiana. They were just all really welcoming, and again, I felt like I wanted to cry. Fellowship with other believers cannot ever be overrated.

The rest of today was spent helping host a party with the wonderful people I live with. All of their friends are very nice, but I am a million more times comfortable helping cook and wash things, than mingling. I got to do all of the above. And it's always so hard when the conversation usually goes like this:

"So, Laura, what are you doing?" I'm a graduate student in Indiana, interning here for the summer.
"Are you from Indiana?" I'm from Kansas.
"Oh, so Virginia is new for you!" Actually, I got my bachelor's in Norfolk at Old Dominion.
"Great! Did you go straight to Indiana after Old Dominion?" No, I was in China for 2 years.
"China? Wow, you have such fortitude to come here all by yourself and do so many different things!"

I can't count how many times I've experienced a version of that conversation. A Southern gentleman said I had "fortitude" about five times. Other people said I must be so brave and independent. I'm not even quite sure exactly what fortitude is, but all I know is that I have faith, which isn't even that strong most of the time. I just step out in faith where God calls me to go.

Oh, gosh, I don't know what else to say. It's going to be a long week with long days lasting from working 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. I get to go to the French Embassy, for example, for a cocktail reception and a talk. How do I handle that situation? I guess I'll figure it out, since I apparently have fortitude. :)