FAUX PAS

I am happy to report to everyone that I made it to Washington DC safely and have officially started the internship. I am also happy to report that it is the BEST thing ever and I feel super cool working for the PAHO (or as some of you may not be familiar with PAHO, they are a branch of the WHO....better known as the UN!) Sorry mom, I'm too tired...you should know these acronyms by now :)

Where to start? So I got into DC a week ago and have been babysitting friends' couches at night until I find a place to live, which I stated in my last post (which if you didn't read yet...you must! It's rather entertaining!). So much has happened in such a short amount of time! I'm going to start with the exciting stuff...my internship. I LOVE IT!!!! I know I haven't even finished my first week, but seriously...love it! I have to say, I was REALLY nervous my first day...really jittery! So was nervous and shy the first day and blew the circuit the second day! EEK! I was so embarrassed! I get cold so I have a space heater at my desk and someone else had one on too....so it blew the circuit and shut all the computers down in the operations center! But, they were nice and got it fixed quickly and then just gave me a hard time the rest of the day and made fun of me wearing my wool coat around! Anyhow, it seriously can't get much better than A) getting South American food for lunch every day from amazing cooks, B) working with awesome people and ME being the minority! I LOVE IT!! C) Mate de Coca! It's like a dream come true...i haven't had it since Peru and now I just have to run down to the cafeteria! and Inca Cola (if i liked it). I don't even feel like I'm in America! D) Listening to and reading Spanish all day....one day I'm bound and determined to be fluent! E) I get to be a total news junkie while I'm at work! You all know that is my specialty in life...and now it's my job! I check about 40 different news websites every morning to monitor disasters in South and Central America and the Caribbean and I am in charge of 3 big, flat screen TVs that have CNN and some Latin news on 24-7! I will be doing more than this, but my mentor is leaving next week to Colombia and some other places for 5 weeks, so he's getting everything put together for while he is gone. F) Speaking of my mentor - he's great! Along with the other 2 guys I work with in the Emergency Operation Center. They are so nice and funny. It's fun to have people around that are from other places and have traveled more than me...I love listening to their stories. G) Mutual respect! I'm an intern and they respect me and want my opinion and want me to excel as much as possible while I'm out here. My mentor is putting me on projects that is going to maximize my experience, teach me a lot, but also get my food in the door with some of the big organizations in public health....like USAID!! WOW! So, I must say that so far, so good! Granted I still have mucho tiempo with the internship, but I think it's going to be a lot of fun and I'm going to learn a lot! It's also nice to have George Washington University next door. They have a big medical school and great public health program...which means they also have some great speakers, etc! So I'm going to see what I can do to sneak in on some of those (wow, do i sound like such a nerd right now!).




I love walking around the area and have seen a few of the sites (first time being a tourist in my own country), but it's SO cold! The weather report last night said to expect a "winter mix". I thought it was a joke...I didn't get it. Sounds like a CD or something! And then is said to expect "frozen rain". What the? Frozen rain? Well...I know! And we'll see if I even go to work tomorrow! Since PAHO is government-based, if the weather is bad, the city shuts down and I don't have to go to work! Everyone was so excited about the snow...and I just wanted to cry! Traipsing around DC in dress clothes would be fine, but I make the worst fashion statement in the world when i do! Such a faux pas!!! I shove my stilettos in my purse and only wear them at work and throw my sketchers on while I'm out and about! So ugly, but comfy, warm feet.
I've enjoyed being here and seeing the excitement of the change of Presidency! I am always on the lookout for Mr President...he's one of my married crushes, ya know? Other than all that...not much else to say! Come visit me! I am saving all the site-seeing till it's warmer and when visitors are here!