ALL GREAT THINGS MUST COME TO AN END…

I am sitting down now, thinking about this blog, and for once- I am at a loss for words. I can’t believe it has been three months already. WOW. I remember getting my acceptance letter for TWC, and thinking to myself… “July 1st going to take forever to get here…” But July 1st came…And went. And so did the rest of the summer. If I go through everything that I have done and learned this summer, I would be writing forever, and you would never read this blog. So, I am going to try my best to keep this short and sweet.

Going to miss walking by this.

I came to TWC at the very last minute. I swear, I sent in my application on the very last day. I didn’t know what to expect, but I had nothing else planned for the summer, so I thought... “Why not?” But since the first day, this program has given me so many opportunities. We went to the Newseum three different times, and I never get sick of going there. I toured ABC News with ABC production coordinator Kimberly Berryman and also sat with Kimberly for an interview. I got “face-time” and asked legendary CBS correspondent Bob Schieffer a question on C-SPAN’s “Close-Up.” My class, Media, Ethics and the Movies, was held at the AP News Bureau and taught by an AP News Reporter. We went to The Capitol, the Pentagon and a Nationals’ game. I totally appreciate everything TWC did for us this summer, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Kaite and me inside the Capitol

I do not know about the other interns in TWC, but my internship placement fit me perfectly. Book Hill Partners was a perfect fit because..well, baseball!! Duh. I mean, come on, Alex Rodriguez wished me Happy Birthday! Can you say that? I worked for the only non-profit, anti-steroid foundation working with MLB in the world. And I stepped on a Major League field. I met and worked alongside ESPN reporter Bonnie Bernstein on a campaign for Under Armour to fight childhood obesity. And thanks to the connection of our Partners, we (the interns) went to this super exclusive roof-top party, where we got to dance with Nancy Pelosi. Most importantly, I learned to appreciate the world of Public Relations. I know that my heart is set on journalism, but I think it was great for me to learn how PR functions.

BHP Forever!!! Haha

The best part of this experience has to be living in Washington, D.C. I fell in love with the city from the very first minute. The goal is to reach New York City, and that will never change, but I am totally fine with making a “pit stop” in DC for a few years. Being a history minor, I was in heaven with all the monuments and museums, and to top it off--they were mostly ALL FREE! This summer was also the longest I have been away from home. A quick little secret about me… (I am a spoiled brat). So, taking care of me is usually not a daily activity at home. But, I did survive this summer on my own. I might even start cooking at home….maybe.

The girls I will miss the most--and the cupcakes.

I can’t even start to mention the places I went this summer, but I will try: The National Zoo, American History Museum, Natural History Museum, Ford’s Theatre, Arlington Cemetery, The Holocaust Museum, Capitol Hill, The White House, The Library of Congress, The National Achieves, Annapolis, Hershey Park, The National Cathedral, Union Station, National Portrait Gallery, The Newseum, Georgetown, Adams Morgan, Chinatown, Old Town, The Caribbean Festival, The Sir. Paul McCartney Concert, on a bike from Alexandria, VA to Reagan National Airport, the National Mall on July 4th, ALL the Monuments (twice or three times), and a weekend trip to NYC. Wow! I did a lot.

The best concert ever…period.

But I couldn’t have done it without help. The friends I made this summer are…I can’t even put into words what they mean to me. I am beyond grateful for meeting each and every one of them. They made everyday special and interesting. And the memories we shared will last us a lifetime--or at least until we see each other again. And we will see each other again. I want to thank them (and you know who you are) for making this summer one to never forget. I love you all.

Hmmm…What’s missing here??

Leli’s recommendation of the week: To anyone thinking about doing this program--Do it. You won’t regret it.

Well, this is it. Thanks to everyone who followed and commented on my blog this summer. I hope it helped you. It’s not good-bye, but see you later!

Sorry girls, I just had to…hehe

New York...Part Dos

I woke up to realize that I was half off the bed, because the girls sleeping on one sofa bed is never a good idea. After a very long day and night, the last thing I wanted to do was get up. But we were in New York City, and we pretty much only had half the day to see the rest of it. Everyone got up and dressed. We had to be at the Ferry at 11:00 a.m. We made it just in time, and we got to skip the entire line because we got our tickets the day before...Sweet!! We got on the ferry, and went straight to the top to get the best view. It was a typical New York summer morning. HOT! But it was nice to feel the breeze coming from the water. The trip on the ferry was short but nice. The first stop was Liberty Island.

Me with The Lady

As we were walking, we saw this pretty huge line, and we assumed it was to go up. Some of the workers started screaming to the public to make sure that our tickets said we were allowed to enter. We looked at our tickets and we it said that we could go up to the pedestal! I had never gone up Lady Liberty. My first trip we did go to Liberty Island but decided not to go up. And then 9/11 happened and they closed it, until now. So, we stood in one line, then another line and then another freaking line. Wow! One hour and 45 minutes! We waited in line longer than our trip up and around the pedestal lasted. But I have to say, it was so worth it. The view is incredible! As you can see from the pictures. Haha. The really cool part was inside. They had these glass squares on the roof that allowed you to look up into The Lady. We were able to see all the metal and poles which holds her together. Pretty neat.

My favorite picture

After spending almost the entire morning/early afternoon at Lady Liberty, we needed to put our butts in gear and see the rest of the city. But first, FOOD. Which meant: a hotdog and a pretzel. Oh, heaven…I could live of this stuff! Yummy! We made our way to the subway and took the train uptown to Central Park. I swear Central Park is as much nature as I need to survive. I am a total city girl, and I do not need the great outdoors to live. Give me the concrete jungle! But I do love the Park. The best part is that you can walk inside but always look up to see a huge skyscraper in the distance. We walked the park, and I got my dose of nature for the month. From there we walked to a location that fits me better: 5th Avenue! Gucci, Prada, Louis, Ferragamo, Tiffany’s, Cartier, Yves Saint Laurent, and the list goes on! Awwwww!! Get the picture? Of course, I cannot afford anything at any of these stores, but it is still nice to look at.

Central Park

Ok, so we passed the torture street and end up at Rockefeller Center. So Pretty! Time was running out so we took a quick lap around the center and ended up in a movie scene. “Get Him to the Greek” was being filmed outside the NBC studios. And we really saw Jonah Hill on set!!! Last but not least, we walked to Grand Central Station. I really think it could be called “The Center of U.S.” Every train and subway runs thru Grand Central and to top it off, it is absolutely beautiful.

Lights, Camera, Action!

We made it to the Chinatown Bus in time. But when we got back to DC, we missed the last Metro! What a mess. We had to take a cab all the way home. Not a great ending, but overall one amazing weekend!

My favorite girls

Leli’s recommendation of the week: DON’T MISS THE LAST METRO...EVER.

NYC = HOME!

We are here, we are here! I see the buildings and the people out on the streets. I taste the street hotdogs and the hot, salty pretzels. The sound of fire trucks and car alarms fill my ears with a calming feeling. I feel the energy of the city from inside this Chinatown bus. I smell… I smell… old Chinese food that probably has been on this bus for a couple of weeks...YUCK. Whatever, nothing is going to spoil my mood right now. We park. We are sitting in the back, and the people ahead of us are taking their sweet time getting off the bus. Don’t they understand..I NEED TO GET OUTSIDE. Finally, people start moving. The guy next to us lets us pass in front of him. I am getting closer to the door. My heart is racing. I want/need to touch the ground and to smell anything else that’s not nasty Chinese food. I get to the door, one step, two steps. HOME!

Painting in my room at home

Yes, I know that I have never lived in New York City, but it is the one place where I feel like I truly belong. All my senses are on high here. Everything just feels right. I am officially the happiest person in the world! Wondering why I feel like this? Long story short… It’s October 2001 at 5:30 a.m. and I am in eighth grade. Suddenly, my mother starts screaming that we are late for school. I am still half asleep walking to the bathroom, when I hear her say: “Don’t put on your uniforms. Start packing, we are leaving to New York!” AHHHHHH! Of course, the first thing that pops into my head was…OMG! The Subway Series. Yankee vs. Mets. We land in NYC and something hits me, hard. It’s the same feeling I get every time I step foot in the city. HOME. Even since then, my family has traveled “Home” at least once a year.

Best Picture of the Trip!

This trip was a Birthday gift from my mom to me. She told me that I could bring some friends and we would spend the weekend in NYC. Kaite, Molly and Jorden made the cut. Haha. Kaite and Molly had both been to New York, but it was Jorden’s first time. We were pretty much all broke, so extreme shopping was out of the question. We decided to do what we have been doing in D.C. for the last two months... be tourist. I really hadn’t done the touristy stuff since my first trip, but it was nice to see everything. We went to Ground Zero to see if anything new was going on. I really wish they would finish the new buildings. After, we decided to go see if we could go see Lady Liberty. The lines were ridiculous! But we got reserved tickets for the following day. We walked from Battery Park to South Sea Port. The view from Sea Port to the Brooklyn Bridge is one of my favorites.

The Girls with the Brooklyn Bridge

Jorden had his first New York City hotdog and I had my...Well...I have had a lot. After enjoying our hotdogs, we went to 34th Street Herald Square and of course the first thing I see is Macy’s…no, no, turn around, Leilani! We walked around (and away from Macy’s), and we went to see if we could go up the Empire State Building..Yah rightttt 30 freaking dollars! After spending the entire summer in D.C. where everything is free, there is no way I would pay that. I guess we have been spoiled! But it was just as pretty from the outside. So, we took pictures and looked like tourist, and then we got hungry. Food in New York has to be my favorite part. We decided to go to the Original’s John Pizzeria in the Village. There was a wait…Duh. But oh so worth it! By far the best pizza in New York City. After three slices of yummy yummy pizza…I needed desert. Only place for desert is Rocco’s, this little hole-in-the-wall Italian deli. God bless their Italian hearts for making the most amazing strawberry tarts in the world. And I have been to Italy.

On the way to Times Square

Night was falling in the city, and it was time to visit Times Square. My first trip to NYC, I saw Times Square at night for the first time, and I believe that is the best way to see it. We all got pretty (minus Jorden..boys don’t get “pretty’) and we headed to UpTown. Have you ever been anywhere at night where there were so many lights it looked like it was daytime? And have you been anywhere at night where there were more people and families walking the street than in the daytime? Well, that is Times Square. My favorite part about Times Square is that there are always people there. No matter at what time! I believe Frank Sinatra was talking about Times Square when he said New York was The City That Never Sleeps.

Jorden and I in Times Square

Leli's Recommendation: Travel. Bus ticket to NYC: $35 round trip. Tony's Bus Service.

Until next time, Ciao!