Sweet Red Plums and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

The travels continue.

Shortly after returning from Mexico I decided to come to DC to try my hand at non-profit work. It's a short term gig and something that has been in the pipeline for a while. I am working for an independent, nonpartisan think tank that deals primarily with immigration policy, both domestic and international. I'm approaching the 3 week mark and, apart from the Krispy Kreme located cruelly and (in)conveniently at the exit of the metro station I frequent daily, I am really enjoying it.

I've learned many valuable lessons so far in my short time here. I've learned that Columbus Day is a holiday in which you don't have to report to work. This was only discovered after I spent 3 hours alone in the office trying to figure out where everyone was. I even searched through my email looking for the mysterious memo that everyone seemed to get but me. I had pretty much convinced myself of the existence of a vast conspiracy against me when my mother finally cracked the code: national holiday. go home. That was a big ah-ha! moment for me.

I also learned that my feet have a severe reaction to "work shoes." I'm now on my second round of blisters due to the daily commute and unforgiving footwear. Every morning I look at the women next to me on the metro and admire their reckless abandon as they unapologetically prance around in their stockinged feet and bright white tennis shoes. However, I've decided to take the tough love approach. I'm staying strong in pumps and heeding the brilliant advice of a dear friend: This isn't Nine to Five and you certainly aren't Dolly Parton. Suck it up. Words to live by.

Another priceless lesson: avoid large scale Target purchases at locations without a cab stand. I would have lived without the new garbage can and memory foam mattress pad if I would have known that it meant bypassing the 30 minute wait for a cab while enduring an incredibly awkward interaction with the very chatty, possibly homeless man who decided I needed company. Listen, when a woman look fine, Ima tell her. It's not a crime. I'm just trying to spread the love. I think he had his eye on the mattress pad.

I've learned that my inner GPS performs just as poorly in the States as it does abroad.

I've learned that mannequin heads can sting when hummed right at you. Apparently a presenter at a certain conference thought that his talk on violence and drug cartels would only be compelling if accompanied with such props. He got a little carried away and ended up throwing the "bloody" heads one by one into the audience. Strangely enough, in a relatively large auditorium, all four heads came straight at me. I wonder if this happens to all liberals who venture into the Heritage Foundation. Another possible conspiracy theory. All in all, I was impressed by my reflexes. I was like an amateur Jeter, skillfully batting them away.

And finally, I've learned the painful lesson that a crosswalk does not necessarily ensure pedestrian safety. This I learned when I was hit by a car on my walk home. I managed to dodge it for the most part and ended up only slightly plastered across the hood of the car. As I brushed myself off, I was consoled with the possibility of an impending meet-cute. Something along the lines of J. Lo and Matthew McConaughey in the Wedding Planner. I figured we could work through the whole "you hit me with your car" thing and I felt confident in my wardrobe choice that day. Thank God I stuck to the pumps. I anxiously waited as my McConaughey rolled down the window....with his wedding ring-clad hand. That's when I got pissed. Lesson learned.