Me standing between the National Christmas tree and the White House, Dec. 11, 2010.

Before really buckling down to study for my final exams I headed into D.C. yesterday for a holiday tour of the capitol’s Christmas highlights.  The stops included the U.S. Capitol Building, the U.S. Botanic Gardens, the White House and Georgetown.

The Capitol Building Christmas tree has a Wyoming theme this year, and the tree and all of the ornaments are from the state.  Then not far from the tree is the Botanic Gardens that boost a holiday display of D.C. landmarks recreated out of natural materials, giant poinsettias and model trains. Continue reading →

It has been twelve weeks since the last time I’ve been home and that is officially the longest I’ve ever been away.

I am beyond excited to fly home on Saturday and spend time with everyone in Vancouver, sleep in my own bed, drive my car, read the newspaper, watch local news, use a DVR, get my updated license, and all of the other wonderful things about home!

When I left for school in August, I had been so busy working for the prosecutor’s office and interning with The Columbian that it felt like I just hopped on a plane without even thinking about it.  August feels like such a long time ago.  It will be great to be back for a few days.



Me outside Studio 1A

After a short hiatus so I could drown myself in homework, the last few posts about New York City are coming:

Rockefeller Center is as familiar to me as watching the Today show every morning, so to actually set foot there was shocking – because it looks so much bigger on TV!

The skate rink was already set up when I visited and I was stunned at how dinky it looked.  I couldn’t stop thinking about watching “Christmas at Rockefeller Center” and thinking how large it looks.  It’s not.  The rink in the mall is bigger.

Needless to say, it was a thrill to stand outside the Today show studio and peer in.  If only Matt and Meredith had been behind the anchor desk, but it was still cool.  I think I understand now that people aren’t kidding when they say the camera adds ten pounds, because I think it makes everything look bigger.  The Today show set looked small too, but no less cool.

Continue reading →

Me at Rockefeller Center

The lunch options in New York City are almost as varied as the people who walk the streets – there’s Olive Gardens, TGI Fridays, Subways and Burger Kings – but I wanted a real New York dining experience.

So passing dozens of chain restaurants, I searched for a deli or a pizza place that looked clean enough and nice enough to eat in.  It took a little searching, but eventually I stumbled upon the Stage Deli, somewhere between the Ed Sullivan Theater and Rockefeller Center.

The place was packed.  Walking in the door, I was immediately greeted by a wall of pictures, featuring all of the famous people who’d eaten there, including a newspaper write-up featuring Mayor Bloomberg enjoying a sandwich from the deli.  It seemed like a safe bet, so when the guy with a thick New York accent asked if I wanted a table, I agreed.

The instant I squeezed into the tiny table that was packed among dozen of others, I knew this wasn’t like the restaurants I normally frequent. Continue reading →

Me outside the David Letterman show!

The crossroads of the world might be best known for their big New Years Eve party, but they’re certainly not lacking on a random Saturday.

More than anyplace I visited in NYC, Times Square left me stunned. The sheer amount of things to look at was insane! One second I was looking at the Good Morning America studio, then another giant screen would divert my attention, only to be quickly distracted by every other type of billboard for everything and anything you can imagine.

Times Square was almost scary because of the amount of people and stuff all around. I couldn’t decide if I was energized or claustrophobic. Continue reading →