Castle in the Air

This was the best highlight of my week, but let's rewind...

Started my new job at the Medical School Dean's Office this week (I transferred departments on GW campus, and from temp to permanent)! I love it. My boss is quite stressed and said she had alot for me to do, but I was ready for the challenge and the work was actually really easy. I love having variety in my job and especially making people's lives easier :)

At our first Admin Staff Meeting, my manager made cute certificates for everyone like "Ultimate Snack Goddess" and "Event Planning Queen". I didn't expect anything since it was only my 3rd day, but I got (drumroll please) "Best New Employee"!

This is my new desk

The beautiful area outside the Medical Center, which is right next to the Metro!! Too bad it's always clogged with smokers.

Went for a stroll on Wednesday's lunch excursion. Ate my homepacked lunch as I walked. Here I am w/ my homeboy, George, at Washington Circle

Beautiful stroll along New Hampshire St. One of these was an embassy of a Middle Eastern country

So fun to people watch in Dupont Circle. Everyone was out enjoying their lunch break, or entertaining others...

After work, I met up with my good friend, Michael, who finally made it to DC after months of trying to get an internship out here and then driving 4 days by himself from Utah! So proud of him and happy to have him around.

We went to a food court in Federal Triangle w/ his brother, Ben. They both got some really interesting Indian food

I chose Greek food

I think I have a new food crush on gyros. This is my 2nd one this week!

Walked around DC afterwards

In front of the US Treasury

Kids playing street hockey on Pennsylvania Ave in front of the White House :) Only in DC

Thursday night - Salsa Room as usual, but this time w/ Michael!! Great to be dancing together again; we met last year at Salsa Chocolate. He outlasted me by about an hour haha, I'm bringing a water bottle next time!

Friday - there were so many great concerts going on outside but there was a huge storm with official tornado and flood warnings all night! It was a good excuse to have a low-key night at home. I ate ice cream, showered early, read, helped a former student w/ her resume, talked to a friend...wonderfully relaxing and much-needed recharging time

I realized this week that my life has gotten out of balance...
- I've been spending too much time checking social media (owning up to the Facebook addiction)
- I haven't been sleeping enough
- I haven't been eating as well (and eating out too much!)
- I haven't been reading my scriptures in the morning to start my day off right, but at night when I'm exhausted/sleepy
- I haven't been exercising regularly
It reminded me of this talk by President Uchtdorf called "A Matter of a Few Degrees" about how our life can easily get off course little by little, and we need to re-assess and re-adjust regularly.

So I decided I needed to sacrifice some "fun time", finally get myself to the temple, and re-focus on what's most important. The DC temple is my favorite one and what I call the "Castle in the Air" because it looks like it's floating above the trees. Britt helped me plan the trip this Saturday morning. It was a perfect day (clear skies, not too hot)and started with a beautiful drive along the Potomac into Maryland...

Was so excited to finally see this sign!

Breathtaking

I felt so honored to be there

Angel Moroni doing his thing :)

The actual experience INSIDE was heartbreakingly beautiful. We had to make an appointment to do baptisms for the dead, and we joined with another ward who drove all the way from Harrisburg, PA! We were brought through several beautiful rooms, which made me so happy I almost cried. I am so grateful for the blessings of the temple. Britt and I had a wonderful experience.

Afterwards, I ran into a student from SOAR!!! Kevin came to BYU in 2012 before his high school senior year for the summer camp put on by BYU's Multicultural Student Services office. I was blessed to be one of the counselors and it honestly changed my life forever. It made me realize that I want to make a career of mentoring youth and helping them reach their potential. Kevin's going on a mission to Singapore next month!!!

Then, of course we had to take lots of pics. Beautiful surroundings and beautiful day. (BTW, anyone can visit the temple grounds!)

"The House of the Lord. Holiness to the Lord" This inscription is on every LDS temple

So happy to be there!!

Britt and I look like Christmas together, don't we?

Then we went to the Visitor's Center (go if you can!)

Love the Christus

Love the 1st Presidency. Britt and I thought it was so cool how my camera flash spotlighted President Monson!

The Book of Mormon is currently available in over 100 languages! It was cool to see so many of the versions all at once!

Found [one of] my favorite scriptures on the wall! Matt 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Note the awesome placement of the light :D

Interesting replica of a house, showing the loving environment a gospel-centered home can have

Afterwards, we were both starving, so we drove south through DC (the temple is in Maryland) and found a cute little Thai place by Dupont Circle to have lunch.

I'd been craving Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup - ubiquitous where I grew up. I actually ordered a case online haha) all week so I ordered the tofu noodle soup (right). Britt got garlic chicken (left).

Then Britt got this brilliant idea to rent bikes and ride to the monuments! This is one of the things on my DC bucket list so I was all for it!

We went home, changed, and met up at the Capitol Bikeshare stand by our houses. They're all over DC so we decided to start in Crystal City on the Mt. Vernon Trail (another bucket list item!) and ride north along the Potomac. I hadn't ridden a bike in sooo long and it was so liberating! We passed by Gravelly Point...

Britt & I dressed like twins (semi-planned) - down to the white sneakers! Random nice strangers would stop and offer to help take our pics!

The trail was not treacherous so I was able to take a couple pics of myself riding :D

Had fun enjoying the beautiful view from the Arlington Memorial Bridge. Lincoln Memorial to the left...

Decided orange is my new favorite color

Made it to the Lincoln Memorial in an hour (with several stops for photo shoots :D) then had to return the bike to a stand by Washington Monument

Passed by the Vietnam War Memorial on the way back - very cool design. We could see our reflection behind the names...

Went back to the Lincoln Memorial, which I admit I'd been putting off since I came here because of the emotional connection I have to it. Sounds weird, but I have a big soft spot in my heart for African American history. Blacks have suffered so much in this country, yet so many have demonstrated inspiring resilience and success against all odds and contributed an invaluable amount to the rich tapestry of American culture. I could ramble on for days about this...ask me about it in person :)

Anyhow, the Lincoln Memorial conjures up some strong scenes/events in my mind: 1) Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963, commemorated on this block;

2) Marian Anderson's concert in 1939; and 3) Jimmy Stewart's Lincoln scene in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, one of my favorite movies, made in 1939.

The history of this place weighed on my heart

But I managed to go through it without shedding one tear!

On its steps - the view would've been better if the Reflecting Pool weren't under construction :/ then I could really replay the Forrest Gump scene in my head! MAN I miss 90's movies!

There was an excellent high school band playing in front, from North Dakota of all places

Afterwards, we rode the Metro to Pentagon City mall because the night was still very young and I'd been wanting to find comfortable sneakers. Saw a cute pair at Nordstrom's, but I found them for cheaper online! Boo ya!

Then we got hungry again and Britt said I had to try Good Stuff Eatery, which just opened in Crystal City. I'm not a burger girl but it was on my restaurant list cuz everyone raves about it. Great atmosphere & decor!

They're famous for their burgers, shakes, & fries...I got the salted caramel milkshake. Great flavor but way too rich to finish by myself

Then I got their specialty, "Good Stuff Melt". I actually liked Britt's turger burger better haha

I liked the mushrooms, onions, and meat, but the whole thing was waaay too greasy. I think one time is enough for this place.

So I didn't do too well with trying to eat out less this week, but at least I crossed MULTIPLE items off my lists of things to do in DC this week! Here's to a better balanced life next week...