virginia really is for lovers.

Old Town Alexandria. Home to Mount Vernon, trendy boutiques, cobblestone streets, red and black trolleys, a view of the Potomac river and decadent restaurants. As you pass by the colonial style houses, you can't help but imagine what type of people walked these streets. George Washington lived here once. Did he sit on the edge of the Potomac river pondering new legislation? Did he ride his horse down the streets, white wig flowing in the wind?

There was a quiet power about this place.

Despite the occasional rain and some flooded streets (of course where the Starbucks was), the town was still illuminated by history. Upon arrival, we stopped by the Visitor's center before heading to Gadby's Tavern for lunch. The restaurant has hosted George Washington in the past and the day we arrived marked the anniversary of Thomas Jefferson's visit. The waitors wore petticoats and served cornbread muffins. Nothing too fancy to eat, just a chicken sandwich but the hand-cut fries were American if anything.

A quick stroll a couple of blocks landed us at a stationary store called Paper Source where we spent too many hours sifting through the shop's odds and ends (including stick-on mustaches). Next door, many cheesy tourist gifts glowed through the window, beckoning us towards their plastic deals. The gift shop got a little ridiculous as we edged the back of the store, with finds such as a Hillary Clinton toilet bowl brush. We then discovered the Lavender Moon Cupcakery where I had my very first Hummingbird cupcake. Imagine a banana and pineapple cupcake with walnuts, topped with maple cream cheese frosting. Yum.

I must admit, I got a little homesick when I spotted a red and black trolley making its way across the street. I didn't ride the trolleys much at APU last semester but after a quick ride around the block in one of these, it made me wish radio played Christian Talk Radio and want to thank the driver loudly as I walked off.

But the true highlight of the day was the Potomac river. People say here that some who visit Washington D.C. get "Potomac Fever." In other words, they don't want to leave. I can feel my temperature rising already. How could you not with a view like this?

a fashion date with the first lady

I sat in the last row. The front lobby of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History looked different from the last time I visited. Business suits and Gucci bags replaced crying babies and khaki pants. The lobby had converted into a press room, with a large stage and four chairs. In walked the director of the museum, the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and then designer Jason Wu.

And then she walked in.

Michelle Obama, the first lady of the United States, wife to the president and the latest fashion icon since Jackie Kennedy.

I couldn't help but let out an inaudible gasp and grab the leg of the woman sitting next to me. "That's her," I whispered. "I can't believe it."

I was helping cover the presentation of the inaugural gown of the first lady. For those who have never visited the museum before, this is a common event. Each first lady donates at least one dress to the exhibition, which features dresses dating back to Martha Washington. The presentation ceremony is a big deal and how I ended up there, I'm not quite sure.

I was set to interview the curator of the exhibition when she offered to let me see the exhibit before the public. I entered with the intentions of writing a separate story and after a brief discussion with my editor, I was set to join the entertainment columnist at the event. And wow, I don't think I'll forget it. In as quick as an hour, I passed through security, chatted with the editor and sat through speeches by both the designer and the first lady. The gown she wore stood somber yet elegant to the side of the stage, a masterpiece. I could almost see the crystals stitched on the dress sparkle.

What a wonderful journalism day.

D.C. isn't always so Bon Appetit

If you knew my family, it would be no surprise that the first thing I talk about after a couple weeks of posting is food. And what better way to lead than with a photo of Julia Child brandishing what appears to be the knives of all knives.

Last weekend my roommates and I made the trip out to the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Soon enough, I found myself gazing into the original kitchen of Julia Child (there's an entire exhibit) and joining a crowd that watched replays of old Julia Child episodes with eyes bigger than our stomachs. Beyond Child's renown love for butter, I believe there's another aspect of bravery that I admire her for. She took on challenges--new recipes, the french language, deboning a duck--with as much confidence as a woman with a large knife could muster.

And so, that's how I've felt these last couple of weeks--a struggle to brandish my own small butter knife in a business world of machetes and cleavers.

The last two weeks I became an expert on topics I never knew about: adult ice skating, homebuyer assistance programs, foreclosure auctions and grand cycling tours. I've had to research to build confidence. I've had to decode acronyms. I've had to pray to God that I could decipher documents. It's a thrilling feeling when you find the answers to your long list of questions but the beginning always feels like a new recipe (in Bulgarian rather than French). You have no idea what you're doing but by the end of the last sentence and once you hit "send," you learned something. You're always learning.

I think that's the part of this experience that keeps me going under the pressure. I have an uncanny desire to learn and to be a part of something foreign to me. You're knife becomes sharper when the questions you ask become more specific. At the foreclosure auction I ended up covering, I felt like a pro as I discussed homebuyer programs with realtors. I had become just as hyped about HFAs and how the VHDA was providing SPARC while the DDOT was helping employees (basically the conversation was mostly capital letters). The same happened with the grand cycling tour story which took me to the Italian embassy to chat with the Mayor of D.C. at a huge gala. By the end I wanted to jump on a bike and compete myself (I just learned how to ride a bike a couple years ago).

I'm never knowing what my internship or my time in D.C. will take me. I've been trying to fill my free time with short adventures (which can be hard to do when you would rather sleep than walk a mile). In the past two weeks I cruised around the Library of Congress and got a research card. I saw the Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. I attended a feminist book talk at the Busboys and Poets coffee shop. I celebrated Valentines Day by eating a bananas ice cream dish with my roommates. I interviewed the CEO of a nonprofit against poverty. I gazed at rows and rows of fish at the Chesapeake fish market. I worshiped in the Lincoln theater. I listened to an interview with my professor and Denzel Washington for a class assignment. I watched the remains of the snowpocalypse slowly melt away. I ate tacos with crime reporters at the National Press Club. I got my shoe stuck in an escalator. I walked past the Capitol building for the twentieth time and still felt amazed.

I'm still deciphering the "Cookbook for D.C. Interns" but with each experience and editor critique, I can feel my confidence getting a little sharper. Now, if only to master national politics...

An ode to snow

The snow has stopped and the sun has finally made its way back from wherever it was hiding...Florida? Farewell Snowpocalypse of 2010, you made grocery shopping a game of survival of the fittest and tested my patience at the Metros. But all in all, thank you for giving me my first snow day. I leave you with this wonderful view of the Capitol and the snow protesters that have assembled there. I blame cabin fever for this stunt.

The Semester of the "Snowpocalypse"

Remember when I put up that picture last week of the alley behind my apartment? Well, it's snowed a lot since then. And I mean 20 inches with more to come. Here's what it looked like this afternoon (left).

The news has dubbed the unwelcomed fluff the "Snowpocalypse" and it's said to be one of the worst blizzards Washington D.C. has ever experienced. Funny websites such as this one have also erupted that give you an idea of what people are feeling here...all aside, people are freaking out and with good reason. Metro lines are closed, trees are falling under the weight of the snow and the threat of possible electricity problems are rumored.

So how would one start a glorious winter day such as this one? Perhaps, brew a cup of coffee or stay in bed protesting the cold? Well not me unfortunately. I woke up at 6 am and marched to Union station (a half mile walk) to interview people stranded at the train station for the Washington Examiner newspaper, where I'm currently interning. The walk was like something out of I am Legend. No one was out and it was difficult to distinguish between the street and the sidewalk. I walked in the middle of the road, the only clear place where I could step without getting snow in my rain boots. I got stopped once by a passing vehicle who was concerned as to why I would be outside in the midsts of the Snowmageddon (this was runner up to Snowpocalypse, I like it better). I wasn't sure why I was out either or why I volunteered in the first place but the experience was still rewarding. I interviewed two people, including a man from London who was waiting to travel to NYC to see his daughter. Here's the article, note the "Examiner intern Kaitlin Schluter contributed to this report."

And so begins the list of bylines by reporter Kaitlin Schluter (I hope). My internship started last Tuesday and within the first day I was writing and sent out covering stories. My editor thankfully allows me to pitch story ideas like crazy and a couple have been picked up. I covered a coalition in the Georgetown area who are fighting to bring streetcars to their district and am currently researching a bill that will grant trainers of guide dog the same rights as the physically disabled with a service animal. Daily I contribute a brief and have been adding the "Heart of the City" brief which gets your name on it (twice now!). Thursday I was asked to write a sidebar about etiquette that got published with the cover story.

The internship has been going well but I would be lying if I denied how stressful it gets. I keep hearing stories from my journalism program about students who reach an emotional breakdown at least once a semester. That was almost my first day. I was handed a brief and a story to cover due that day within the first hour that I entered the newsroom. I freaked out a little, but enough to leave me feeling physically ill from the stress. Not to mention I stayed up til two in the morning writing an article to file the next morning. But don't worry, things have gotten better and I'm in for a very exciting internship experience.

I'm a bundled up journalist, officially.

Let the snow begin.

I woke up this morning and opened the blinds to see this: some wet thing called snow.
Rumors of snow have been spreading among town, leaving me shaking in my shouldn't-have-bought-in-California boots. And sure enough, snow prevailed three days before my internship starts.

I'm crossing my fingers that the snow melts in time for my trek to work, at least before I'm sent out in the storm to cover a story. It doesn't look too likely for now but I didn't let the snow ruin my relaxing Saturday. The morning was spent getting bundled up and taking many pictures on the way to Eastern market for a bag of oranges and bananas (I told you I'm obsessed with this market). Later I made a batch of peanut butter cookies-as you should on any chilly day-and spent the night watching Disturbia.

But as for this week, here's a couple of highlights: 1. I turned in my first blog assignment! Our program hosts a blog called InkTank that provides commentaries on news and D.C. life. For my class, we must post a certain amount of blogs throughout the semester regarding news or the D.C. experience. Take a read. 2. I served at Martha's Table again, a food kitchen for the homeless in D.C. We served meals at the same location but this time I was able to speak with some of locals and hear their stories. It's amazing how powerful a warm cup of a soup maybe on a cold night. 3. I visited the newsroom of the Washington Examiner where I will be working for the next three months. The environment is pretty intimidating, to be honest. Very professional, very serious journalism, very "business suit"...but all the more exciting. I have a desk by a window and the editor is a great guy who misses mexican food as much as I do. I'm going to learn so much there! 4. I discovered the wonderful Capitol Hill Bookstore where stacks of books line the walls and floors. This place is packed, many books stuffed into tall bookcases. I knocked over half of section "B" unfortunately but did manage to find a book amid the chaos. I got Lovely Bones for $4, quite a find. 5. I received advice for my internship. Okay so maybe this isn't as much of a highlight, especially when we heard that all student have an emotional breakdown at least once. But the discussion did clear up a couple of my fears for this whole experience which I still can't believe has yet to begin.

The last two weeks (already!) have been somewhat of a honeymoon period and now as I enter what I came here to do, I'm getting nervous. How am I going to come up with story ideas in a town I've only lived in for two weeks? How am I going to write an article a day on deadline? How am I going to feel confident in the newsroom? A lot of questions are passing through my mind but after much encouragement and prayer, I'm ready to take on the internship with humility and a willingness to be stretched.

Goodbye relaxing two weeks, you have been swell. Here's one last thing to leave you with: the video result from my scavenger hunt challenge. We ended up in last place for the competition but still had a great time and good workout (much walking). The hunt took three days but placed me in some very exciting places. (Note: Music didn't work when placed on site)

Thanks for reading, more to come.

the DC food edition

I have officially been living in Washington D.C. for a week and two days. I have learned much, what with the basics of Metro etiquette and where to find a cheap cup of coffee, but I am still adjusting to this unique city. I will never get over the sudden rush of adrenaline I feel when I pass by the Capitol building on my way to get a quart of milk. So while most of my friends at school have been studying, I have been still "getting used to the city" which consists of exploring, some fascinating culture lectures and service learning in the community (more details about that to come soon).

But amid all of the experiences I have had so far, food is a category all its own. I've already told you about Ben's Chili Bowl (which I've been to twice now) but let me introduce you to some other D.C. cuisine:

1. Five Guys:
The east coast's equivalent to IN-N-OUT, or at least, the next best thing. So no, you will not find Neapolitan milkshakes or animal style fries at this joint but you can order as many burger toppings as you want with no extra charge (including hot sauce and green peppers). And the fries are delicious! Don't forget to grab a plate of peanuts to eat with your meal, the restaurant offers them free to munch on.

2. Kyoto Sushi:
Just up the street by the Federal building, where senators do senator-like business. The place has affordable sushi and even a happy hour where sushi is a dollar each. This too may be a weekly stop for a quick Philadelphia roll (pictured above) that consists of Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese and Avocado YUM!

3. Eastern Market Bakery:
Gourmet cupcakes are a big thing hitting the baked goods runways that present some delicious art. I got a red velvet cupcake today with cream cheese frosting. Yeah, I was drooling too. Not too bad of a price compared with other cupcake eateries like Baked and Wired that I plan to visit soon. I also was tempted and bought garlic bread and blueberry scones.

ANNNNNNND!!!!!

4. Ebenezer's Coffee House:
A wonderful blend of fair-trade coffee, good prices, a urban atmosphere and faith. The coffee shop is a venture through National Community Church, which meets on the bottom floor, that offers an array of warm drinks and entertainment. I've never met a coffee shop that is so overtly Christian (minus the one on my college campus) that is always full of customers. I'm impressed and plan to study here/drink here/go to open mic here/possibly live here during this semester.

And finally, let me end with an ode to my mini-van who for the last five years has remained my partner-in-crime for so many great adventures, with the exception of this grand adventure in Washington D.C. Today a group of us toured Downtown D.C. and the National Mall when much to my surprise, there was my red Nissan Quest mini-van parked in front of a department building. It's been a little more than a week since I last drove my van. Since, getting groceries is now a way to burn calories and I've never walked this much in my life.
Much to say, being reunited was sweet, sweet bliss.