First month in DC

It's been almost a month since I've moved down to DC, and I'm really starting to get adjusted to living and working in the city. Finding an apartment was stressful to say the least, and I'm living for the most part on microwavable dinners and cereal (will have to start cooking one of these days...), but I'm getting more and more familiar with DC and loving the free time on my weekends to go exploring.

My work at the CityBridge Foundation continues to get more and more interesting. Right now I'm helping to conduct research on how to turn around the worst-performing schools in the district, and yesterday I conducted my first research interview with a leader in charter school development. I am amazed and awed by how charged the education atmosphere is in Washington DC right now - especially because Michelle Rhee has pushed through such a revolutionary new teacher's contract, it seems like everyone in education reform is looking to DC. It's exciting to think that DC really could become a model for urban school reform around the country!

Outside of work, I've gotten to see the monuments (the last time I did that was on an 8th grade field trip almost 9 years ago - it's hard to believe how fast time passes). Probably the best part of the national mall for me was the Library of Congress. It was amazing - they have this whole section where they replicate Thomas Jefferson's library (including a lot of his originals) and you can walk around and see all the different titles of the books that he read. You can also get a library card there and then go read in their huge and gorgeous reading room. It's a book nerd's dream come true. I'm totally going back to get a library card.

I've also been trying to find ways to meet more people - which has somehow led a couple of Princeton friends and I to join a summer kickball league...thankfully, it doesn't seem like athletic skill is necessary for joining. I'm also trying to find a place where I can take some tap dancing classes - does anyone in or from the DC area know of a good dance studio?

It's great to read about what everyone else doing!