As I was running back to my apartment near Georgetown from an early morning food market, I was feeling a little selfish... I always do when I feel like I have had some amazing experiences or discovered a place or person that helps me to grow in my knowledge and understanding. So, to help shake my selfishness here is a list of experiences, people, and places that have really shaped my experience here in Washington, DC.
--Going to the Court of Appeals, or the second most powerful court of the land, and meeting with Chief Judge Griffith
--Running along the lit up memorials in the national mall
--Eating pancakes at Eastern Market with friends from the Barlow and DC 2nd
--Learning from my supervisors, Steve Richards and Jozsef Szmaolvi (I’m not sure if I spelt that right—in fact I’m sure I misspelled his name) and people that my supervisors have introduced me to
--Learning about clean energy technology and clean energy programs
--Sitting down with people who are passionate about politics and foreign policy
--Taking running tours of Washington DC
--Interviewing professional lawyers, executives, chairman of different organizations, company executives, and graduate students
--Traveling the Eastern seaboard
--Eating at and enjoying Georgetown
--Having time to plan for post graduation
--Reduced load of homework and assigned reading so that I can work on projects and read books that I choose to read
--The opportunity to meet and talk to new people almost every second of the day
--Starting brand new… new city, new people, new ward, new work place… it’s a beautiful thing to start over again, it has pushed me to lengthen my stride
--Solidifying some of my political views
--Choosing the path of my passions
--Room to breathe and dream again
forgive the short details, but if you're interested in learning more about some of these experiences then please give me a call!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
NYC
Our bus left from Chinatown in Washington DC at 3:30am. The drive to New York City was suppose to take only 4 hours, but it took us about 6 hours because our bus broke down on the highway... it was quite funny. All I remember was that I woke up from my early morning nap to to our bus stopped and the driver simply saying in a Chinese accent, "Ladies and gentlemen, the bus is broke down." I chuckled to myself and put my head back against the window of the bus and kept sleeping, I woke up about two hours later to switch to a new bus.
While we were in New York we enjoyed our time at Central Park, 5th Avenue, Times Square, the Pier, Chinatown, and Little Italy. The highlights of the trip included riding a horse merry-go-round in central park, a hot dog on the pier, the smell of trash on the night streets (that smell reminded me of walking back from Yankee stadium with my dad as young child), and the hustle and bustle of New York.
There are two main highlights though that I want to briefly touch on- the friends that I went there with and an Italian man I saw in Little Italy.
One great blessing in coming to Washington DC has been the friends that I have made. I have had a blast getting to know everybody that is interning within the same program as me, a few of them have really become very good friends of mine. On Saturday I went to Washington DC with Kyle Carmichael, Sara "Palin" Sonntag, Ashley Mitchel, Paige Morton, and Kristen Staib. It was fun hanging with them and seeing how they reacted to certain situations... that in itself deserves its own blog post.
The second highlight was when we were walking around Little Italy after dinner. I had splintered off from out group in hopes to find a place to watch the BYU game (I didn't watch it, I guess Italians don't like BYU football that much). As I was walking down the crowded street a little Italian man came out of his restaurant and yelled to everybody shuffling by, "Best Italian food ever" and then he walked back into his restaurant. I had to laugh because New York is kind of the only place that you can do that... I mean, you couldn't do it Provo because there's barely anyone that would be there to hear it. Anyways, it's fun to experience new environments/cultures/conditions, whatever you want to call it. I walked away from that man thinking two things: 1) I love living in a place where people, including myself, can just do what that Italian man just did; 2) If it is the best Italian joint then I better make sure that I come back and eat there, I mean it's the best, right?
At the end of the night we walked down near the Brooklyn bridge and enjoyed the view and Ashley and Sara Sonntag dancing, which was almost as serene as the cityscape. We jumped on the bus at 9:30 and drove back to Washington DC and got home at about 2:30 without breaking down.
While we were in New York we enjoyed our time at Central Park, 5th Avenue, Times Square, the Pier, Chinatown, and Little Italy. The highlights of the trip included riding a horse merry-go-round in central park, a hot dog on the pier, the smell of trash on the night streets (that smell reminded me of walking back from Yankee stadium with my dad as young child), and the hustle and bustle of New York.
There are two main highlights though that I want to briefly touch on- the friends that I went there with and an Italian man I saw in Little Italy.
One great blessing in coming to Washington DC has been the friends that I have made. I have had a blast getting to know everybody that is interning within the same program as me, a few of them have really become very good friends of mine. On Saturday I went to Washington DC with Kyle Carmichael, Sara "Palin" Sonntag, Ashley Mitchel, Paige Morton, and Kristen Staib. It was fun hanging with them and seeing how they reacted to certain situations... that in itself deserves its own blog post.
The second highlight was when we were walking around Little Italy after dinner. I had splintered off from out group in hopes to find a place to watch the BYU game (I didn't watch it, I guess Italians don't like BYU football that much). As I was walking down the crowded street a little Italian man came out of his restaurant and yelled to everybody shuffling by, "Best Italian food ever" and then he walked back into his restaurant. I had to laugh because New York is kind of the only place that you can do that... I mean, you couldn't do it Provo because there's barely anyone that would be there to hear it. Anyways, it's fun to experience new environments/cultures/conditions, whatever you want to call it. I walked away from that man thinking two things: 1) I love living in a place where people, including myself, can just do what that Italian man just did; 2) If it is the best Italian joint then I better make sure that I come back and eat there, I mean it's the best, right?
At the end of the night we walked down near the Brooklyn bridge and enjoyed the view and Ashley and Sara Sonntag dancing, which was almost as serene as the cityscape. We jumped on the bus at 9:30 and drove back to Washington DC and got home at about 2:30 without breaking down.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Pleasant Surprises
I've come to like the term "pleasant surprises". Many surprises come to us, some welcome and others we wish had never reared their ugly head. I think we can probably name a few surprises we've all had in the last few weeks or months... as of late I have felt very fortunate, and have been pleasantly surprised numerous times since I have made my stay in Washington DC.
The Johansen's--The Johansen family encompasses my sister Talai, her husband Aaron, and their child Owen. I came out here a couple of weeks before I began my internship and was able to spend some time with the Johansens. While I was growing-up my sister and I were always pretty close, and would trade secrets from time to time, but with her marriage and move to the East Coast it has been harder to maintain the relationship we enjoyed (and maybe at times despised (since then I've grown-up a little bit)) while growing-up. Those two weeks, and the dinner outings with Talai, Aaron, and Owen has endeared a level of love and friendship I may have not have experienced otherwise. The time that I've been able to spend with them has given me a stronger love for Talai, a deeper respect for Aaron, and a heart that melts when Owen smiles at me (I'm still trying to get him to laugh for me).
My Roommate, Jim Bird--I didn't really think much about who I was going to room with, mostly because I feel like I'm so laid back and can get along with anyone, but when I learned that Jim is a journal writer, scripture reader, fashionable dresser, hip-hop lover, country lover, and ladies man I knew that I was in for a great semester.
The City--I've visited a lot of cities, but I have never lived in one, and in the past I always said that I couldn't live in a city--living in DC has proved me wrong. I love the city. I love the arts here. I love taking the public transportation, mostly because I get to meet new people almost every day or I can dig into a book or newspaper without worrying about driving off the road, for me it's one way to unwind. I have come to love the city life so much that I am now looking for jobs in New York City, Chicago, Washington DC, and San Francisco.
Honorable Mentions: Apple dumplings, Steak and cheese, Aunt Shauna and Uncle Dave, Uncle Chad and Aunt Tracy, running along the Potomac, finance, the humidity, watching couples walk hand in hand on the river trail, updates on the BYU game from Tanille, and sharing what means the most to me with others.
The Johansen's--The Johansen family encompasses my sister Talai, her husband Aaron, and their child Owen. I came out here a couple of weeks before I began my internship and was able to spend some time with the Johansens. While I was growing-up my sister and I were always pretty close, and would trade secrets from time to time, but with her marriage and move to the East Coast it has been harder to maintain the relationship we enjoyed (and maybe at times despised (since then I've grown-up a little bit)) while growing-up. Those two weeks, and the dinner outings with Talai, Aaron, and Owen has endeared a level of love and friendship I may have not have experienced otherwise. The time that I've been able to spend with them has given me a stronger love for Talai, a deeper respect for Aaron, and a heart that melts when Owen smiles at me (I'm still trying to get him to laugh for me).
My Roommate, Jim Bird--I didn't really think much about who I was going to room with, mostly because I feel like I'm so laid back and can get along with anyone, but when I learned that Jim is a journal writer, scripture reader, fashionable dresser, hip-hop lover, country lover, and ladies man I knew that I was in for a great semester.
The City--I've visited a lot of cities, but I have never lived in one, and in the past I always said that I couldn't live in a city--living in DC has proved me wrong. I love the city. I love the arts here. I love taking the public transportation, mostly because I get to meet new people almost every day or I can dig into a book or newspaper without worrying about driving off the road, for me it's one way to unwind. I have come to love the city life so much that I am now looking for jobs in New York City, Chicago, Washington DC, and San Francisco.
Honorable Mentions: Apple dumplings, Steak and cheese, Aunt Shauna and Uncle Dave, Uncle Chad and Aunt Tracy, running along the Potomac, finance, the humidity, watching couples walk hand in hand on the river trail, updates on the BYU game from Tanille, and sharing what means the most to me with others.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Is This Love or Infatuation?
I have been in Washington DC now for almost three weeks, and working in Washington DC for a week and I think I'm in love... at least I think this is what love feels like; but I think the greatest test of love or infatuation comes with time--so maybe I'll stamp this email as RESOLVED in a couple of months.
One example: Because Washington DC is a large city, there are a lot of opportunities to meet new people. The other day while busing to the metro station I began talking to a gentleman and I learned of his Arabic background. To save you the details of our conversation, in short we talked about everything from our religious beliefs to what we wanted to accomplish in our lives... awesome conversation. Luckily we work near each other so I'll have the opportunity to keep in contact with him. There are so many amazing people out here, and I look forward to meeting and becoming friends with as many as possible!
One example: Because Washington DC is a large city, there are a lot of opportunities to meet new people. The other day while busing to the metro station I began talking to a gentleman and I learned of his Arabic background. To save you the details of our conversation, in short we talked about everything from our religious beliefs to what we wanted to accomplish in our lives... awesome conversation. Luckily we work near each other so I'll have the opportunity to keep in contact with him. There are so many amazing people out here, and I look forward to meeting and becoming friends with as many as possible!
Monday, September 1, 2008
Repentance------->Meekness
Lincoln Haycock made some great comments to my post "Meekness...". If you have some time you should read them. I'm hoping that he'll begin his own blog. As I read his thoughts and re-read my post I began to think about Moroni 8:26 a little more.
Meekness is certainly a key to charity, but they key to becoming meek, at least from what I've begun to understand is being repentant or maybe preface to repentant the desire to be better--to change. I've found that when I am striving to become better my prayers and thoughts are focused in such a way, as my prayers become focused a certain wave of meekness envelops my life. Anyways, for me, this points to the importance of prayer... prayer helps open the windows of heaven.
Meekness is certainly a key to charity, but they key to becoming meek, at least from what I've begun to understand is being repentant or maybe preface to repentant the desire to be better--to change. I've found that when I am striving to become better my prayers and thoughts are focused in such a way, as my prayers become focused a certain wave of meekness envelops my life. Anyways, for me, this points to the importance of prayer... prayer helps open the windows of heaven.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Meekness is the key that unlocks the door to charity...
For the past couple of years I have studied faith, hope, and charity. As I've dug into them a little bit I've learned some important princples, I hope you don't mind that I share them with you.
Since I learned about charity a while ago I've always had the question, how do I gain charity. I understand the scripture, "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love" {the love being charity), but what urges one to pray and what should they pray for exactly as?
As I pondered these questions I began to study Moroni 7 and 8 a little bit more. Moroni 7 teaches us that faith is the first steps we need to take to develop charity. As we exercise true faith, meaning the only true person we can exercise faith in, because He is perfect--Jesus Christ--, we can begin to develop hope. Our hope grows as we adhere to gospel principles and commandments--thus exercising faith, and as we do so we begin to see the fruits of the spirit and other blessings in our lives. As we witness those blessings our hope will naturally grow, mainly our hope pertaining to the atonement, whether we realize it or not. As our faith and hope grows in the atonement we become cleansed and more perfect because of the Savior, this cleansing and perfecting helps us to be more like the Savior, as we become more like the Savior we begin to inherit some of His characteristics, such as love--or better said charity.
As I learned these truths, I began thinking about what moves us to exercise faith, there must be something more. I began to look for a key, a catalyst that can help us to exercise faith. Moroni 7:46 and Moroni 8:26 teaches that meekness is one of the keys that can open the door to faith-->hope--> and charity.
Moroni 7:44:
Moroni 8:26:
I don't have the time right now to complete reference my thoughts, but I will later. I'm interested in anybody's thoughts in regards to this, I hope to hear from a few of you.
Since I learned about charity a while ago I've always had the question, how do I gain charity. I understand the scripture, "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love" {the love being charity), but what urges one to pray and what should they pray for exactly as?
As I pondered these questions I began to study Moroni 7 and 8 a little bit more. Moroni 7 teaches us that faith is the first steps we need to take to develop charity. As we exercise true faith, meaning the only true person we can exercise faith in, because He is perfect--Jesus Christ--, we can begin to develop hope. Our hope grows as we adhere to gospel principles and commandments--thus exercising faith, and as we do so we begin to see the fruits of the spirit and other blessings in our lives. As we witness those blessings our hope will naturally grow, mainly our hope pertaining to the atonement, whether we realize it or not. As our faith and hope grows in the atonement we become cleansed and more perfect because of the Savior, this cleansing and perfecting helps us to be more like the Savior, as we become more like the Savior we begin to inherit some of His characteristics, such as love--or better said charity.
As I learned these truths, I began thinking about what moves us to exercise faith, there must be something more. I began to look for a key, a catalyst that can help us to exercise faith. Moroni 7:46 and Moroni 8:26 teaches that meekness is one of the keys that can open the door to faith-->hope--> and charity.
Moroni 7:44:
None is acceptable before God, save the meek and lownly in heart; and if a man be meek and lownly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity
Moroni 8:26:
And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lownliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God
I don't have the time right now to complete reference my thoughts, but I will later. I'm interested in anybody's thoughts in regards to this, I hope to hear from a few of you.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Top Ten Summer Events
This summer has been a wonderful summer, and for me it's basically over. I begin school (actually an internship) on Tuesday, so I feel like this is a good time for me to publish my top ten events/experiencs of my summer.
10. "Hitching a ride" to Santa Barbara, CA--and spending a week in Portland with Lincoln Haycock's family
9. Working at Gruvie with Ian and Levi
8. Riding a camel around the pyramids
7. Hiking Santa Ana, a volcano in El Salvador
6. Becoming friends with Dr. Sayed Saif, Ahmed Hathoot, and Dr. Yasser Saif in Egypt as well as becoming friends with Daniel Hernandez in El Salvador
5. Seeing Les Miserables in St. George at Tuacahn
4. Running a race with my dad and my brothers Colby and Dallan
3. Spending a week and a half with Talai, Aaron and Owen in Washington DC
My last two days with my family before moving away for four months
2. The last two days I spent with my family before moving
1. Partaking of the sacrament in El Salvador
10. "Hitching a ride" to Santa Barbara, CA--and spending a week in Portland with Lincoln Haycock's family
9. Working at Gruvie with Ian and Levi
8. Riding a camel around the pyramids
7. Hiking Santa Ana, a volcano in El Salvador
6. Becoming friends with Dr. Sayed Saif, Ahmed Hathoot, and Dr. Yasser Saif in Egypt as well as becoming friends with Daniel Hernandez in El Salvador
5. Seeing Les Miserables in St. George at Tuacahn
4. Running a race with my dad and my brothers Colby and Dallan
3. Spending a week and a half with Talai, Aaron and Owen in Washington DC
My last two days with my family before moving away for four months
2. The last two days I spent with my family before moving
1. Partaking of the sacrament in El Salvador
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