My first week at The Washington Center has been amazing so far! TWC's Residential and Academic Facility (RAF) is beautiful, spacious and in a great neighborhood. The RAF is very close to the metro system, which is convenient since most of our internships are in different parts of the city. The RAF is also close to Union Station and H Street where there are a lot of delicious restaurants, coffee houses and cute shops.

I arrived in Washington, D.C. on the 18th of August with my school's (Texas Christian University) journalism program. I got here early to take a TCU class that is all about media in Washington. It was extremely helpful to get here early and explore the city before move-in day. The metro system can be a little bit confusing at first, but it is easy to get the hang of! I bought a smart trip pass, which is a card that you can load money online or at metro stations. I recommend doing that because it is a lot easier than getting a weekly/single paper card pass (it's also less expensive).

Oh, and another helpful hint... make sure you do not stand on the left side of the escalator at metro stations. Always stand on the right side because the left is designated for walkers and/or runners and commuters will not be happy if you are standing in their way. Trust me. :) The RAF also has a shuttle that runs to and from the nearest metro station in the mornings and in the afternoons. The shuttle also takes students to and from the grocery stores which comes in handy when you have a lot of grocery bags to carry!

So far I have been able to take a tour of Capitol Hill, visit Representative Kay Granger's office, sit in the control room during a live production of Face the Nation, visit POLITICO and Public Strategies-Washington, the Associated Press (where I will be taking my course - "Media Law and Ethics"), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Press Club and of course the NEWSEUM!

If you have never been to the NEWSEUM or plan on being in the D.C. area soon...you have to go to the NEWSEUM! It is so much fun and it's huge; there is so much to see, I plan on going back multiple times during the semester just to make sure I can see everything! Make sure to check out their website here if you are interested.

[Trip to Capitol Hill]

We did not start our internships on Monday because it was Labor Day so it was nice to have an extra day to get settled, buy groceries and do laundry. While most students' first days were Tuesday, I did not start my internship at CBS This Morning this week because most of the bureau is away covering the political conventions. So, I will start this Monday and I could not be more excited! I was able to visit CBS and attend the live production of Face the Nation the first Sunday I was in D.C. I loved being back in a newsroom; it is so exhilarating! I was able to sit in the control room which was a lot of fun! I really enjoy seeing how each part of the production comes together to form the entire show. The last time I was in a newsroom was this summer at the station I interned at in San Diego. I am counting down the hours till I walk into CBS on Monday! :) This is the photo I took at CBS when I attended the live production of Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer.

I live in a pretty big room with a fellow journalism student from TCU and we share an apartment with two other young women from abroad! One of our rommates is from Shangai and the other is from South Korea. How cool, right?! It is so much fun talking with them and learning more about their culture and interests! My roommate Rosie brought us these beautiful and colorful coasters from Shanghai. They are gorgeous! We have a lot of room in the apartment and a lot of closet space (always a plus). Here is a picture of my side of the room.

I have been fortunate enough to meet a lot of wonderful people from all over the world at TWC. We have been trying new restaurants, hunting down Georgetown cupcakes and visiting museums. I also went to a Nationals' baseball game over the weekend! There is a funky little sushi restaurant at Union Station called Yo! Sushi. The sushi is made fresh and rotates on a conveyor belt; the price of the dishes/sushi depends on the colored plates. The sushi is so, so good! Over the weekend we also went to the Museum of Natural History. They have a live butterfly exhibit which was definitely one of my favorite parts of the museum (other than the ocean exhibit). And waiting in line for a Georgetown cupcake is a must! The line looks longer than it is but trust me when I say it is worth the wait. And make sure you get more than one and take the rest home with you. I recommend the red velvet cupcake!

This weekend some of my TCU friends and I are going to try to find a place to watch the first TCU football game of the season! There are actually a lot of TCU alumni in the D.C area. It is such a small world! Overall, I have to say I am absolutely in love with this city. D.C. has an energy about it and there is always something to do. I am the type of person who can't sit still so the city is perfect! I am so happy I have the opportunity to spend the entire semester here because there is so much to do and so much to see! I am really looking forward to this next chapter in my life and I am beyond ready to start my internship at CBS This Morning on Monday!

Wish me luck in the next newsroom! :)