my trip to d.c.

i didn't have internet when i was there, but i found time to type up a textedit in my free time. enjoy what i have so far. =)

june 3rd, tuesday:

so i didn't sleep today. i had dinner and QT with cf before i headed home last night to start packing. yea yea, i know... last minute packing? yup. it was basic. i knew i had to bring three business suits and i had all that, so it was just in the matter of getting pajamas and a couple other things. usually i overpack, but for this trip i had to condense. like, REALLY condense. and it was a success. =) anyhow, i stayed up until i boarded the plane because i thought it would be pointless if i knocked out at 2am when i was supposed to head to the airport at 3:45 or 4am. my mom brings me to the airport and i bid her adieu. so i get there when the workers are barely starting their shift and i'm chillin' in the waiting area. time didn't drag and it was 6am pretty quick. once i got on the plane and buckled my seatbelt, i immediately knocked out. no drink or snacks for me, no siree. i usually knock out on a plane if i'm traveling alone so this isn't new. i'm pretty sure i was freaking out the lady next to me because i kept bobbing my head and leaning towards her. i had the window to my left, so at least i wasn't bugging two people. everytime i bobbed my head hard, i woke up for a little and i would notice the woman next to me leaning further away from me. funny, but i was mad tired and couldn't help it. what can i say?

touched down in minneapolis, where it was raining and i had to catch another flight. as i was walking through the airport, i noticed one of those huge vending machines. the way companies are trying to utilize their creative, strategic plans are getting a bit more interesting. this particular vending machine had sets of proactiv solution. no electronics, no snacks, no refreshments... but skincare products. interesting. minneapolis must be breaking out.

so i hop on the next plane and knock out again. this time, i had the middle seat. karma. haha. oh well! i knocked out again and did the whole bobbing my head/leaning towards my neighbors thing. again, what can i say? i'm tired! i wake up right before we touch down in washington d.c. and i see the white house, lincoln memorial, and the monument as we lightly land at the reagan int'l airport right next to the potomac river. awesome. i get my luggage (shout to cf for the tumi loan) and head to the restroom to change into business suit/skirt #1. i walk to the metro and hop on. convenient, public, cheap transportation. everyone is in business attire. from the airport all the way to where i needed to go. only makes sense since it's the nation's capitol and every politician's meeting ground.

anyhow, i follow the instructions that were emailed to me and had to ask a lady for a certain street in which she was so kind to direct me. fortunately, the building i had to go to was right next to the metro station i got off on. once i got in, i put my luggage and briefcase to the side, grabbed my intern badge, met with the program manager, put aside the goodie bag the foundation so generously put together for all of the interns and headed to the h'oure d'ourves. haha don't ask or comment me if i spelled that right, because i have no idea. i was just trying to take a stab at it. at this welcoming reception, i met a handful of people. i introduced myself to some of the other interns who, i must say, have incredible opportunities with the companies that they have internships with through this foundation we all are privileged to be apart of (i.e. Rainbow Media, TruTV, DirecTV, ESPN, Comcast, Lifetime Network, YES television, Fox, HBO, Qualcomm, and the list goes on).

I was in such a rush to get to the building that when I did get inside and headed to the food i actually bumped into the NBC President of Network Distribution and Partnerships. I said a quick hello and briefly looked at his nametag while he looked at mine, but i drew a blank to ask him questions and make my mark right then and there since i had a plate and serving spoon in hand that he briefly said hello and noticed that i'll be an NBC intern (it says my name, 2008 intern, and the company i'm interning for on my badge). he asked me where i would be interning at and i said LA. i asked him what city he's based in and he said New York. then it was that awkward "ok you don't questions for me i'm going to move on" type of deal and what do you know... he was on his merry way to engage in a conversation with someone else. DAAAAAAMN it! ahhh, i can't dwell. it's ok. i have his contact information somewhere, i have to have it. i hope. damn, if i have a contact in New York... Ooo wee. SMH SMH SMH. =)

so after meeting with the other c/o 2008 interns and a few big wigs. all of the interns head to the George Washington University dorms. we all settle in our dorms and since i've been sleeping all day and tired. i knock out. it was raining outside so it wasn't exactly a good night to go out and plus i needed my rest. all i heard was thunder anyhow. and it was my roommate's 21st birthday, but she went out with a friend and i knocked out again.

june 4th, wednesday:

woke up at 6:30am; got ready; business suit #2; loaded the bus by 8am. we headed to d.c.'s BET headquarters for Orientation. this was the listening day which was pretty cool because there were speakers in the industry who gave us some insight and motivation. took a tour of the BET Headquarters, so i got the chance to see what was aired in different time zones throughout the country from west to east.

after this day was through, we had dinner at espn zone. some of the girls and i walked around downtown real quick but then the weather got nasty so we hailed a cab back to the dorms. in lieu of my roomie's birthday, a couple of the girls and i walk to a pub to celebrate. Happy birthday Teccara! we had good girl bonding time. we headed back to the dorms and i chit chatted away a bit. =) then headed off to bed for another orientation day.

and this is where i break it down shorter because frankly i don't think you'd care much for what else happened at the orientation. But, just know that i learned a few great things here and there, met some great people, and was just glad to be out there for this great opportunity.

june 5th, thursday:

after our orientation, we had a rooftop pizza party which was cool to end the trip with or at least the orientation part. afterwards, we all split up in groups and walked back to GWU. on our way back, we walked past the white house but didn't say hi to Bush. pause. i chilled out and got ready to go night site seeing; lincoln memorial, washington monument, WWII memorial. AUGH... sigh. beautiful. people weren't lying when they told me to see the sites at night. absolutely serene. perfect weather. no rain or thunder. the girls and i hailed a cab and headed back to the dorms. when we got there, i didn't want to call it a night just yet so i headed down the street to a bar called Tonic. i met up with a few guys in the foundation and kicked it with them to watch the finals highlights of Game 1 with the lakers and boston. after that bar closed we hopped to another place called Lindy's Pub & Grill. very homebody-ish places. try it some time. afterwards, we headed back to GWU dorms and chit chatted. good night that was. good night. =)

june 6th, friday:

everyone's leaving. barely got to say bye to everyone that i met, but we all assured each other of adding each other on the space or facebook. i woke up early to walk my roomie downstairs. and what was supposed to be a walk to the metro ended up being a few steps away to a cab that she shared with another intern. worked out good. i went back up stairs and knocked out. after i fully got up and ready, i said bye to some good people and hung out with a couple of the girls whose flights were later. we had lunch and headed to Georgetown to see how the shops were. annnnd yea, not fun nor crackin'. kim and i headed to the airport early. my flight AAALLLMOST got cancelled but fortunately or unfortunately just got delayed 40 minutes.

finally, i touch down in l.a. at 11:40pm. HOME! erica picked me up but then we went to mai tai's to meet back up with folks and then went to bonanza for some spam, eggs, and rice. great food to come home to. hahaha. definitely the biz.

and that about sums up my trip to d.c. i'm DEFINITELY looking forward to this summer and keeping in touch with people i met in d.c.

T.Howard c/o 2008... ya diiig!?