Leaving a Legacy

Even though I'll be sad to leave D.C. and all the friends I've made here, I'm really looking forward to returning back to Lasell. For starters, I'll be rooming with my two best friends who I haven't seen since the spring! I'm also really excited to head back to Boston to start Lasell's first chapter of She's the First. If you don't already know, she's the first is an non-profit organization with a goal of funding young girls who are looking to pursue a quality education. There are hundreds of university chapters all over the country, but unfortunately Lasell doesn't have one yet.

Not only is the cause in itself truly inspirational, but it will help to tie our school to the Arlington Academy of Hope. If you've read any part of my blog you'll know that I went to Uganda, had an amazing time, fell in love with the country, and have to go back, blah blah blah. Well, little did I know, that many of the young girls who attend the Arlington Academy of Hope are sponsored by college students back home in the United States. I was fortunate enough to see first-hand how important that sponsorship can be in a young girl's life, as well as the community she resides in. What is a better way to have a greater impact in the village of Bumwalakani than to help girls go to school and help teach them as well?

There are only a few more steps that need to be taken and the chapter organization will be complete! I can't wait to work with other students who are just as passionate about this issue as I am. Oh, and we get to use cupcakes as a fundraiser....

Late Night DC Adventures

So last night I finally got to do one thing I've wanted to do all semester; visit the monuments at night!

My night started off boring, I was doing home work, worked out a bit, then showered. My room mate and a friend were off at a gala/masquerade thing at the French Embassy and called me as soon as it ended. So off to the National Mall I went to meet my drunken friends for a stroll along the monuments.

Luckily, I ran into another friend who was also going to meet up with us. We got off at a nearby metro stop and were instantly greeted by the Washington Monument. It was all lit up! Unfortunately, Virginia's earthquake last year has caused it to be under construction. Its currently surrounded by a metal cast-looking structure so it's not fun to see at all. You can't even get close to it. The fog surrounding the mall did make it look kind of cool though.

WWII Memorial

Since we got there pretty late at night (1am) the city was relatively quite. Except for a few police cars and people walking around it was very calm. As we walked around the mall it was so cool looking out towards the city and seeing all the buildings stacked against each other. The city kind of dips down into the mall so we were just surrounding by amazing buildings! Looking past the Lincoln memorial you can even see how lit up Virginia is. Some of the buildings here are just so beautiful. I love the height limit and the Parissienne style architecture of most the buildings. It makes the city seem more formal, historical, and just official I guess.

We didn't see the true beauty of the mall at night until we were right in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Looking back towards the Washington Monument, the reflecting pool perfectly captured the light of the monument. The light pollution from Capitol Hill and beyond also set a beautiful color in the sky that was also reflected by the water. I was so surprised when my camera was actually able to get a good picture. I had to lay down on the cement to get it steady, but still!

So basically, I'm very disappointed I haven't been spending my nights sitting on the Lincoln Memorial looking out at beautiful Washington, D.C. Unfortunately its about to get cold, so maybe I'll get my friends to go one more time before the wind is too unbearable!

Lincoln!