Pictures.

The top picture was taken on a residential street a block from where I live. I am obsessed with the fire escapes on buildings.... Mainly because I want one I think. The second picture is of a building at Madison Square Garden. Annnnd, the third one is from underneath a vendor's tent on Canal street in a rain storm. :)

NYC.

Soooo, the first 56 hours in New York have been fabulous so far... Yesterday we checked out Ground Zero (not really anything right now) and Madison Square Garden. Walking around Madison Square was exactly like the movies!!! The stoplight changes and a hundred people cross the street.... I'm sure you can imagine.

After eating outside at a delicious Cuban cafe we headed back down to the village to go to a Jazz club called FatCat. It was this underground bar with live jazz music, pool tables, ping pong tables, and chess games. Let me tell you that this place sold Pabst Blue Ribbon beer in the can for a mere $3. :)

Today, (Saturday) despite torrential downpour at times we ventured down to Canal Street.... This is the place one goes for fake jewelry, knock off rolex's, ripped dvds, and extremely fake (lucky we found this out) ipods. After a close call with an "ipod" vendor i walked away with two dvds, some "Tiffany" earrings, and a "Coach" clutch who's purchase involved a spiral staircase, a back room, two asian ladies, a some serious bartering (all very safe) for the low price of $19.

New York City.

Ahhhhh! We made it. And it's awesome (I'm quite articulate). Haha. Yesterday we made the 4.5 hour drive from D.C. to New York City. Actually pulling into New York happened so fast I almost missed it! I looked up and all of the sudden in front of us was the famous view you always see in movies.... you know the one looking down on the city from across the water? It was just there! Then we crossed the bridge and there we were.

We drove through the financial district to Pace University and dropped off the students on our bus that are working there. Then we continued through manhattan up to 113 and Broadway which is where I am staying (upper west side of Manhattan).

Last night we ventured on to the subway... explored the village (whatever that really means).... and found possibly the cheapest, neatest, most asian bar in New York. :)

A few things I've noticed: The buildings are huge. I mean I know in movies they are and everyone says they are, but actually standing next to them is something different. There are people everywhere, at all times! And there is construction all over the place!

Also, Central Park is only 5 blocks from where we are staying!!

Rain.

We are in our final to last day of training and with one meeting left to go we can hardly wait to depart for New York tomorrow. Last night we had our closing ceremony because the operations team (people who run our site offices at all of the conferences) flew out this morning and we wanted to include them. Whenever we have any sort of major ceremony the attire is always proffessional. So, we all put on our suits and our dress shoes and heels and take the ten minute walk over to the auditorium. There is an overall feel of excitment and success. Unlike Friday when we took this same walk for the opening ceremony everyone is conversing, joking, and feeling much more comfortable with the people who were complete strangers just a few days ago.

The ceremony concludes and everyone is happy... etc. We are all a part of something incredible and extremely special and the staff do a good job of creating that feeling. So we walk outside and there's lightening like I have never seen before. The kind that lights up the entire sky and the kind that is just slivers here and there. And then, with no warning it starts to pour. Literally pour. Now, there are a few things you can do in this situation. Cry, as one girl did. Run, which is rather hard in heels. Or just get soaking wet in the most expensive and nicest clothes and shoes that you own. Which is what most people did.

Then the rain let up and we celebrated the conclusion of our conference by exploring some Georgtown's night life. :)

3 Things.

3 interesting things from today:

1. It was 95.7 degrees with 54% humidity. Lovely.
2. Clarification: New York City is THE largest city in the United States.
3. While walking around a small area northeast of Georgetown called Dupont Circle I saw a homeless women typing away on a laptop rivaling the quality of mine....

Georgetown.

The top picture is a shot of Georgetown's campus from across a lacrosse field (haha). The second is of the Jefferson Memorial from a distance and then me standing next to the pillars at the Jefferson.

For those who don't know... I've been at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. since Friday the 6th. I'll be here until Thursday participating in numerous leadership training sessions, learning about the curriculum of the Journalism and Media conference I'll be working at, and being very fervently and in depthly versed in the ways to facilitate hundreds of high school students around one of largest cities (the largest city?) in the country. Eeeek. The organization has never, in 19 years lost a student although there have been a few unnaccounted for at times...

Last night we went on an "off-site excursion" to take a tour of the monuments at night. This is exciting because it's the first time we have left campus since arriving and beginning intense training and they were beautiful!

I might mention that I'm typing this from my brand new, fresh from the box, Dell Vostro 1000, company assigned laptop that will be in my care for the summer. gulp. :)

The beginning.

Per request.... this will be an updated (hopefully frequently) account of the various adventures, excursions, and all around fun I'll be partaking in this summer.

I'm working for the, yes the, premiere organization for youth leadership conferences, LeadAmerica. Due to privacy policies most of the pictures will be of places visited, myself in those places, and a few people I meet along the way (who may or may not be employed by LeadAmerica as well).

More to come later when I'm less exhausted.... I miss everyone.