On Top Of The World

WOW! Today has been such an amazing Tuesday! Literally, I'm almost at a loss for words to describe to y'all the rush of energy and happiness I felt this afternoon. What started off as a relatively slow first day back in session turned out to be one of the best days I've had on the Hill thus far. I'd rather not waste your time describing it to you in words; I'd much rather show you instead. Our destination? The top of the Capitol Building! The tour was all made possible by some wonderful people in our office, Jonathan and the lovely Vanna. Vanna along with myself two other interns--Adam and Heather--made the trip over to the Capitol together to begin our journey to the top! Now, mind you, ALL of us are afraid of heights. And my fear got a little worse once our tour guide described just how high we were going to go. But this was simply too big of an opportunity for me to pass up. 

Our journey begins! See those stairs? Yeah, those were NOTHING compared to the stairs we'd have to climb a little later. Talk about S-T-E-E-P! 

 And more stairs! In total, the trip to the top took about twenty minutes, including a few stops in between. 

Heather snap-chatting; Vanna starting to panic; Adam chilling. #Typical 

Haaaa! Oh, hey Adam! On our way to the dome. 

Almost there! This was when I started to freak out, ha! Check out that insane view. We were SO high!

 The Apotheosis of Washington at the top of the dome. So close I could almost touch it. Well, not really but we were still close! 

Barrow office reppin'. Adam is clearly too enamored by the view. 

 Mama, I made it! Supreme Court and Library of Congress on the top; National Mall and the Washington Monument on the bottom. Y'all really can't tell me nothing! 

The only place in Washington D.C. you can get this kind of view. 

Well, hey there Rayburn! Home to the best office, Congressman Barrow's! 

My closest-office partner. My betting buddy. Been at it since May and now we're here, haha! Yeah, we make a good team. #Texas #UGA #bestinternsever 

Barrow interns on top! 

 Me, Vanna, and Adam after I scared the heck out of Vanna, haaaa! 

God was looking out for me when they put me in an office with this lovely lady! 

Strong, black, southern women. Ain't nothing better! I love Vanna! 

 Fake candid! Me pretending to be deep in thought while overlooking the view, haha! 

I won't lie to y'all, the journey up to the very top was scary! I almost didn't think I'd be able to continue; the stairs were incredibly steep and the tunnels on our way up were painfully hot. But it was all worth it the minute I stepped outside and saw the D.C. view. Seriously, how many people can say they've been to the very top of the Capitol? I am so blessed to have received this amazing opportunity. I will remember this day for the rest of my life! 

But wait, there's more! After we got off work, all of the interns and myself headed over to a fabulous reception celebrating the island of Guam. As usual, the food and drinks were free and delicious! Not to mention the fact that we just so happened to meet the First Lady of Guam herself. No big deal, really. It's days like these that make me so thankful to be here in D.C. Tons of people applied for Honors in Washington, and thousands of qualified students want to intern on Capitol Hill, and I'm one of the lucky few whose dream became a reality. I'm so sad that my time here is almost over, but I am so appreciative of incredible opportunities like this one!

Love y'all. Have a great night!

( D.C's ) Got Me Up All Night

Good Sunday, everyone. Well, the title of this post says it all. This past weekend, I probably averaged five to six hours of sleep at the most! With my time in D.C. almost up, I want to take advantage of every single moment I have even if it means sacrificing a few extra hours of rest. Every single weekend I've had thus far has been incredible, and this weekend was definitely no exception. I really don't know how I'll be able to get myself ready for work at 9 A.M. tomorrow. I guess that's the tough reality to growing up! 

Friday was a bittersweet day. It was Beatrice's last day in the office. And while I know she'll find something on the Hill in the near future, it definitely won't be the same without her. Work on Friday was pretty slow since the House was out of session. However, we did end the day with some cupcakes for Beatrice's last day--hence the sweet part of the day. Now, usually after work, I hop on Metro and head back over to my apartment in Foggy Bottom. But Friday was different; instead, I headed over to U-Street to a place called Tabaq. Femi's Institute For Responsible Citizenship (I4RC) put on a great mixer for interns and young professionals. The place was packed! All of Femi's Institute brothers are exceptional and unbelievably successful. Overall, I had a great time and met a lot of interesting people. It was definitely a nice ending to my Friday!

Femi and me conquering D.C!

With the threat of rain looming, I was afraid my Saturday would be ruined. Fortunately, the rain held off and the day went on. Kizmik, Kristy, Tieesha, and I had a great girls day in Georgetown! We began our afternoon with lunch at a nice placed called Mr. Smith's of Georgetown; the weather was even nice enough for us to sit outside and enjoy our lunch in the restaurant's garden area. Afterwards, we visited a couple of stores--of course we had to include some shopping in our trip--and conquered Georgetown's Cupcakes insanely long line! We spent a good four to five hours up in Georgetown before we made our way back home. Perfect timing, considering the rain starting to pour just as I got back to my apartment. It was a fantastic day with some amazing company! 

Following the theme for the weekend, I didn't get too much sleep Saturday night. But that didn't stop from getting an early head start on Sunday. I woke up, ate a quick breakfast, and headed out to Arlington, Virginia for the morning. My destination: The Arlington National Cemetery. It was ridiculously hot outside, but the trip was worth it. President Kennedy's site was easily the most beautiful; buried next to him was his late wife and their two stillborn children. Robert and Teddy Kennedy were close nearby as well. I also got to see where several former Supreme Court justices were buried, including Chief Justices Rehnquist and Burger and Justices Thurgood Marshall and Harry Blackmun. In total, I spent a good two hours walking around and exploring the cemetery.

 President Kennedy's beautiful burial site, topped off by the eternal flame.

 The Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

 The cemetery went on and on for miles!

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. Check out that fantastic view!

The rest of my Sunday included some much-needed personal time. I ran a couple of errands, enjoyed a nice lunch, and made it back to my apartment in time to sneak in a quick nap. This busy week plus this insane heat has taken its toll on me! But before I end this post, I'd like to give a special shout out to my main man who just so happens to be turning SEVEN on Monday, July 15. It's been such a blessing to be able to watch him grow up before my eyes. And while it hurts me that I am not with him on his special day, a piece of my heart will always be with him. I love you, Trey!

My joy and my heart. I love this little boy!

You know, I've always been a big believer that timing is everything; timing tells it all. So then how strange is it that just a few days after George Zimmerman was found not guilty of taking the life of Trayvon Martin, my nephew--a young African American boy as well--will celebrate another year of his life? In ten years, my nephew will be the same age Trayvon Martin was when his life was so senselessly taken. Could my nephew be next? What about my sons when I have children? While this greatly saddens me, it is the harsh reality of the America we still live in even to this day. But as I said in my last post, this will not defeat us. This was strengthen us. This will inspire us. 

Have a great week, y'all.

My Take: The George Zimmerman Verdict

DISCLAIMER: My own personal views DO NOT reflect the views of Congressman John Barrow nor the views of any of his staff. These are my personal opinions that I would like to share with y'all. Additionally, if you are to leave any comments, please make them respectful or else I will delete them. Successful debates consist of respectful disagreement--key word being respectful. Thank you. 

Saturday, July 13, 2013. A verdict is in. George Zimmerman has been acquitted of all charges--second degree murder and manslaughter--concerning the death of seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin. When the not guilty verdict was announced, I must admit that a single tear escaped my eye. But not for the reason you'd might think. While most people expressed their shock and disappointment in the jury's decision, I must say that I was not the least bit surprised. In fact, I think the jury reached the right decision. According to Florida law, George Zimmerman was not guilty of degree murder or manslaughter.

But make no mistake about it, Zimmerman's not guilty verdict does not make him an innocent man. 

Now, I'm no attorney (although I wish to be one someday) and I am certainly not an expert in Florida state laws. But, I will offer this bit of advice to my friends and peers angered by the Zimmerman outcome: don't hate the players, hate the game. Everyone did their respective jobs in this case. The prosecution, albeit shaky at times, did their absolute best considering the limited amount of evidence and witnesses on their side. Similarly, the defense adequately showed that the state could not prove their case against their client beyond a reasonable doubt. And the jury took their meticulous time and reached the appropriate decision. Thus, we should all be happy, right? Justice has been served, correct?

Absolutely not. Hence, don't hate the players but hate the game.

First off, Florida's Stand Your Ground law is incredibly flawed and over-reaching. According to the law, if anyone ever feels any sort of threat--whatever that threat may be--they have the right to defend themselves. Sounds appropriate, but think about that for a little bit. According to that law, if I perceived ANYTHING to be a threat to me, I could defend myself and claim self defense. Does that mean I could shoot and kill an unarmed individual half my size, as in this particular case? I believe the law should be narrowed so that the terms threat and self defense are clearly defined and appropriate to specific situations. In this case, I believe we can all agree that Zimmerman's act of self defense against Trayvon Martin was unnecessary and inappropriate. But, the prosecution could not prove that he was acting out of anything BUT self defense. And so, the jury was forced to acquit him based on the broadness of the law. 

Yet at the heart of this case, the sad truth remains: A young, innocent boy was killed based on the careless assumption that he was up to no good. Let's be completely honest with ourselves. The reason George Zimmerman followed Trayvon Martin and accused him of being up to suspicious activity was because he was African American. Yes, George Zimmerman is one hundred percent guilty of racial profiling; and because of that, he irresponsibly took the life of an innocent young boy. I don't know happened that night, and I'm not one to speculate. None of us will ever now. In fact, George Zimmerman could be telling the truth. Maybe self defense was the only option. But still, even that can not explain nor excuse the fact that it was Zimmerman's ignorant assumptions about Martin that led to his death. 

My heart absolutely breaks for Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon's parents. For their son to have been so young and killed so senselessly, I can't even imagine. While I believe the jury made the right decision, I certainly do not believe it was a just one. And for everyone out there still trying to say that this situation wasn't about race, who are you fooling? This had everything to do with race. I strongly believe that had Trayvon Martin been a young white male wearing a polo shirt and khakis, George Zimmerman never would have pursued him and he still would have been alive. So, let's be honest with ourselves. Trayvon Martin lost his life last year at the hands of George Zimmerman because he was an African American male. 

As an African American woman myself,  I urge my friends and family not to grow discouraged by this verdict. If our ancestors gave up in the wake of their many defeats, where would we be today? Please, don't give up on the system. Rather, improve the system. Or better yet, combat the system. Continue to fight the unjust and disgusting stereotypes placed upon us. That way, ignorant people such as George Zimmerman will not even have so much as an excuse to accuse us of being suspicious. And while it is unfair that we must shoulder this responsibility of disproving inaccurate assumptions, we must do it for us and our posterity. 

I'd rather not end this post discussing George Zimmerman. Instead, I'd like to conclude by honoring the life of Trayvon Martin and offering prayers to his family. Trayvon could have been my brother; he could have been my cousin; and he could have been my friend. To know that his life was so senselessly taken from him at such a young age will forever haunt me. It will forever disgust me, and it will forever sadden me. But most importantly, it will forever inspire me. 

Rest in peace, Trayvon.

Time Flies, But Memories Last Forever

With a little under three weeks left to go, my time in D.C. is officially limited. I cannot believe how fast the time has gone! D.C. has become like a second home to me, and I'll be sad to leave when the time comes. That being said, I do miss Georgia. I miss being five minutes away from Chick-fil-a instead of thirty minutes! I miss my weekends in Atlanta. I miss my friends at home and in the Classic City. I miss my family. I miss Waffle House. I miss NFL Network. I miss watching First Take in the morning. And I miss some good ole' southern hospitality!

But I'm not ready to go back home quite yet. In fact, I still have a lot left to look forward to here in the DMV. So, I came up with a quick bucket list of things I have left to do in the few weeks. I want to take advantage of my last moments in D.C. as much as possible. After all, not a lot of people get this amazing opportunity. Once I go back to Georgia, I'll check myself and see how well I did at completing this list!

• Ascension, a networking mixer by Femi's Institute for Responsible Citizenship, is Friday, July 12th and I couldn't be more excited. One of the greatest things about being in D.C. for the summer is meeting different people from all across the country. I can't wait to see Femi, meet all of his institute brothers, and all the other interns and young professionals. Plus, it's at a really nice restaurant called Tabaq on U-Street. Count me in! 
• In the coming weeks, I'll FINALLY get the opportunity to attend a Supreme Court lecture. As I mentioned last week, I managed to squeeze in the time to go to the Supreme Court but one hour was surely not enough. Fortunately, my office recognizes my obsession with the Court and they're giving me a morning off so I can go. I can't wait! 
• Another trip to the beautiful Georgetown is in the works, as well! Best believe I will be making a stop by Georgetown cupcakes again. And there's nothing like a little evening walk along the waterfront to seal a perfect night. 
• Of course, you can never do enough sight-seeing in D.C. I've done pretty well so far, but I still have yet to go see the Jefferson Memorial AND the Arlington Cemetery. These are two places I've been meaning to visit for the longest time. Thus, they are most certainly a high priority (especially since my absolute favorite family is buried there)!
• While I did have the pleasure of going to the Congressional baseball game, I have yet to attend a Nationals game. That's about to change, however, because I have TWO back-to-back games scheduled before I leave. On the 21st, I get to spend the day at the Park with my Papa, my Uncle Mario, and my cousin Charisse. And on the 22nd, its all about the Dawgs! Super excited!
• Even though it feels as if I've already been to SO many museums, there are still a couple of more I'd like to see, including Ford Theatre's--where President Lincoln was assassinated--and the African American Civil War Museum. If I have enough time, I'd like to stop by a couple more Smithsonians as well. 
• With so many interesting and diverse neighborhoods in D.C., there's no way I could leave without a paying a visit to each of them one more time. The short list includes trips to Eastern Market, Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, and Columbia Heights. 
• Finally, there are still some great FOOD places I have yet to try! While I've been to Good Stuff Eatery, a Capitol Hill favorite, I have yet to go to a place called We The Pizza. Additionally, I'll have to make time to wake up early and check out one of D.C. famous brunch spots! 

My quest begins tomorrow so wish me luck! Peace and blessings, y'all.

Summertime & The Living Is Easy....

Well, good Sunday everyone! I hope y'all had a fabulous first weekend in the great month of July. July has always been a pretty stacked month for me: Fourth of July, the folks' anniversary, my nephew's birthday, etc. This weekend was no exception. And with my days in D.C. numbered, I'm making sure that I don't waste any time making memories and exploring the city.

As usual, Friday was definitely my recovery day. After a fun-filled Fourth of July, I had to wish Jen goodbye as she headed out early that morning. We didn't go to bed until 3 A.M, so you can only imagine how tired I was when I woke up at 7 A.M. The funny thing was I didn't even have to be at work until noon! However, I was more than eager to get ready and head on out because I got the chance to meet up with my UGA Honors in Washington mentor, Aqsa! We got together around 9:30 A.M. at Lot39, a cute little coffee shop a couple of blocks up from National's Park. Aqsa is awesome! She graduated from UGA in 2008 and then went to University of Michigan law school--which just so happens to be one of my dream law schools as well! Now, she works as an attorney at the Department of Transportation. Not only is she smart and beautiful, but she's also super chill and easy-going. She definitely helped relieve some of my LSAT/GPA/law school stress that I had been starting to feel. We talked for a good hour before she went back to work and I headed up to Capitol Hill. I can't wait to talk to her again!

Now, I got back up to the Hill around 11 A.M. And since I didn't have to go into work until noon, I managed to sneak in a quick tour of the Supreme Court! Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am the BIGGEST Supreme Court/Constitutional law nerd you'll ever meet. Seriously, I could talk to y'all about landmark court and famous Supreme Court justices all day. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court is only open Monday through Fridays from 9 A.M-5 P.M, which is when I am usually working. So I was super excited when I got the opportunity to make the visit on Friday. One hour was definitely not enough, but hopefully I'll have another chance to go explore more.

Our very first Chief Justice-- John Marshall's-- bench chair. Wow!

 Chief Justice John Marshall had a immeasurable impact on the laws in the U.S.

 Ms. Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to serve on the High Court!

 Justice O'Connor's bench chair. A voice of reason and rationale always. Love this woman!

Chief Justice Roger Taney's robe. Needless to say, I wasn't too fond of his decisions.

Not to be outdone by Friday, Saturday was a pretty special day as well. I slept in till 10 A.M--the rest was much needed--and ate a light breakfast before I headed out to DuPont Circle! I feel a little sorry for all my Georgia friends struggling in the rain, but the weather today in D.C. was PERFECT! A little hot, but definitely my type of weather. I can even feel a little caramel tan coming on. But anyways, I met up with my friend Jackson for lunch. It was so nice getting to catch up with him, especially since he's been sick forever! Afterwards, I walked around DuPont for a little while and explored some of its beauty. I even got a chance to check out some of Embassy Row! 

 DuPont chilling. This D.C. heat is something serious!

 Saw this pleasant site outside of a Church in DuPont.

What would a hot afternoon be without a Starbucks run?

Later that afternoon, I headed over to the waterfront to meet up with the rest of (B)UGA for a harbor cruise (minus Femi because D.C. public transportation didn't want him to be great). It was hot and the sun was shining way too hard, but overall the cruise was very nice. Immediately following, we headed back up to DuPont to eat dinner at a place called Daily Grill. The food, albeit expensive, was fantastic! Better yet, it was nice finally getting to spend time with everyone from UGA. 

 

 Our lovely cruise-ship for the afternoon.

 Can't really see them too well, but these waterfront houses are gorgeous!

Group picture! #DawgsinDC

Sunday has definitely been my day of rest thus far. Besides running a few errands, I spent most of my time resting from the comfort of my own apartment. But hey, sometimes we all need a day to rewind. I hope y'all enjoy this day of rest as well as the rest of the summer--time is flying by fast! 

Independence Day

Happy birthday to my motherland and the greatest country on Earth, the United States of America! And Happy Fourth of July to all of you beautiful people back in Georgia, across the nation, and around the globe. I'm such a proud American; I love my country, and I love celebrating its history. Perhaps James Baldwin--a renowned African American novelist and playwright--said it best when he exclaimed: American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it. The United States of America is certainly not perfect; we've had to overcome a lot of darkness in our young history (slavery, Jim Crow, Civil War, Great Depression, etc.). But what I love about our country is our powerful commitment to freedom, justice, and equality.

 Got that red, white, and blue on. Happy Birthday, America!

So, what could possibly make my first Fourth of July in D.C. even better? Oh, just my best friend from high school, Jen, coming to visit me! Since Jen goes to school at the University of Virginia, she decided to make that two hour trip up to D.C. to visit yours truly! Seeing that I haven't seen her in a while and I don't get to catch up with her too often, I was super excited that she was able to make that trip. Once she got here, we made a quick trip up to Whole Foods and loaded up for our little picnic. Our destination: The Capitol Fourth Concert and Firework Show on the lawn!

Our Fourth of July picnic consisted of: Sandwiches, strawberries, grapes, chips, and an apple pie! #YumYumYum

We decided to make the approximately 3.7 mile walk up to the Capitol, in part because the Metros are typically crazy packed on the Fourth of July (or so I heard). The streets were crazy and all decked out in red, white, and blue. I even ran into some familiar faces along the way! Finally, we reached the west lawn of the Capitol. We found a nice (and shaded) area to sit and dig in our feast. The great part about Jen is that no matter how long it's been since we've seen each other, we always have so much to talk about. And let me tell y'all, this girl keeps me cracking up! To prove my point, y'all should have seen this girl's reaction to the canons going off. Typical Jen. She's easily one of the funniest people I've ever known.

 The Executive Office Building wishes y'all a Happy Fourth!

Aw, ain't she cute? Nah, she just thinks she is. Haaaa, just kidding!

 The Capital Lawn before the concert!

From GAC to D.C. Been holding it down since seventh grade!

The concert started around 8 P.M. Tom Bergeron, the host of Dancing With The Stars and America's Funniest Home Videos, kicked off the show followed by several great performances. Legends Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond entertained the crowd and paid their respect to the troops; American Idol winners, Scotty McCreey and Candice Glover, also put on a great performance for the 100,000+ crowd. Best of all, the concert was entirely free! At promptly 9:10 P.M., we watched the fantastic firework show light up the sky. Overall, it was a pretty magical night.

 My beautiful home at night.

 ....but she not cute though. Why she all up in my picture?

Fourth of July fireworks! It was such a magical evening.

Our evening didn't stop then. Afterwards, we decided to take the long walk over to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial since Jen hadn't seen it yet. We ended up staying out there for a while, shooting the breeze and eating our delicious apple pie. Finally, we ended our evening by visiting Good Ole' Abe at the Lincoln Memorial. In total, Jen and I had to have walked over 8 miles! To say my feet are aching would be an understatement; but today, it was so worth it!

MLK Jr. Memorial at night!

Lincoln Memorial. Again, this girl stealing my spotlight.

Peace and blessings, y'all. And God bless America!

Gone, But Not Forgotten

Good evening, y'all. I hope everyone enjoys this final weekend in the beautiful month of June. Today's post will be a little bit different from my previous ones. I wanted to start off by dedicating this post to my grandmother, my mother's mother, who left us late Friday night to join our Father up in Heaven. She was 93 years old, and she lived a long and beautiful life. Though my mother was not raised with her, the bond between a mother and her child is not easily broken. I am fortunate that my mother was able to spend time with her during her last days on Earth; further, I am eternally grateful that my grandmother died peacefully and without any suffering. Rest in peace, Grandma Anderson.

Two generations of strong and beautiful women.

The timing of my grandmother's passing, though not unexpected, occurred on a day I was honoring the lives of others. I guess you could say that was the theme on Saturday: respecting and paying tribute to those lost. After an early start to my day, I decided to take a trip up to the Mall and go to the Holocaust Memorial Museum. The Museum was incredible, and it did a wonderful job walking us through the history of the Holocaust from the rise of the Nazis to American intervention. Perhaps the most powerful exhibit--at least, to me personally--was the display of thousands of shoes worn by the Jewish while enslaved in the concentration camps. Some were so small, they couldn't have been worn by anyone older than the tender age of six.

Photography prohibited inside the Holocaust Museum. But I got this nice picture of the Monument.

Afterwards, I decided to do a little more exploring and check out some of the monuments I hadn't seen yet. First up, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s monument on the coast of the Mall. While it was all impressive, my favorite part of the monument would have to be all the powerful words inscribed all around the statue of MLK. Just a few minutes away stood the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. Now, THAT was fascinating. It was almost as if the memorial was a day-by-day walk in the life and the thoughts of FDR. FDR has always been a fascinating character to me, and I believe that it is only fitting that his memorial celebrates his New Deal and WWII accomplishments.

 Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.

Took long enough for this man to get a monument. #BetterLateThanNever

Scene in the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial 

Sunday was a day filled with relaxation and good food. One of the few places I hadn't been yet prior to Sunday was the U-Street neighborhood. U-Street was filled with great shops and restaurants, including the world renowned Ben's Chili Bowl. Just to give y'all some perspective on how good this place is, some of their regular customers include Mr. Bill Cosby and President Obama and his family! It's a legendary spot in D.C., and it happened to be just a few blocks down from a nail salon. Talk about heaven! 

Don't let it fool you; this place was GOOD! 

*Que the mouthwatering* 

Now this is what I call a lunch. Delicious! 

I'm looking forward to this upcoming week. Not only is the House out of session (which, in essence, means less work), but Fourth of July is almost here! Even better, my best friend from High School is coming to visit me! I cannot wait until Thursday; I have a whole lineup of activities in store. But now, I'm just relaxing for the rest of the night. I hope everyone else can do the same! Goodnight!