One month into my job...

and I'm still having a good time! Yes, I am a paper-pusher, but I really don't know of a lot of jobs that don't involve pushing paper! Although the first couple of days were crazy, the next couple of weeks were pretty slow since half of the staff I work for was away at a major endangered species conference in Saudi Arabia. I feel like it gave me time to adjust and learn a lot of the procedures for everything I now have to do in a hurry. It also gave me time to make friends! It took awhile for me to make friends at my last job because I kind of worked on my own and worked with people who were twice my age for the most part because of where my office was located. Now I have friends to eat lunch with, go to happy hour with after work, and even do stuff on the weekends. Last weekend I joined my friends Ashley and Rakelle, and Rakelle's friend Ann for a Cherry Blossom Bike Tour led by the DC Park Rangers. I rode my bike from our apartment through Arlington, down the Potomac River, and over the Arlington Memorial Bridge into DC to meet the tour group behind the Jefferson Memorial. At every stop, we'd pull our bikes into a shady area and the rangers would give us a little talk about the area we were in, share some history, some interesting facts, talk about the geography, etc. They were so full of information! From the Jefferson Memorial, we cruised along the Tidal Basin, by the cherry blossoms, to the Lincoln Memorial for our first stop. Then, we went across the front of the Lincoln Memorial which was actually a very cool experience with our line of 40 bikes all ringing their bells, along the Potomac to the Old Boat House at the Georgetown waterfront. From there, we went through Foggy Bottom to the Department of the Interior which is the office that oversees the Park Rangers. We learned an interesting fact here: did you know the DC Park Rangers are ranked higher than the Secret Service? The Presidential motorcade does not officially begin until you see the Park Ranger's motorcycle. We then pedaled over to the World War II Memorial and stopped on top of a large dirt lot right next to it that I'd never noticed before. That used to be the water pump. Water pump? Right where the memorials are? Yup! It all used to be under water. The Potomac used to be a whole lot wider and the rolling hill which now appear to be park of the landscape were once levees to hold the water back. At our next stop, the Washington Monument, we learned that the monument was supposed to be built at a 90 degree angle between the White House and the Capitol but it's off by quite a few yards because it would have sunk and leaned over. The Rangers pointed out a little nub that looks like a tiny replica of the Washington Monument, called Jefferson's Pier, marks the spot that was once an actual pier and the spot where the Washington Monument was intended to be erected. We then cut through hordes of tourists as we crossed the National Mall to the Smithsonian Castle. This was the only stop on the tour that wasn't an area managed by the Park Rangers, but everyone loved the Smithsonian! It brings so much life and culture to our capital! Our final stop was just a few blocks down, in front of the American Indian Museum, where they wrapped up our 3-hour tour. At the end, we all decided we LOVE Park Rangers! They're historians, preservationists, and nature-lovers all rolled into one! If you like to ride bikes, when you visit, we'll have to go on a Ranger-led tour! It was a fantastic way to spend a beautiful afternoon learning, sight-seeing, and getting exercise with good company. I highly recommend it!

My view as I pedaled into the city!


Aren't the cherry blossoms a beautiful shade of pink?!


I love our tulips! These were obviously planted, but they spring up in the most random places all over this area.


Ashley and me having a blast on the tour!