Some errands and packing were a must, but so were the last couple DC sites on my list. On Saturday, Tschuna and I tried to take a bus we had never taken before and ended up standing for a bit longer than expected out in the M Street heat, but we eventually made it down to the National Mall for the African and Asian Art Museums. I was surprised these two museums were smaller than I expected (or maybe I'm just spoiled by our Minneapolis Institute of Art), but it was kind of cool the buildings were connected. We might have gotten a little lost in the tunnels and ended up in the modern art museum too... We couldn't take pics in all the exhibits, but here are a few photos:
Dressing up because I felt like it... (that feeling doesn't happen too often!)
The museums:
The museums were fun, but I unfortunately had to call it quits pretty soon after heading back to Georgetown because I had apparently not broken in my shoes that I was wearing well enough and the blisters on my heels were about an inch wide! Tschuna was so sweet to let me swap for her flip flops for a while, and then we both went barefoot on the toasty but bearable brick sidewalks from M Street back home.
Sunday's adventure was walking a couple miles to the National Cathedral with Tschuna. Piece of cake with the proper footwear - my flip flops (with actual arch support and lacking heels so my blisters could shrink...). Smartly outfitted in athletic clothes in the heat for once and swapping stories during our journey, we finally discovered the cathedral peeking out above the trees. It was absolutely beautiful! I love that style of architecture, and I felt like I could stare at the stained glass for ages. For a cathedral, I was surprised by the amount of vivid colors in its various decorative aspects. And it was definitely a good decision to pop up to level 7 in the elevator for the "Gargoyle Tour." Did not see too many gargoyles, but looking over the whole city from up there was amazing - especially as Tschuna pointed out all the places we had walked!
Upon returning to the apartment, my suitemate Alison invited me to go to dinner with a couple of her friends at a swanky restaurant on M Street called Mie 'n Yu. We all ended up sharing bites of appetizers and entrees at this Asian fusion spot. The food was great, and even more entertaining were the bathrooms downstairs! It was one giant square room with stalls around the outside, and then everybody reconvenes in the center for a faucets with a babbling brook feel. Funny how you pay more for a more seemingly natural experience...
The last week was a whirlwind. Wrapping up projects at work, final classes and papers, and sightseeing adventures. I ended up postponing working on my final paper on Tuesday night because Rezina's plans were canceled and we decided to go to hear some apparently pretty cool spoken word at Busboys and Poets' open mic (bookstore/restaurant inspired by Langston Hughes). Unfortunately it was so popular it sold out before we got there! 
So we browsed the bookstore section overflowing with passionate titles mainly on race, religion, and culture, and then we set out to see a little more of the U Street district, known for its historic roots in jazz. We tourists got our picture in front of famous Ben's Chili Bowl and then Rezina aided me in my first Ethiopian food experience! As her family came from Eritrea and she had described the kind of food common in her house back in Seattle, it was quite a fun experience going with her. Some of the flavors were a little hotter than I was comfortable with, but the rich spices and the style of eating mainly with your hands were quite fun. 
On Thursday, a good chunk of my packing for home was finished on account of the necessity to mail some things home. In two flat-rate boxes, to be cost-efficient I packed the heaviest things I could, and therefore I got quite a good workout by bringing them along with me to the post office a block from my work.
My last day as a Peace Corps intern consisted of:
- finishing all the projects I could
- my team taking me out to lunch at a cute Italian restaurant called Luigi's
- moving all the computer files of things I had worked on into a folder called Kathryn on the server's VDS folder
- saying goodbyes to the friends I made on the third and sixth floors
- thank-you notes for my awesome co-workers
- a team photo
- an awesome letter of recommendation from my supervisor
I definitely had an incredible experience working at the Peace Corps. Especially compared to many other interns in my own program as well as even other Peace Corps interns, I feel very fortunate to have ended up with the VDS team. I really enjoyed working with a small, tight-knit group, but it was very beneficial to see some of the opposite end of the spectrum in agency-wide events as well as meetings about inner-agency workings. Other than the fun feelings of accomplishment from finishing tasks large and small, I really enjoyed taking on new challenges as well. Being able to work on many different types of behind-the-scenes projects helped me learn so much about business processes, and the agency’s atmosphere is such that I never forgot why I would be doing even the smallest things. I really loved learning about different functions within the agency’s departments and how all the pieces come together to give Volunteers and host countries the best experience possible. I am also extremely grateful for all the encouragement to take advantage of all Peace Corps and DC have to offer. Everybody there and especially my supervisor really were wonderful about being flexible and open to different opportunities for me to learn from other employees, RPCVs, brown bags, Peace Corps events, and other resources, as well as exploring the city itself.
Peace Corps service is definitely not easy, but the challenges should be embraced. This organization fits quite dearly with my personal motto, which rather than Lance Armstrong's "livestrong" is what I have found to be the best approach to life: love strong. Peace Corps at its core (apologies for the nerdy joke, I couldn't resist) is about world connections and understanding.
A couple photos to document evidence that I existed (albeit briefly) as an employee:
Thursday evening was a perfect last night in DC. After work I chatted with my Carleton friend Becca over a cookie before we had to say goodbye until January, popped down to M Street for a while with suitemate Alison and her friend Chelsea, and on my way back to campus (following a freak rainstorm) ran into my friend Bernice who invited me to see the movie Inception with her two friends. So since packing can always be put off (don't try this approach at home...), I turned right around and saw the movie of the year with them!
Friday: last day in DC. Institute photo at 9:30 am in professional garb. All-institute graduation ceremony. Institute graduation. Certificates - yay! Reception with "light fare" and goodbyes to professors and friends I met this summer. Some sad moments realizing we might not see each other again, some thank-goodness-for-technology realizations, some photos, and some hugs. I will miss my crazy roommates, my friends, and especially my exploring sister Tschuna!
And apparently my subconscious didn't want me to leave Peace Corps either because the one day all summer I forgot my flip flops at work happened to be my last... This realization hit me on Thursday night, so an embarrassed email to my boss that night got me a chat with the awesome security guards who said, "Hey, don't you work here?" I unfortunately had to turn in my badge upon leaving work the day prior, so thus my poor supervisor had to come down and hand me my shoes, we goodbyed another time, and the guards said they hoped I'd be back!
That silly errand resulting from spaciness was accompanied by a few more as well as some frantic packing. Finally it was time to bust out of Georgetown, and thank goodness Rezina insisted on coming with me to the airport shuttle (confusion over pickup location...), and without too many hitches I boarded a plane shared by Minnesota Representatives Keith Ellison and John Kline. It will be good to see my friends and family back in Minnesota (and hear some fun accents!), but I will definitely miss this city and my Peace Corps internship. Still no concrete plan for after college, but I've definitely narrowed down my ideas and also learned about a lot of possible great opportunities, which was the purpose of this whole adventure. Next up: a month at home (and thus a hiatus from the travel blog) until my study abroad program in China.
First comforts (?) of home:
- All my stuff is in one place for once (not saying it's in any state of organization though...)
- The need for comfy and fuzzy clothing - it's cold in here!
- It's humid out there. Ugh.
What I'll miss:
- Public transportation and walking everywhere
- The people - the amazing coworkers, friends, and even strangers I met
- Tons of fun things to do, see, and eat
What I won't miss:
- GU brownouts during the hottest days
- Rodentia
- People freaking out about the rodentia
And on that note, with love until China!
