Old Town Alexandria

I have been having a fun time exploring my new home here in Alexandria. It is just how my romantic mind imagined the east coast to look. The homes in my area are straight from movies about the Civil War and the old town is historic and adorable. I mean, I live in a city where George Washington lived before he was president. This is where the Union swept down on the Confederates. I'm surrounded by history and it is so cool.
Today I walked down Old Town to see the cute shops. I found a bookstore and a cupcake shop, so I'm set :) I'm an easy one to please.

Waterfront walk along the Potomac

King St Trolley

George Washington Masonic Temple

Week One

It has been a busy busy week! I am loving the city and I have found my groove (for the most part...maybe it's more like an awkward slow dance at a middle school dance).  Either way, I know where I work, I know where I sleep, and I know where to get food.  That's not a bad start.
Every day is exciting. There is so much to do here (that is freeee).  And the people are so nice. The only way I can describe these people is that they are really hard-working, but you know how hard-working people can act like stiffs? Well, everyone is hard-working and NOT stiff here.  We just enjoy life and we work hard at the same time.
I've had the chance to meander around where I live, and the city is exactly how I imagined the east coast to look like.  Quaint little (and not so little) symmetrical brick houses that look just like they came from George Washington's neighborhood.
Everyone I've met has a really cool job and I'm learning so much at my internship and I hope that soon I can figure out what I want to do with my life post-internship.

lunch break--yeah, I work on the Mall!

roommates and I tried out the new burger place in our neighborhood, Holy Cow. It was really good!  Bonus: they donate $0.25 to a local charity of your choice. Good food and good feelings!

Join me on this adventure of discovery of myself and my future in this fantastic new place! -MEE

Day One

Hello from the Nation's capitol! Everything has gone smoothly and my house is super cute and I am excited to get to know this city!
My first full day here was yesterday and so I explored downtown.  My fam and I visited a couple of years ago, and that definitely set me up for my move.  Also, dependency on public transportation in London has helped me out, too.  So far, so good!
I walked along the mall all afternoon and took a progression of pictures that I sent to my parents with captions that I thought were clever. Heh heh. Here are some of those along with extras.  #sorrynotsorry about the awkward selfies.

waiting to be picked up at Ronald Reagan

Smithsonian Castle

where I will work

across the street!

potty break at Washington Monument

Oregon!

frozen reflection pool and stone cold Abe

lunch with the Obamas

view at the end of the walking tour

Well, here I am! Today I am going to tour my own new town and see what this place is all about.  I hear that George Washington used to live around here, so maybe I'll go check that out ;)

NYE 2012

I had my last day at my nanny job on Saturday the last and so my family went to the beach house after Church the next day until New Year's Day.  The activities were the usual: Just Dance, movies, walks on the beach, etc. We brought in the new year with poppers and sparkling cider.
We <3 neskowin="neskowin">

Sydney, the bird whisperer

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

December from Miranda

Here was my December according to Miranda (my iPhone...all of my electronics have M names).

my family likes food

I was rear-ended and Liesel was totaled...RIP my first car :(

Allie came into town so, we hit up the Portland scene=Voodoo and Powell's

Allie's cute picture that I snagged.

double rainbow action on the 205!

YSA stuff and Christmas parties

Sam's violin concert

skiing at Mt. Hood Meadows with Tommy Allen

fancy Christmas nails with momma

and, of course, getting ready and packing for DC (THIS THURSDAY!!)

Now we are off to the beach house for New Year's Eve/Day. 

Christmas!

Does anyone else get a little bit depressed the day(s) following Christmas? Cuz I sure do.
I hope that New Year's will be a good enough pick-me-up for ya!

Christmas Eve/Sunday before we have a tradition of putting up a stocking for Jesus--since, you know, it IS His holiday.  We put pieces of paper inside with our names and what we want to give to Jesus that year, i.e. "I want to be nicer to my siblings," etc.  We usually watch a Christmas movie like "Elf" or "Grinch."  Buuutt this year we ended up watching a scary movie, which was different haha.
Christmas morning, we did the usual: stockings, breakfast, presents.  I dropped by my nanny house for an open house lunch.  Those boys are so cute!
But the most bestest part of Christmas this year was talking to Elder Ericksen for two and a half hours.  I can tell he has already matured and is learning valuable lifelong lessons.

I hope your Christmas was great!

I Found Christmas

I am constantly in shock with the reception of my poetry.  I'm not trying to toot my own horn here.  I do it mostly as a joke or as a filler for something, yet people end up liking my stuff! I think I will keep posting things, if you guys will let me!
Like today.  I gave a talk in my ward about Christmas and I was supposed to talk about my feelings of Christmas and Christ.  I had a section written out, but it was under time, so I decided to look for a story or poem to throw in there about Christmas just for fun.  But I couldn't find anything good, so at 11:30 on a Thursday night, I whipped out a poem about Christmas to fill space.
After I gave the talk today, people didn't come up and say that they were impressed with my tie-ins of Christmas with lots of good scriptures from Isaiah and the Book of Mormon, which I had really thought out this week.  Instead, they were like, "Hey! I liked your poem a lot! I want a copy!"  What? Thanks? What?
So here is my filler Christmas poem. Enjoy!

Where Is Christmas?
By Michelle Ericksen

Where is Christmas?

It is December’s holiday,

Some Christians may say.

But others may complain

And forget about the name

Of the man who is Emmanuel

Because correctness is political.

Where is Christmas?

It is lost in the all stuff,

And in St. Nick’s bearded fluff,

The songs about the reindeer,

And whose heart goes to whom this year

I found Christmas.

In the Salvation Army ringers,

And the door-to-door singers,

The increase in happy greetings,

And the big family meetings.

I found Christmas.

In the words of a devotional.

In the love so emotional.

Surrounded by more charity

And reflective new year clarity.

They found Christmas.

In the sky late at night,

‘Neathe the star shining bright,

With the sheep grazing near

Under the angels they do hear.

They found Christmas.

In the arms of Mary

In a place contrary

To the birthplace of a King,

Of whom the angels sing.

There is Christmas.