A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Since I have not been diligent in keeping this blog up-to-date, and don't have time right now to fill you in on all the details, I thought I would show my life (or at least the highlights) from the last couple weeks in pictures...


This weekend we went to a park by the Reagan airport, so the planes are really low when they fly over.

We also went paddleboating in the Tidal Basin

DC has some really famous places to get cupcakes, so of course we had to try them out! (they were pretty good :) )

We went to the Masonic temple in Alexandria- it was really interesting.

This is a tombstone from a civil war cemetary on the land of a ranch in Virginia that we stayed at. It is the same ranch where we stayed earlier and my friend got bitten by a copperhead snake. No injuries this time, though.

We went to Gettysburg and Harper's Ferry, this is the view at Harper's Ferry.

We went to Annapolis for fresh crabs- it was my first time ever eating a crustacean! They were okay, but the overall experience was more fun than actually eating the crabmeat.

A friend and I went to Arlington National cemetary and Iwo Jima Memorial.

We saw the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

So that's some of the stuff that I've been doing! Sorry there's not more detail, but a picture is worth a thousand words, right?!

Sotomayor Confirmation Hearing

This last week, I had the opportunity to go to the Senate Confirmation Hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor, who was nominated by Obama to be the next Associate Judge on the Supreme Court. We got in line early on Thursday, about an hour and a half before the hearing began. Luckily, Sotomayor was still be questioned when we got in as opposed to the many witnesses to follow. They shuffle the public in and out in twenty periods, so I didn’t get to see a lot, but it was still a very interesting experience. The first Senator speaking was Dianne Feinstein from California. She was very friendly and commending towards Sotomayor, calling her a role model for young women and supporting her future. This was a very different tone from the following Senator, Lindsey Graham from South Carolina. He was much more aggressive, leading Sotomayor into questions and trying to get a tripped-up answer. His topic was “fundamental rights” and what would constitute that for America, particularly with reference to the second amendment. I have to admit, I was impressed with Sotomayor’s composure in the face of his questions/comments. That is certainly not a position that I would ever want to be in! It was fascinating to see our government in action, even though a lot of it seems to just be games and political maneuvering, as opposed to action.

Gettysburg

Last weekend, I had the chance to go to the top of the Washington Monument. It was an awe-some view to be able to see beyond the city into other states. You could even see the temple to the north. The windows were a little disappointing in size (they were really small), but it could still take your breath away. They also had illustrations of how the view had changed over time, and it was fascinating to see how the landscape had transformed. The city has built up, but they have also done a great job creating the mall and an area where one can appreciate the history.
On Saturday, we had a field trip to Gettysburg and Harper’s Ferry. Gettysburg was a really fascinating experience. We watched the movie in the museum, and saw the cyclorama, which is a painting that goes in a circle, and you stand in the middle of it on a platform. They had a narration and lights lit up the painting at certain times. It gave me a much greater appreciation of the importance of the battle in Gettysburg, and the magnitude of the civil war. I’m really grateful that we remained unified, and eventually gave rights to those who were mistreated. We also got to tour the grounds with a guide on our bus, and it was interesting to find out more about the commanders and the monuments.
After Gettysburg, we drove to Harper’s Ferry and saw the little historic town there. There was an old church that was interesting to see, and also there was “Jefferson’s Rock” where Thomas Jefferson supposedly said that the view was worth crossing the Atlantic for. I thought the view was nice, but that seemed to be a little exaggeration! But it was beautiful nonetheless, and the shops in the village were interesting to see as well. I do have to admit that my favorite part was the custard shop!

4th of July

The fourth of July weekend was a lot of fun. On Friday, we did not have any class (yay!), so in the afternoon we went to the Folklife Festival on the mall. There were three cultures being displayed- South American, Welsh, and African-American. They had bands, foods, and many displays about different aspects of the cultures. It was really interesting to see all the differences. I really liked the South American music, and there was a person there making yarn out of clumps of wool. It was amazing to see him make something out of the hairy mess!
On the fourth, I went to the Bishop’s house for his annual party. He had a massive backyard with lots of grass and a tennis court, so it was a lot of fun! After that, we headed out to the mall. We wanted to get a seat on the West lawn of the Capital, so we headed to the Capital at about 3 pm to stake out a spot for the concert starting at 8 pm. There were a LOT of people there, but we managed to snag a patch of grass. Luckily it was unseasonably cool out, so it wasn’t too bad sitting out all day.

The concert was pretty cool- Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow, and Natasha Bedingfield were the main attractions, and they were pretty good. The orchestra was amazing. But the most spectacular sight was when the fireworks began as the orchestra played the 1812 Overture with live cannons. It was amazing to see fireworks lighting up right behind the Washington Monument, which is a constant reminder of the history of this city. Our country is so young, but it has a dazzling history and a strong future.

Portugal, Lisbon Mission

This week, a long process of waiting finally came to an end. After checking the mail every day for the last two weeks, I resolved to check it twice a day to show that much more determination! On Thursday, I was lucky enough to get off of work an hour early because of the holiday weekend. I got home at about 4:30pm, and per my routine checked the mail. I was so mad that my mission call was not in it! That meant I would probably have to wait over the weekend to get it, and I had already been waiting so long! Despite my frustration, I decided to be productive with my extra time and went to the gym before dinner. When I got back an hour later, I thought, “Why not check the mail. You never know.” Imagine my delight when I opened the box and there was a big envelope in it addressed to “Sister Juliana Geiger”! My mission call had come!!

The first thing I did (after screaming) was to call David, so he could set up the phone-conference for the fam. After waiting three weeks (and a lot longer), I decided I could wait two more hours to open the call so that more people could be there. So at 7:20 pm, in a common room crowded with Barlow Center residents, my phone rang and it was David with everyone on the line except Rachel. (doesn’t that seem ironic?!) After one more failed try to get ahold of her, I opened my call.

I have to admit, I don’t think I have ever been as nervous as I was for a minute as I broke open the seal on the envelope. Finally my mission, which has seemed somewhat like a dream, was going to be given a tangible reality. I think my reaction to the assignment- Portugal, Lisbon mission- was solely comprised of shock and excitement. To be honest, Portugal was probably the last place in the world I would have ever (and never had) thought of. The first couple days was still a slight state of shock and not being able to take it in, although I was really excited.

In the last day or so, I think it has started to seem real to me, and I have been able to absorb that I will be serving in Portugal. And I am so excited!!! I may not know much about Portugal now, but I know that Portugal is where I am meant to serve, and that I will have a purpose there and I am so excited to get to know about the country and culture. In a way I wish I could just leave now, instead of waiting until October 7.

I am so excited to get to be a missionary and honored to receive the call to be a representative of the Lord. I know that this gospel is true and want to share the joy that I feel with others! I have never been so excited or felt more right about anything before in my life.

I'm Legal!

On Friday, it was my birthday and I turned 21! We were planning to go camping that weekend, and there were still things to do, so when I woke up and 6:30 am I decided to just get up and at ‘em. There was a little birthday excitement J I made myself a yummy breakfast, and I opened my card and presents from Mom and Dad. They were the perfect touch to start off my birthday- a really sweet card and perfect presents- English chocolate and “The Holy Temple” by Boyd K. Packer. It was a great start to my day!

That day our class was a tour of the Supreme Court. It was really neat to be given a tour by interns there and see the rooms where they meet to discuss, the main court room, and the old library. We also had a law clerk to Justice Kennedy talk to us- it was really interesting to hear what it is like working for the swing vote in the Supreme Court!

That evening, about 15 of us went to Trap Pond State Park in Delaware and camped for the night. It was a really fun camping experience- pretty forests, a cool pond, and a nice isolated camp site where we were semi-secluded (we did have one person come over and say we were too loud!) But we got the campfire going and had traditional roasted hot dogs and s’mores. Some people also brought some cakes that I didn’t know about to celebrate my birthday, so that was really fun. We used up a whole bottle of bug spray in one night, but I think everyone had a pretty good experience!
Taryn and I

AJ cutting one of the cakes
The next day we drove another hour to Ocean City, Maryland. The beach is beautiful there, and we drove all the way down to the south coast there. The beach was busy, but not too crowded, and the weather was perfect with a bright and hot sun! The waves were pretty good near the shore, and the sand was fun to play waffle-ball and Frisbee once it cooled off so it wasn’t burning our feet. A couple of us ended up staying there the whole day, until about 9 pm. I think the best time of day on the beach is the evening- the sun is setting, people are gone so you have the beach to yourself, and the sand isn’t burning anymore. You can just enjoy the beauty and serenity of the world as God made it.

We got back pretty late from the beach, around 1:30 am, but it was so worth it! I am so grateful to be living so close to so many beautiful things and to be able to have all these new experiences. This was definitely a great birthday to remember.

Halfway Done!

Time is flying by as swiftly as ever- I am halfway through the summer! The last couple weeks have been good. Last weekend, all the students in the Barlow Center where I live (about 40 of us) had a service project on Saturday at Mary’s Center, which is a clinic for mostly immigrant, minority women and their children. We cleaned up around the center, weeded, and painted a fence and window siding and such. It was a really fun experience; service is such a great opportunity.

(the pics are kinda random this week- this is from Mt Vernon)

After the service, which took all morning until about 1:30 pm, a few of us went kayaking on the Potomac River. It was so beautiful! It was actually really peaceful to just be sitting in the middle of the Lake and able to appreciate the scenery around- from green forests of trees to National monuments such as the Lincoln and Washington Memorials. It made me value again the chance that I have to live here for a summer. (It was also a pretty good workout for my upper body!) After that, a bunch of us also played volleyball at the George Washington gym, which was super fun. I love sports so much! It always makes me happy to play anything :)

(At the baseball game: with Zach)
The next day, Sunday, I met with the Stake President, President Harrison. He lives in Maryland, so the missionaries who are in charge of the Barlow, the Blanchards, drove me there. It was an incredibly beautiful drive through trees and country, right next to a canal. Driving through the green forests here always reminds me of home and makes me a little homesick! It was really good to meet with President Harrison, and I got my mission papers all turned in, so I should find out this or (most likely) next week where I will be spending the next 18 months! It seems a little crazy to me that it is really coming time to go on a mission, but I am really excited for it, and know it is what I am supposed to be doing.
(DC Temple)
This week I discovered two sets of tennis courts nearby, which made me really mad at myself that I had not found them earlier! So I played tennis three times this week, which was a blast. I also bought a new tennis racquet, so I have one for anyone who will play with me. Does that make me desperate?! No…but maybe a little nutty.

On Thursday, it was “IIE Day” at work as we celebrated IIE’s 90th anniversary. We had a conference type thing most of the day, with a catered lunch, a little poster fair of all the programs we run, speakers who had participated in our programs, and a cocktail reception. The food was really good, which made me happy J It was also pretty interesting what all the speakers had to say, and I learned more about IIE, its history, and the programs we run.

On Friday, our ‘lecture’ was actually an activity at the National Defense University, where we spent 8 hours in an exercise making policies and using strategies. The hypothetical scenario included the Mexican and US governments trying to jointly deal with a drug cartel problem. It was a pretty interesting experience, and the day went by faster than I thought it would. (always a good thing, right?)
(Pics from NY- Andrea and I figuring out where to go, and finding cool architecture!)

Saturday was a two-ward combined activity on the mall. We played a game of Ultimate Frisbee and it was SOO fun!! One of the funnest things I’ve done in a while. It drizzled most of the morning, and at one point it was pouring rain and thunder storming, but it just made it that much more fun! I got to score a lot of touch-downs, which always makes it more fun too : P It felt good to get out and be active outside. Yesterday we also went to the National Gallery of Art and spent a couple hours there, which was good. I saw a wing I had not visited yet, so after probably a total of 5 hours there, I have finished one floor and still have to do the lower level! There is so much here to do that it’s impossible to finish it all.