like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes the sun

Things are getting pretty crazy around here! I spent most of the weekend doing homework, writing papers, and working on study guides for my upcoming exams. I'm also getting down to crunch time with my movie. I've been working on outlining what I want to say, going through my interview notes, trying to pick film clips, etc. It's harder than I thought because I know what I want the final project to look like, but it's getting there that's a lot of work.

Last Monday, we went to the State Department. Our speakers were from the Afghanistan and Pakistan desks. I just finished reading Three Cups of Tea, which is about school building efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The speaker from the Pakistan desk has actually met Greg Mortenson, so of course I asked him about education initiatives in the region. Learning about the cultural differences in the area is fascinating and it's understandable why it's hard to install a democratic government. It was my favorite visit by far.

I've had a several research projects to do at work. It's funny how I'm taking on more and more responsibility the closer I get to leaving! I really have learned a tremendous amount at work though and I've enjoyed it. I've been able to dabble in so many different areas.

This weekend Robert and I went to a D.C. United game. It was so much fun, but the team is pretty awful! I think they've scored one goal all season. I really wanted to go play soccer afterwards and I actually had a dream about playing soccer in Ghana that night :)

On Sunday, we went to the White House to see the gardens. Every year, the First Lady opens up the back lawn to the public for a few days, and you can walk all over the grounds (well, not all over. I saw several people get yelled at for walking on the grass...). I mean, it's the White House, so of course it's beautiful, but I really enjoyed the tour. You could look in the Oval Office and see the American flag, the table where Obama had the beer summit, his daughter's playground, the new kitchen garden, Jackie Kennedy's garden, everything!

I'm about to scramble off to Georgetown for class, but I wanted to give everyone a quick update about how things are going! The next 11 days are going to be insane, but I am loving it.