Ah, the Newseum! What an incredible place! It's a six floor paradise in my eyes. Amanda, the girl in the black and white argyle sweater, and I, the other girl :), both met at Judiciary Square. We walked to the Bakery Cafe, which is right up the street from the Newseum. If you ever get a chance to enjoy D.C. bakeries - you must! Their food always looks so good!

Anyways, we went to the Newseum and it was incredible! I touched the Berlin wall, and even saw a piece of the twin towers from 9/11.

On the bottom floor, there is a great cafeteria and seating area. There is also a classroom, which is where we began our trip through the Newseum. On the second floor of the Newseum, we were able to stand in front of a camera and read the teleprompter! I'm doing all that I can to be a reporter someday, and I felt so comfortable on camera!

On the very top floor there is a terrace that overlooks Pennsylvania Ave. It is such a gorgeous sight to see!

D.C. has been absolutely incredible so far. I, however, am very absent minded and have decided to give three helpful tips on every post - because I've made these mistakes and if I can prevent someone else from doing the same - then it was worth it. Sort of.

1) Don't wear heels in the city. Wear boots, bring heels.
2) If you park at a Metro station, remember the level you parked on.
3) Don't slug on early days - you have to wait until at least 3 to find a ride.

So, today was a great example of everything that American University's Washington Semester Program can provide. Class began at 9:30, but it isn't the normal "class" that you're used to - in fact there aren't many classes here that are! This specific class began with one of the authors of the book "The Elements of Journalism", Tom Rosenstiel. Tom is not only an accomplished author, but an accomplished journalist and researcher, as well. He was truly a pleasure to listen to. I even had the opportunity to ask him a question - which is definitely something that I highly advise while being here. ASK QUESTIONS. Not only does it result in the opportunity to speak with an incredible person, but it expands your knowledge more than any book or lecture ever could. These people live the lives you read about in the books, they're the sources that the authors go to, and it's such an amazing aspect of this program.

After Tom left, the class split for about an hour to grab lunch. Amanda and I headed towards the Metro Station and stopped inside Whole Foods, CVS and finally Subway. There are an array of shops just minutes away from the campus, so it is super convenient! We sat inside Subway until 11:40 - as it was arranged that we would meet our class at the Metro Station to head to Union Station. We were on our way to see the Senate Press Gallery! We were meeting Joe Keenan and Thomas Ferraro - two big figures in the Journalism industry. If Washington Semester did not appeal to you before, it should right now. It is the second week of class, and I've already created more connections in two weeks than in two YEARS at my home school.

We all met and caught a train to Union Station, then we walked to the Capitol building - where Professor Krasnow met us. I've seen the building a million times - but it's still just as shocking every time.

I sat in the same seats that the press do during Senate meetings! It was too much fun. We were able to interview both Thomas Ferraro and Joe Keenan on a personal basis. I even got a picture with him - which I'll post once I receive it.

All in all, today definitely encompassed what American University can provide its students, and it is proving to be one of the best life decisions I've made thus far!

Well, I figured now was as good a time as any for my first blog post because I commute everyday to American University, and in between classes I use the Tenley Campus Computer Room, which is where I am currently located. Speaking of being a commuter, I've decided that it is going to be the topic of my first post, and definitely a theme throughout my entire blog.

So, as the title of my blog states - I have been thrusted into this unknown world that includes a TON of traffic, an extremely crowded metro system, and highly priced transportation.

However, after doing some digging - deep into the hearts of Northern Virginia residents - I found a different, cheaper, incredible carpooling system.

This type of carpooling has been around for over thirty-five years, and it is called the Slugging System.

Every weekday morning, I drive to a parking lot in Tackett's Mill, and after parking my car, I approach a line of cars waiting for slugs. These drivers wait in line everyday for at least two people to enter their car, making it a High Occupancy Vehicle - therefore allowing the driver to enter the HOV lanes and get to work an hour earlier than usual.

The people who get in the car, like myself, are slugs. We park in the parking lot FOR FREE, and then hop into a vehicle FOR FREE. Now, I need to come to American University from Woodbridge, VA. There are only certain places that these cars go, so I choose to stand in the "Rosslyn" line, because it makes my metro commute much cheaper (since I do not have to pay for parking, or to ride from Franconia to Rosslyn).

Then, to get home, you get off the Metro at any of the provided places for slug lines, and they will take you back to the exact parking lot that you were picked up in!

There are MANY other places to find morning and afternoon slug lines, and it is all explained at http://www.slug-lines.com/.

*picture courtesy of http://blog.oregonlive.com/kympokorny