And so, it has begun....

For those of you who are not aware, I am a full fledged resident of the District of Columbia. I had to get my car registered in order to park on the street outside my house here and to do that I needed new title, tags, etc... which required an inspection, and a new license and therefore I had to register to vote here as well.

We are not in Kansas anymore.

After six hours running around DC with my dad at the wheel, I never want to drive in the city again! We were at the mercy of my parent's new new GPS to get all this crap taken care of so I wouldn't get a ticket parking my car. Roundabout after roundabout... who's idea where those anyway!?

The good news is what took a minivan and my car (packed to the BRIM) to tote up here was unloaded and carried up three flights of stairs in record time. We even had everything unpacked and set up in just over 24 hours. I feel very cozy and at home in my new space. (pics on facebook)

I have to admit that the first night I had to remind myself several times that this was not a vacation and I was not going home in a few days... this is it! Now, it is easier to believe.

This morning we (my landlords and I) went for a walk around the neighborhood and ran into a Fox News van and a few news crews waiting outside one of our neighbors houses. Senator Bayh lives down the street. Apparently all crews are on VP watch and expect to discover something while watching his and his wife's car pull in and out of the driveway. Tim Russert's house is here too. His truck is still parked out front.

I had orientation today and I walked to campus, it took me about 15 minutes. I am going to like this. :)

Orientation was draining, but all is well. We have another day of it tomorrow. Hours upon hours of sitting, listening, digesting... not to mention the general feeling of apprehension you have at a new school. It is almost too much. You meet so many people you can never expect to remember all of their names. It is an interesting experience.

More later, after I debrief.