BLIZZARD 2016 (and other January happenings)

What a time to live in Washington DC!

I can now say that I have lived through one of the snowiest blizzards in DC history, making it 4th place in the record books! Although the blizzard lasted 3 days and the aftermath is still unraveling itself, I'll try to make this brief. We got 22 inches of snow at my house, although some areas definitely saw more. The storm hit on a Friday, but we still got Monday and Tuesday off work, with delays the rest of the week. They do not know how to handle snow here!! But, without going down the 'I'm a Minnesotan, this storm was nothing' rant, I will say that I did enjoy the multiple days off from work :) I will also say that the snow helps make it feel like winter, and the monuments look beautiful under 2 feet of snow. 

And the snow wasn't the only thing for the record books this month. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day I celebrated the Day of Service by participating in a service project. SCA and NPS put on a riverside cleanup event along the Anacostia River in SE DC. Although the day was windy and cold, it was an amazing experience to meet the Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell (she reports directly to Pres. Obama!) And not only did I get to meet her, I worked side-by-side with her during the service project, even taking a snapchat with her! SO COOL. Overall it was a great event and an amazing opportunity.

A few other things I did in January was getting together with my friend Anne Marie as well as having lunch with a new-found friend, Ashley. Ashley was integral in helping me get the apartment that I'm in. She knows my landlord as well as my contact at SCA--she was the key link! I am so grateful for her help during that process. It was great to actually sit and chat, even if it was 8 months delayed. 

At work I finally got my Department of Commerce (DOC) badge! While this isn't exactly riveting news, I have been working on getting this badge since I started. This badge allows me access to my work building (the DOC building) as well as easier access to my parking--it's the little things :) At work I have started a new suite of projects, including working on our park webpages. The park is already planning the White House Easter Egg Roll event as well the BioBlitz event that will happen in May (more on this later). When one event ends we begin planning the next! And for big events we start WAY ahead of time (we have already started planning for the next Presidential Inauguration).

The last thing I'd like to mention in this blog is that it has almost been a year (Feb. 4th) since I was interviewed and offered the Centennial Volunteer Ambassador position. The past year has had many uncertainties, quite a few bumps and a few metaphorical free-falling cliff jumps. However, it has also included a lot of self-reflection, personal growth, and professional development. Not to mention the amazing opportunities it has presented to me along the way. Choosing to get back up, not give up, and take away the positive aspects of each day is what has made the difference. A sincere thank you to all of those who have ridden the CVA roller coaster alongside me. This program has changed us as individuals and we will undoubtedly leave our mark on it. 

Peace and love,

Kyle

Annual Look in the Rear View Mirror

Welcome to 2016!

If you recall, in December 2014 I set a goal to blog at least once a month during 2015, and I said we'd see how I did one year later. Well, I didn't stick to the goal, missing 4 months :( Hopefully I was able to convey everything that happened in 2015 with the blogs that I did write.

Here's the 2015 recap.

National Christmas Tree (White House in background)

I had a fantastic second semester to my senior year at Michigan Tech. I stayed involved with USG and Forest Guild, was an RA, and helped to start the Husky Food Access Network. I had the honor of being the student commencement speaker at my own graduation in May. I got a job with the National Park Service/Student Conservation Association in Washington DC and moved to a DC suburb in Maryland. Living/working in DC has allowed me to visit our nation's iconic places, including touring the white house. I have met the US treasurer, interviewed the National Park Service Director, seen the President/First Lady numerous times, and had the privilege to attend events at the White House, including seeing the Pope! In August I took a surprise trip home to MN to spend a weekend at the lake. I also got the opportunity to go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Overall, this year has been a great adventure, with ample opportunities to go new places and experience new things!

DC Mayor

The last month of the year was relatively relaxed after the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony passed. The tree site was open throughout the month and we had volunteers staffing the site to tell people about the tree and the ornaments. I also had a few visitors in town, including a fellow CVA from FL and my friend Sophie from Michigan Tech. A professional lunch with someone from the National Parks Conservation Association and a conference about urban forestry in DC with DC's Mayor finished off my professional work for the year!

My Decorated Apartment 

It was then time for a road trip home to Minnesota! My friends Anne Marie and Eric joined me for the 1100 mile journey back to MN. We had a fantastic drive through every kind of precipitation. Being home for Christmas was a great way to spend the end of 2015. Family, friends, good food, the fireplace, snow, and Libby (our dog) are always reasons to go home :) I celebrated Christmas numerous times, as I was home for the whole week between Christmas and New Year's. The week included the usual appointments and then it was time to road trip back to DC. Anne Marie and my friend Jinan road-tripped with me, and we also got to see my friend Kevin in Chicago.


It was then back to work on the first Monday of the year. However, my friend Jinan was in the area for the week and we had a great time seeing the sites, visiting the museums, and having fun! Some highlights included the Newseum, which I hadn't visited before, walking Georgetown, and visiting Great Falls Park. Another highlight of Jinan's visit was going to Delaware to Dover Air Force Base where our friend Sophie is an officer. Sophie gave us a tour of base, including the flight line. We got to go inside a C-17, the second largest aircraft in the Air Force (It was huge!!). We saw the cockpit, saw the back open up, and got to stick our heads out the top of it. It was so cool!

Overall, 2015 was a great year and the start of 2016 hasn't let me down. So far this year I've already been in 8 states and DC! Here's to a year full of fun adventures and seeing where life takes me next!