Bags are packed!- New Beginnings

       The past few days have been full of goodbyes, shopping, packing and more packing. I honestly never want to step foot in another store again after the amount of shopping I've done this week! I think I'm finally prepared with everything I'll need this semester, and I somehow managed to fit it all into 3 suitcases- which is a miracle.
My room went from being a complete disaster to looking like I never even lived in it for the past month. (Photo evidence)
      I finally organized all my broadcast notes into one little notebook, so I can use it as a reference during my internship, and all my paper work is officially signed. (Mizzou B2ers- I have an awesome KOMU checklist sheet that will save your life!)
      I downloaded the "Embark DC" app, which is apparently really helpful for finding out times for all the public transportation.
     My mom and I are leaving tomorrow morning and driving all the way to Pittsburgh to stay with some family friends for the night, then finishing the last 4 hours to Bethesda on Saturday morning. The weather in DC looks great- definitely beats the freezing Lake Zurich weather. My mom is staying until Monday to explore and help me get settled in.
      Monday is the Inauguration, so the city will be packed. I'm excited to be in DC during such an important time, and hopefully I can do some exploring that day to get a feel for what it's like. Once I get to DC, I'll have a week before my orientation starts, so I plan on mastering the public transportation and my route to work and doing some sightseeing since I've never been to DC before! I definitely want to blog a lot about my experiences at CNN, because I know I'll be learning a lot of valuable lessons.
     I'm really excited to give this opportunity my all. It's the perfect time to explore and soak up knowledge and experiences that will help define who I am as a person. I'm so lucky to have such great friends and family and a boyfriend who always takes care of me and looks out for me, so I think this experience on my own will really be eye-opening. I've set a lot of goals for myself, and I plan to stick to them and experience everything DC has to offer. Time for a road trip!