Hello from D.C.

Last night, I had dinner with Carol Danko and about 20 students who are interested in politics here in Washington D.C. The conversation was engaging and passionate and curious, and it was so great to be in a room full of Republicans, Democrats and the decidedly in-between to talk about everything from CNN to interning for no money to Bernie Sanders to Trump's campaign. 

That was pretty awesome but there was something else about the dinner that was almost as awesome--the fact that I resisted such an array of delicious foods! There was a freshly made pesto pasta that seemed to be calling my name. There were like ten different kinds of cheesecake and layered cakes. There were hot rolls and fresh butter. I had a garden salad, some mushrooms and some sliced eggplant during our conversation! Earlier in the day, I had had some tuna on the bus ride out here to D.C.

The only thing troubling about yesterday is that I didn't eat all 5 Medifast meals. It was already 1am when I stared to my right and saw my last bag of cinnamon sticks. I told myself I'd eat them after I finished texting my boyfriend, but just look at this bed? It was so comfortable, I fell asleep before I got a chance to eat. 

This morning, we head to the hill to talk to legislative assistants about the need for financial aid. There are a few things we are urging Congress to do- increase the Pell Grant maximum, extend the Perkins Loan beyond its expiration date of 2017, and a few others. We're taking really personal approaches to these meetings and trying to make them about personal stories and the human beings on both ends. Carol Danko, who is a moderate republican, told us that she can't imagine any of our meetings going poorly--people generally believe education is important, regardless of what party they identify or don't identify with.

I have meetings all day with legislative assistants and I'm really nervous about eating properly today. I have my meals in my bag, next to all my talking points and my notebook. 

Then, we get on a bus and we head back to New York city. We should get home by around 9pm, and I plan on heading back to my basement apartment, drinking a cup or two of honey chamomile tea and passing out. It's been an exhausting few days between traveling down here, keeping up with the work of the book I'm publishing, and well, school stuff. I can't wait to get home and take a super long bath-so long, my fingers are all prune-y, and fall asleep dazed and confused.

Tomorrow, I will get up and write a new blog as I get ready to leave for work with my 6th graders. I'll spend the afternoon catching up on trying to turn my organization, Invisible Storybook, into a non-profit. Then, I'll find myself in my Art Research course, discussing my thesis. Hopefully tomorrow and today are both good eating days.

Have an on plan, happy day! 

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