The best things in life are free

Almost a month in, I'm finding city life to be expensive. Of course, I knew it coming in, and so I'm doing my best with it.

I recently purchased my ticket home for Thanksgiving for $400+. Ouch. And my credit card bills from that shopping spree at Ikea are coming in too. Thankfully, my grandmother Audrey sent me an early birthday present of a down comforter, sheet set and a duvet cover. So I'll be sleeeping warm as it starts to turn colder (lows are in the 40s already).

However, there are some things that are free here, such as the museums and monuments, I visited the Air and Space museum last week with my friend's dad. Also free is my daily running route that takes me by the White House and past the National Mall. I have been running at night, which is surprisingly safer than you would expect, and the city is beautiful when it's lit up.

The cultural experience here is interesting (and free, most of the time) as well. I've attended a few panels and am trying to make the most of the culture here (today we attended a panel/luncheon for Banned Books Week, incredibly interesting). On Wednesday I left work early to attend a Law School fair on George Washington University's campus, located just one stop up the metro from my work (and two stops from my apt). I got some great information on a lot of law schools that I'm very interested in for next year. LSU and Tulane were there, as well as several of my top schools. Going to the fair was a great financial decision as well, as I actually managed to get fee waivers to apply to Indiana-Bloomington, U. of Miami and Colorado-Boulder, all schools I was thinking about in the first place. The fee waivers make those applications extremely easy and economical.

No pictures to post today. More after we get some more stuff in the apartment. At work, things are much more lively (as you'll see if you check our Web site regularly). My interns arrived two weeks ago and they're great, we've hung out outside of work and went to brunch at Nathan's in Georgetown last Sunday.

I've spent the last few weeks setting up the new apartment, acquiring things through craigslist and watching LSU football with the Tiger contingent up here. We all get together at a Capitol bar and there have been some long nights (usually after we win). Everyone watched the Saints' game Monday night at the bar as well.

I'm still trying to decide what I'm doing this weekend -- might be heading up to New York City to see Jay and some other folks. Need to evaluate the financial situation. More to come.