Cradle of the Restoration.

Return of the Jedi. Stepping into your old mission field after having the name tag off for quite some time feels like you're getting some sort of special powers back. The weirdest thing though was driving across the border from Pennsylvania to New York on my six month anniversary of being an official RM...and realizing I wasn't a missionary. It felt like I was driving into the city on The Truman Show with outside knowledge now! This time, I wasn't Sister Hawkes anymore. (Well...to most people.) I was Monica--the version who I wanted to be at this time. In fact, I think I'm even better than I ever hoped I would be. 

Bringing friends to a place I am (let's be honest) obsessed with is something I will put into continual practice. We stayed with the Jacobson's that first and foremost made our trip just plain fun. Inside jokes aren't just for teenagers. But then, we all got into the spiritual part of the weekend, which resulted in me learning more than I ever thought I would. That's how I know I'm choosing my friends correctly...my absolute favorite thing to do is sit in on a discussion on our Savior, Jesus Christ, and His Plan for me. That's all we did all weekend. It was amazing.

Anyway, we started off Friday morning at the Book of Mormon Publication Site and got an absolutely incredible tour from Sister Noble. Since I didn't mention to anyone I was coming, it was the reunion of a lifetime for the both of us. She gave us a fantastic tour to start off our weekend, and set the tone for the rest of our trip! 

And walked around the town...

And saw the highlight of the trip...the Joseph Smith Farm and Sacred Grove. Sister Jeanfreau taught me so much being there again, now having the experiences of post-mission life and relating them to what I taught as a missionary. My mind continually tends to be blown on what's in store for me if I continue on this path.

Saturday, we headed over to the Hill Cumorah. We read Mormon chapter six and the appropriate verses in JS History to really internalize what we were seeing. It was the boys' first time ever to this place, so we had to!

The lovely Sister Allred took us to her home in Mendon, where the prophet Brigham Young lived and got baptized. I had never been there before!

On the way home, we drove through Gettysburg...why not stop and take a look? We got a little American history in there with us!

And the last but not least to our final stop...the Washington, D.C. temple. 

Those special powers really work when you give your all for 18-24 months. Monica 2.0 is a lot stronger.

So you wanna be a reporter?

Well, guess what...ya already are.

Do you post anything on Facebook? What about Twitter, Instagram, or a blog? I realized my love for staying connected at an early age, and so I have been taking advantage of this whole "social media" thing. (Obviously.) There is a reason we were born in an age of instant connection. Why do you think the Restoration happened at the same time all of this technology came out? It's not like people before us weren't smart. They built empires. There is a reason we have these capabilities...technology is not a bad thing. Let me repeat, it is not a bad thing. We are our own journalists in a sort of way. Maybe not for the world like I like to do, but maybe for your kids...for you? 

"Journalism is the first rough draft of history." - Philip Graham, The Washington Post

Disclaimer: Yes, if you're not careful, you can become one of those recluses that pretend to have a personality online and then when people actually meet you, they wonder if you hired someone to post constantly on your News Feed. Bad idea. Be yourself. 

The whole reason I wanted to write this post was to remember my trip to the Newseum last weekend, and how much I'm obsessed with recording events. (You should see my journals. And, I love jotting down notes so I can write about it later. That's all I use my note app for on my phone.) Anyway, from my two-day Newseum journey:

9/11 memorial. I spent a lot of time here.

A huge wall of front pages throughout the years...also spent a lot of time here.

NYRMies will know what I'm talking about.

Picture Perfect.

"I get lost in the beauty of everything I see;

The world ain’t half as bad as they paint it to be.

If all the sons, all the daughters stopped to take it in...

hopefully the hate subsides and the love can begin."

-Come Home, One Republic

National Mall

National Archives

United States Supreme Court

View from Speaker Boehner's balcony

Lincoln Memorial

Washington Monument

Martin Luther King Memorial

Tidal Basin

Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial

Every single one of these was a, "hold on, I gotta take a picture real quick."

...with my iPhone. Prrrrrety amazing.

Is this real life?

...is what I am thinking in my brain every time I walk to and from Union Station to Capitol Hill.

And then when I get to have two little girls today holding each of my hands when we walk through the crowded touristy spots of the Capitol...

...I get to call this work?

Intern-o-Rama.

If you haven't read the awesome shout-out to interns that Deseret News gave us, check this out:

The path to D.C. internships is well traveled for Utah students

It was such a great article! I am really proud to be here on the Hill and I agree--the staff makes it such a great experience to learn everything we possibly can in four months time. However, I wanted to show you my little spin on it, and why internships on the Hill are just as glamourous as you might expect.

The news of the day was not anything about the Ukraine bill, or the Smarter Sentencing Act, or even the Hobby Lobby case that's going to the Supreme Court next week. Nope, it was how to best exterminate a mouse.

I'm very impressed at the man-skills used in this mouse trap making, even the Senator was impressed when he came up here this afternoon! Even with all the hard work, we still haven't captured it, but it managed to take the bait away to it's little hiding place. Ugh. Sarah and I were kneeling on our chairs the whole afternoon. 

I thought you might be interested in how D.C. interns really live...maybe we should put office-supply-mouse-trap-making on our resumes? 

Snow Patrick's Day.

Meanwhile, in D.C...

Seriously, I don't get it. It would benefit the nation greatly if they would take some lessons from what we do in Utah. There is four inches outside people. FOUR. Which is the same number of snow days we've taken this year. 

I even had my St. Patrick's Day outfit all planned out. I guess I'll just have to wait and wear it tomorrow. 

#FirstWorldProblems.

Two Weeks Notice.

So I've decided to stay! I really am loving every second of my internship here in Washington. I have learned more about politics in the last two weeks than I ever did in the last 20 years, so thankfully there is at least one success from all this. Being busy again is one of my favorite feelings.

I've also been teaching with the missionaries in my ward, and they are doing such an awesome job. It really is nice being able to teach, then go out and play instead of knocking on doors until 9 p.m.. :) It's a great little set up I have going on here. Here's some picture updates since I don't have too much time:

Senator Lee on live TV--it is really fun helping out on the communications team.

Spent my Saturday with the Smiths...what a great, beautiful family!

Wizards/Bulls game with the crew. 

FaceTime with my BFF Alison...how I miss everyone in Utah. 
At least don't have to write letters anymore...

Arlington Cemetary. I live within walking distance. :)

My first tour as a Capitol Hill intern. I took a group of kids from Karl G. Mauser Prep. 
They were a great group of future senators!

I'm not Elle Woods.

...well, kinda. Except they don't really allow pets on Capitol Hill.

But I'll tell you a little about what I'm doing here in the District. I'm one of the seven interns for Senator Lee who gets to give tours of the Capitol building (starting in the Visitors' Center--I'm right at home), answer phone calls and emails, and basically helping out any part of the staff that needs help. So yes, when you think of a typical intern, that's me. We are definitely the lowest paid people in Washington, but hey, at least it's something! Yesterday we got to go "get lost" in the Capitol so we can start learning our way around. 

It is really fun to be in the middle of everything. I am a huge fan of being in such a big city with so much to do. I love the 45-minute commute to and from work, because that means I get to read the Book of Mormon or New Testament, or whatever I feel like studying that day. My new ward is awesome, I absolutely love my roommates, and life is great. 

I can't wait until payday, however, so I can stop eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. 

Temporary local.

This will be a travel log-slash-what it's been before. The District of Columbia is way too neat of a place to not share.

Yesterday, Instead of being a "kind of local," I was most definitely a tourist. After figuring out how I need to get from door to door starting tomorrow morning, I took myself around DC. Since it was close, I went straight to the Capitol building:

And since it was Saturday, it was closed, so no tours. But because I will be the ones giving the tours shortly, it didn't really matter. Then, I had to go see the Constitution and Declaration of Independence since they are fading fast. So I walked down the street to the National Archives:

With the security guard thinking he was Eddie Murphy, it made the long line not as lonely by myself. But once I got in, it was so worth it. I wish I could have taken pictures in the Rotunda where those documents are held, because it was absolutely incredible. I thought about what Nephi recorded about the coming forth of a free nation. Read 2 Nephi 10. Then, it was off to the American History Museum:

My favorite thing there (out of the thirty minutes I had) was to look at the wardrobes of the First Ladies. I wish I would have gotten pictures--oh well. Let's be honest, I wish I could have tried them all on!

I am so excited to get a personal relationship with this place. It's good to be back in the East. And talk about missionary experiences...He will give them to you if you ask--that's for sure!