I slowly turn my alarm off and check the time. Waking up at 6am is hell.

I lethargically sit up and groan. I have not been up this early since Christmas morning. There won’t be any presents waiting for me downstairs this morning though. Just a few Tupperwares with today’s lunch. It takes me an hour to wake up my brain and put myself together for my first day at the National Museum of Natural History. My chauffeur (actually the friend that I am staying with for the next two weeks) generously drives me to the metro stop, where I pass by the free newspaper in favor of Spotify—a mistake I would soon rectify.

The 40 minute Metro ride gave me ample time to prepare for my first morning, and by prepare I mean freak out with everything that could go wrong. There was no need. I may have walked to the wrong entrance the first morning, but everything else was smooth sailing from there (lol). I immediately felt welcomed by the other staff members and my supervisor. And then it was time to work. I was thrown into my new position with a lot of responsibility and figuring things out on my own. I learned to take constructive criticism quickly and to check myself before asking questions with answers easily accessible on the computer. With Friday over, I felt like I had been here for a month, not a week.

I am slowly, but also quickly, adjusting to my pseudo adult life in a new city. I am packing all my lunches and figuring out how to eat healthy without sacrificing my first-born child. I started reading the newspaper on the Metro because I am in Washington D.C. so I should probably keep up on what is going on. I have successfully learned to navigate the Metro and feel confident enough to give random strangers directions, though I’m told that can be a ruse for theft so maybe I’ll go back to waiting for the Metro with my RBF on.

I still feel like a squatter, being in my friend’s house for two weeks. Soon though, I will be moving into an apartment in the city where I will have to fend for myself—no more home cooked meals every night made for me. But, I will be closer to work and to all the happenings! I am excited to make new friends and immerse myself in the local culture. So far, I can really see myself in this city.