Wednesday June 11th 2008
We began our leadership training today, which was exciting. In the afternoon we got a tour of the Library of Congress from Lauren's host mom Elizabeth. It was fascinating, and we got to see original documents by Jefferson, Lincoln and JFK. After another busy day, a few of us went to Starbucks for coffee and chats, to round off yet another successful day!
Thursday June 12th 2008
Today was probably the best day of the week for me. We visitied J.O. Wilson Elementary School in the morning, which is in a run down part of DC. The kids were fantastic, the were so well behaved and participated in everything we did with them. We broke into groups to teach them some Irish words, dancing, music and drama. I think everyone will agree the morning was a great success, both for us and the children,
In the afternoon we met with Sen. Patrick Leahy on the Senate steps, which was both a privilege, and an honour. We had our photo taken with him, and he answered questions we had for him, along with telling us of his experiences in Ireland. We then got a tour of the Capitol buildings, which was really impressive. Whilst we were in the Senate gallery, Sen. Dodd was speaking..! It's all a little surreal. After our busy day, we dined in Dupont Circle to celebrate Neal's 21st... another one bites the dust!
Friday June 13th 2008
Although the day had potential to be unlucky, it couldn't have gone better, particularly for our fantastic speakers.
The day began with a presentation from a lady working for the legal firm Holland and Knight, on networking. It was interesting to say the least, but I'm not so sure if can say that I like networking.
In the afternoon, the Northern Ireland Bureau hosted a luncheon for us at the National Press Club, at which 4 of our team members spoke. Gary, Sarah, Andy & Elaine were unbelievable! They certainly set the bar high enough for the rest of us. I was also lucky enough to meet my work supervisor, Lauren, who attended the event. After the success of the afternoon, the realisation that I had no costume to wear for our 90's themed party that night hit me. Myself and Heather did a blitz of one of the numerous department stores, and within 20 minutes, I was Superman. The party that night was a hit, and everyone had a ball. The costumes were truly outstanding, we had a wide array of 'heroes'! Lenore's food was to die for, and I'd like to thank her for having us all over, and for throwing such a great party!
