Exploration

So tomorrow I move in to my new apartment. Furniture has been rented, utilities have been set up, and the apartment has been cleaned. Tomorrow we are dropping off the deposit/first months rent and arranging everything how we would like it. Then the shopping begins! Today we bought a vacuum cleaner at K-Mart and I carried it to our apartment a few blocks away. It is so convenient to live right in the middle of the city! I also had my first seminar class today. Every week my seminar will meet for around three hours for discussion and reflection on the reading. Today we got started with class expectations, syllabus, ect. The seminar is titled 'Power and Authority' which I think will be an awesome addition and expansion onto my social stratification class I took at Whitman last year. I have heard awesome things about my new professor so I hope he lives up to the expectations. Next week I will begin my elective class which is titled 'Social Justice' which I am really looking forward to.

I also began my placement search today for my internship. I am going to try to get a position in the District Attorney of Homicide office, but if that position isn't open or for some reason I am not accepted I have to have back up interviews in place. I have looked at a few private law firms that cover all areas of law, and a few which specialize in things like civil law, international law, immigration law, family law, etc. I do have faith in the complex placement process that lies ahead and am confident that no matter what I will be happy and learning something new.

Tonight we had a huge group of visiting Philadelphians who had gone through The Philadelphia Center before and ended up moving back to the city upon graduation. They currently work, intern, and take classes here and were available to answer our questions and give us tips on the city. It was a wonderful discussion and I feel like I have lists of things that I want to accomplish with only 16 weeks ahead. Philadelphia has a million eateries, art venues, activities, and shops that I want to visit and venture into. We are also only two hours away from New York City and Washington D.C.! I can't even imagine trying to incorporate those cities into my schedule at this point! I have a feeling I will be busy over the next few months, working full time, taking two challenging classes, managing my finances, and trying to explore all of the wonderful places in Philadelphia and on the East Coast.

One of the highlights of the last few days has been the exploration of the city center. Every day at lunch we eat out (because we don't have a kitchen yet or even a fridge to store things). Each lunch time we walk around blocks searching for the types of foods and settings we want at prices we can afford. Through this constant exploration we have discovered many convenient areas around our apartment that we can get to at a moments notice. Under our apartment is a wonderful little eatery called Not Just Ice Cream. We had a delicious, healthy lunch there the other day. Next door is a cheap Chinese food place (we actually LIVE above a Chinese food place, that is a dream come true!!!). The next shop over is a Walgreens where we can pick up anything that we need at a moments notice. Also a 30 second walk from our door is a coffee shop, tea shop, subway stop, and our discount gym. About two blocks away is the main city strip (Broad Street) which leads to City Hall. Three blocks away is the theatre that shows all of the big musicals, plays, and concerts (they are currently playing Wicked and are about to switch over to The Lion King). The Philadelphia Center headquarters, which I frequently check in at, is also three blocks away. And one quirky landmark that is about 30 seconds outside of the front door of my apartment is... the oldest continuously lived on street in the United States of America. It has brick houses, white shutters, big trees, and the street itself is tiny (carriage size) and made of cobblestone. It looks so cool!

So wish me luck as I dive into tomorrows planning, moving, and budgeting. Hopefully this weekend I can take a break and discover more of the city that I am coming to love!