Homeward Bound

In just over an hour, I will be leaving GW's campus en route to Dulles International Airport and eventually, home sweet home: Piedmont, CA.  Leaving is bittersweet.  Don't worry -- I AM coming back in three weeks despite how dramatic this may seem.  I love my DC life, my DC friends, GW, and everything that goes with it.  But at the same time, I'm excited to see my family, and spent some quality down time in Lake Tahoe.  I may reflect more on this later, but I just wanted to let the world know that I will be home from tonight until Sunday, at which point, all five of us will be heading up to the mountains for a week.  I'll be back around Christmas time (Chinese food and a movie?) and will continue to be in California until January 9.  Can't wait to see everybody :-D

Finals

It's the end of the semester.  My brain is a little fried, and I have nothing witty to say.  I will be home in under 48 hours, which probably means I should start packing. Oy vey.  Look for more when I return to California.

Peace, love, and happiness,

Sam

PARIS!

BONJOUR (well now it should be "bonsoir") de PARIS!!!

For everybody who is unaware, I officially arrived in Paris yesterday for my Thanksgiving vacation!  My friend from high school who goes to NYU is studying abroad in Paris for the semester, and visiting her over Thanksgiving sounded like an adventure in the making, to say the least.

After a red-eye flight across the Atlantic, I arrived in Paris around 11 AM.  I proceeded through customs and onto the train which took me into Paris proper.  After some slight wandering at the Saint Michel-Notre Dame metro stop, I found the train I was looking for and headed toward Layla's apartment.

When I arrived, Layla was frantically preparing for class, so I bid her adieu (do you guys like my French?!) and took some time to relax, get cleaned up, and even take a cat nap.  Later that evening, the family of one of Layla's roommates hosted a bread, wine, and cheese party at the girls' apartment, a great and fitting introduction to Parisian cuisine.

Before I talk about the event, I should discuss the fabulous living situation Layla and her roommates have right now.  Each girl in the four-bedroom apartment has her own room.  There is also a large living and very usable kitchen.  Layla even has an extra bed that I get to use for the duration of my stay!

Back to my stomach.  There were cheeses of all kinds: your typical goat cheese, a smelly one, and others that I had never heard of before.  There were baguettes everywhere.  And most importantly, Hillary's parents brought some of the best wine France has to offer.  Such a win.  After a healthy amount of eating, drinking, and overall merriness, we all crashed.

I woke up early this morning to take City Segway's Paris Tour (typical, right?).  It was a lot of fun and a great way for me to get around and see many different parts of Paris.  I had time yesterday to wander around the neighborhood the apartment is in, but I definitely feel like I have a much better sense of the city now that I've been on tour.

After Segway-ing for three hours, I got my legs moving again and headed over toward Napoleon's tomb and the adjacent military museums.  The Arms and Armor museum is absolutely incredible.  I enjoyed it thoroughly.  I then headed out for a 40-minute walk to NYU's Paris campus to meet Layla after her class.

From there, we went to a famous bakery (don't ask me the name) on Rue de Passy where I got a butter croissant (imagine snobby French pronunciation) and a chocolate croissant (same thing), my first croissants in France.  They were TO DIE FOR.  I would go back in a heartbeat.  Following my stomach's blissful experience, we went grocery shopping (read: we went to a formagerie, a fruit stand, a boulangerie, and supermarket).  How could I have walked into another boulangerie and not gotten a croissant?  Easy.  I didn't!  Yep, I had three croissants within an hour.  I think I deserved them, though.  Also at the boulangerie, I got a baguette, because you HAVE TO!

Finally, when we got home, I had a dinner that consisted, for the second night in a row, of bread, cheese, and wine.  It was divine.  That combined with the viewing of Glee made for an epic night.

Plans for the rest of the week: more sleep, museums, and maybe even Versailles!  I will certainly keep you updated.

Alright, guys.  It's past 1 AM here.  That means bed time.

Au revior,

Sam

CHAMPIONS

The San Francisco Giants are the World Series champions!  After 56 looooong years, the Giants have brought the trophy to San Francisco!

World Series!

Before the San Francisco Giants defeated the Texas Rangers 11-7 in last night's World Series Game 1, this year's Fall Classic already surprised baseball fans worldwide.  The Giants and Rangers each entered the playoffs as slight underdogs, but after some furious pitching, both teams are on the cusp of a World Series Championship.

Game 1 in San Francisco featured two dominant pitching forces in Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee.  These two pitchers entered the World Series with a combined 5-1 record and 1.34 ERA in the 2010 Playoffs.  What many expected to be a tight pitching duel, though, quickly became a batter's heaven.  Giants hitters rocked Lee for seven runs in 4 2/3 innings, and Lincecum limped out after allowing four runs in just 5 2/3 innings.

The real story of the night, however, was the Giants bats. Lincecum and Pat Burrell were the only San Francisco starters without a hit. The Giants lit up Lee for six earned runs on eight hits.  In Freddy Sanchez's first three World Series at-bats, he stroked three doubles, a World Series first.

Any ideas that the Giants cannot hit should be gone after tonight.  They always manage to squeeze out just enough runs, whether it be against Lee, Derek Lowe, or Roy Halladay.  Lincecum may not have been in tip-top form tonight, but the hitting and defense more than made up for him.

This series has all the makings to be a great one.  The Giants are sitting pretty with a 1-0 lead, but there is still plenty of baseball to be played.

City Segway Tours

A recent GW Hatchet article featured me and two of my co-workers/fellow GW students.  Enjoy!

http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2010/10/18/Life/For-Tour.Guides.History.Rolls.Along-3946000.shtml

How About Them Giants?

After beating the Atlanta Braves to advance to the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2002, the Giants have an awesome chance this week to show the country what they're made of.  Here's a little taste.

http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101014&content_id=15632452&vkey=news_sf&c_id=sf

Playoff Baseball

Just thinking about the San Francisco Giants these days makes my heart race.  Currently in the midst of a wild playoff chase, the Giants could play beyond the first week of October for the first time since 2003.  With the G-men and the San Diego Padres continuously passing each other for first place in the National League West, this last week of the season has all the makings to be crazy!

Every day, I await the Giants' next game.  Every day, I obsessively stalk ESPN.com's MLB page to see the latest scores and updates from across the league.  Every day, I wonder who will slip and who will shine.  Two teams have officially secured their spots in the playoffs.  Four others have all but sealed the deal.  That leaves two spots, both in the National League.  Three teams: the Giants, Padres, and Atlanta Braves are duking it out to see who will make the postseason.

After an off-day Monday, the Giants play host to the Arizona Diamondbacks for three games.  The D-backs may be in last place in the NL West, but the last time they came to San Francisco, they embarrassed the Giants, winning two out of three.  Following the Snakes, the Padres come into town for potentially the most important series of the entire season.  Three games to decide who will represent the NL West in the playoffs. The whole season, boiled down to a short-lived but enduring three game set.

For now, we wait.  We wait for what seems like ages until that next Giants baseball game.

Following The Dream

Since I finally settled on a title for this blog almost two months ago, I suppose it's about time I explain myself.

Following the dream: chronicling my adventures as I make my through college and pursue my lifelong dream of becoming a sportscaster.  Not too complicated, but a very different view on life than my first three semesters at GW.

When I got to GW, I didn't know what I wanted to study.  In an attempt to figure out what I did want to study, I took a wide variety of classes in my first semester: Calculus, Chemistry, Hebrew, and the Old Testament.

Instead of spending my second semester branching out further and figuring out which fields of study stimulated my interest, I continued on with Chemistry and Hebrew. I decided at some point during that Spring semester that I would declare my Chemistry major with a Biochemistry concentration, and I couldn't have been happier.

"What would I do with that major?" seemed to be the only question people were capable of asking me upon learning of my decision.  I had no response.  I didn't (and still don't) want to go to medical school, and I really had no idea where a Chemistry major would lead me.  Grad school?  Only time would tell...

In any case, I came back to GW psyched for the Fall 2009 semester.  I was to take Organic Chemistry, which I thought would be really interesting, Genetics, Anthropology, and more Hebrew.  As it turned out, being president of a student organization takes up way more time than I ever imagined it would, and it didn't help that, after planning High Holiday services, I was no longer so enthusiastic about the organization.  I also did not fare well in Organic Chemistry.  I was not nearly as interested in the material as I thought I would be, and this lack of interest led directly to a lack of motivation.  I returned home after the semester frustrated and confused.

With a little help from my lovely older sister, I decided not to take the second semester of Organic Chemistry and see what else GW had to offer.  She also helped me allow myself to have a dream and to pursue it.  My entire time at GW, I was taking courses I thought I wanted to take.  I never sat down and thought about what I wanted to do in life and how that dream might impact my studies.

Everybody always tells us to pursue our dreams and see where that takes us.  My favorite quotation along those lines: "Shoot for the stars.  You may not reach the stars, but you may get the moon."  I can't say why I didn't allow myself to dream the way I do now, but, boy, does it feel good.

I realized during this memorable conversation with my sister that I have always wanted to be a sports caster.  I love sports, and I enjoy talking about them.  I love the thought of having such a close connection with a team and building a bridge between the team and the fans.  With this new life view in mind, I figured I might as well start taking journalism classes and learn about the field.

Enter the Spring 2010 semester.  No more Organic Chemistry.  No more Organic Chemistry Lab, also known as the bane of my existence.  Replace those with Introduction to News Writing and Reporting, Psychology, Music Theory, and even more Hebrew.  I could not have been happier academically.  I was taking all classes I found stimulating, and I felt that I was laying the groundwork for my career in broadcast journalism.  I even decided at one point last semester that I was going to graduate from GW and go to graduate school in broadcast journalism to pursue my dream of becoming a sports caster.

However, after some words of wisdom at the end of the semester from my journalism professor, I decided that journalism school might not be the best route after all.  Whether or not I have a journalism degree, I will always be able to write or find another way into the broadcast world.  I also realized that, more than anything, I want to work in the sports world.  Whether in sports marketing, advertising, or journalism, I want my job to have a direct connection to a professional sports team.

So, given that I am currently a junior, I don't have time to start over academically (assuming I want to graduate in 2012, which I do).  I realize that I have other options, namely taking an extra year, but for many reasons, I just don't want to stay at GW more than four years.  That all in mind, my choice of a major should be relatively obvious.  There is only one course that I have taken every semester at GW: Hebrew.  And while GW doesn't have a Hebrew major (yet, anyway), GW has a very well-renowned Judaic Studies department.

I've always held this stigma about Judaic Studies majors: cop-outs who don't actually study interesting topics. I have no idea why, but the History of Modern Israel course I am taking has definitely convinced me otherwise.  I am realizing that I love studying Hebrew and learning about Jewish history.  While I may not want to pursue a career path directly related Judaic Studies, I am definitely enjoying it as a student, and I'm still thinking of different ways to get into the sports world.

I currently work at City Segway Tours, and that on top of classes takes up plenty of my time, but maybe next summer, depending on where I choose to be, I can look for a job or internship with a sports team somewhere.

So that, my friends, is Sam's version of Following the Dream.

Peace, love, and happiness,

Sam

I Will Remember

Yizkor - literally, "he will remember" in Hebrew.  An entire service devoted to remembering the deaths of our loved ones.  Four times each year.  Most notably on Yom Kippur.  After we finish reading the torah and haftarah, we recite Yizkor.  After having fasted for about seventeen hours, we remember our loved ones that have passed.

There is something incredibly meaningful about remembering our departed relatives and friends while on an empty stomach.  For some reason, the circumstances create a more vulnerable situation than I have allowed myself to be in for a very long time, if ever.  And, with that, emotions that I haven't experienced recently came rushing to the surface.

For the first time since April, I truly mourned the loss of my dog, Lily.  I remembered exactly what it felt like to play with her, pet her, and be around her.  I mourned the loss of my friend Molly four years ago.  I remember the different perspectives she brought to my life.  And, lastly, I mourned the loss of my grandfather fourteen and a half years ago.  I hardly knew the man, yet somehow, we were close.  I have only one strong recollection of him: sitting in the hotel by Lake Merritt.  I went to hang out with my grandparents after school one day while they were in California for part of the winter, and Grandpa and I watched TV and did puzzles.  He lived for puzzles, and I loved doing them with him.  I didn't really know what I was doing, but I was getting quality time with my grandpa.  What more could I have asked for?  I remember there was one puzzle I absolutely loved doing with him, and when he died, my grandma gave that puzzle to me.  Unfortunately, I don't know where that puzzle is today, but I definitely remember receiving it and being so excited about I got to keep it.

All these emotions that I had not visited in a long time, maybe not even since last Yom Kippur, came rushing back to me.  Holding the sefer torah, bawling all over the place.  I was exhausted, overworked, hungry, and filled with sadness.  And there is only so much a person can take before completely breaking down.

And yet, we call this service "Yizkor," he will remember.  I'm going to steal one from Rabbi Yoni and argue that the service might be better called "Ezkor," I will remember.  I will remember the lives of those who I hold close to me.  I will remember the happiness they brought to this world.  I will remember what they all wished of others and do my best to exemplify those values.

I would like to leave you with a poem by David Harkins:

You can shed tears that he is gone

Or you can smile because he has lived

You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back

Or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left

Your heart can be empty because you can't see him

Or you can be full of the love that you shared

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday

Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday

You can remember him and only that he is gone

Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on

You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back

Or you can do what he would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

Peace, love, and happiness,

Sam

High Holidays

For those of you who may not know, we are currently in the midst of the Jewish High Holiday season, including Rosh Hashanah, the new year; Yom Kippur, the day of atonement; Sukkot, remembering the 40 years that Israelites wandered the desert after the exodus from Egypt; and Simchat Torah, the celebration of the completion of the torah.  The holidays are considered to be a time of reflection and rebirth.  A time to repent for sins and we pray that we can be inscribed into the book of life.

Most years, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services move me to bcomee a better person and to change my ways.  This year, however, has not been entirely the same.

This past December, I had my time to be introspective and start fresh.  I decided to take a step back and re-evaluate where I was, academically, socially, and emotionally.  I realized that chemistry, my major, was actually making me miserable, the opposite of what one's field of study should do.  I chose not to take the second semester of Organic Chemistry.  Instead, in pursuit of my dream of becoming a sports broadcaster, I took a slew of classes I had always thought about taking but never had the chance to: psychology, music theory, and journalism.  Before I knew it, I had fallen in love with journalism and completely forgotten about chemistry.

Also in December, I decided that I would be happier.  I would make an active effort to be happier with my life.  I feel that, since last winter break, I have become the happy person that I strive to be.  I'm enthusiastic about my Judaic Studies Major, I'm able to spend time with most of my friends in DC on a regular basis, I have a job that I love (and pays well ;) ), and I have grown to love the city I live in.

This high holiday season, I may have lots to repent for, but Rabbi Yoni (the new executive director at Hillel) has been encouraging us to not only repent but also look inside and find ways in which we want to change ourselves, to go that extra step.  Instead of just saying "I will not lie," say "I will make an effort to tell the truth instead of lying."  That may be a very straightforward example, but I think you all get the point.  I can repent for my sins, but at this point, I don't feel that there are large parts of my life that I want to change as there have been in the past.  I'm satisfied with my life right now.  I DON'T want to change very much.  I suppose this is just one of many challenges I will encounter in the upcoming year: finding smaller, but still important, ways to change and be even happier in life.

Peace, love, and happiness.

L'Shana tova u'metukah (to a sweet and happy new year),

Sam

First Shabbat

Last night, we celebrated the first Shabbat of the school year at Hillel, and I could not have been more thrilled by the turnout.  More than 100 people came to Hillel for Shabbat services and dinner, and everybody was incredibly friendly.  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all those I have missed since May, and, as always, enjoyed the thrill of meeting new wide-eyed freshmen.

For the first time, I felt as though I had truly left Koach in quality, able hands.  Props to Scott Backer and Dan Gil for running smooth, high quality services.  I have nothing but excitement for the future of Koach here at GW.

Now, onto High Holidays.

Here we go!

Shana tova u'metukah

First Day of Classes

So far, so good!

I started the day by going out to breakfast with Alexa, which was fun!  We went to K St Bagel (SO GOOD!) and enjoyed fresh hot bagels!

After breakfast, I went to my first class of Junior year: Broadcast News Writing (SMPA 135 for the GW kids).  I have very high expectations for this class.  I am very excited to be taking a class that has everything to do with where I would like to take my career.  While it's not exactly sports based, it should be really interesting and exciting to learn about writing for broadcast.  The professor seems very knowledgeable and willing to help.  He also appears to be very focused on improvement, which is definitely a plus in my book.  Because the course only has fifteen people, I definitely think he'll be able to give everybody the individual attention they deserve.

After journalism, I went to History of Modern Israel.  The cross-cut of people in the course was not what I was expecting (honestly, I expected more Jews to be in the class); however, I think this diversity will only create for more interesting in-class discussions.  The class should be really interesting; especially learning about the Zionist movement before the creation of the State of Israel, something I have always wanted to learn more about.

I worked an evening tour and made some nice tips and now it's off to bed!

Overall, I had a great first day of classes and I'm excited about the rest of the semester!

Birthday / End of Summer

To start, I would like to thank everybody that made my birthday the incredible day that it was, INCLUDING all 15 people on my two tour groups.  From giving tours to dining at Vapiano to partying all night, it was overall a great birthday, and I couldn't have asked for more.

In any case, I now find myself with just three days before classes start.  WHERE DID THE SUMMER GO?!  I suppose I have done a fair amount over the past four months.  I went home to California, showed Alexis just how incredible the Bay is, spent some quality time (maybe a little too much) with my parents, worked a couple jobs, saw extended family in Chicago, found a job in DC, went to Philadelphia and New York twice, and slept in at least nine different locations.

This summer, I learned that while I love my parents to death, living with them is just not the same after having lived on my own for two years.  After I graduate, I would love to live closer to them and have the opportunity to see them more than four or five times a year.  Unfortunately, that's not an option right now, but I in no way regret coming to school on the East Coast.

I also learned (maybe "realized" is the better word here) that DC is my home.  No matter how I feel about it, it's the truth.  I've discussed this fact here multiple times, but it continues to ring true.  My life is here now, and quite frankly, I could not be happier about that.  I have made a pretty incredible life for myself.  I have some of the best friends in the world, I attend an outstanding university that always manages to find ways to piss me off yet teach me to appreciate what I have, and I live in one of the craziest cities in the world (in a good way).  There are few words to describe DC, and its sheer uniqueness is one of my favorite aspects of this dynamic metropolis.

Lastly, I learned that nothing is ever perfect.  However, at some point, we have to realize this fact and do our absolute best to make the most of every opportunity.  The minute we stop "seizing the moment," if you will, we start to lose meaning, and the second we lose meaning, we lose everything.

So friends, as we end our summers, I say this: "seize, seize, seize."  The Hebrew on my page reads (translated): "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And when I am for myself, what am 'I'? And if not now, when?" (Avoth 1:14).  Find your own meaning in these words and see what you discover in life.  Keep looking for that silver lining, and pursue what makes you happy.


Peace, love, and happiness.

Bay City Ball

A blog I found courtesy of espn.com.  Chris Quick integrates humor, statistics, and an unadulterated love of the Giants in his writings.  I will definitely keep track of this one.

http://www.baycityball.com/

Good Crazy

First a recap of the my last week:

Sunday, the 15th, I saw my lovely sister Rachel, and we headed to Dupont for gelato at Dolcezza.

Monday, my friend Rachel moved into Amsterdam earlier than expected, so I helped her with that and took over what would become Robin's room.

Tuesday, I headed to Philadelphia to see the Giants take on the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. While the Giants led early, the Phillies won 9-3 (the game was closer than the score indicates).  Unfortunately for the Giants, this loss began what would become a 2-4 road trip against the Phillies and Cardinals.  On the upside, I saw a family friend of ours who goes to school at the University of Pennsylvania and let me crash on his couch for the night.

Wednesday, I returned to DC and helped another friend of mine move into her fall housing assignment.  Afterward, she fed pizza to her moving army courtesy of her parents.  I was obviously very appreciative of the free food :)

Thursday, I worked my first double ever.

Friday, I moved downstairs from Rachel's room on the second floor, and all of my stuff was in one place for the first time since May.  I was ECSTATIC to see all of my boxes covering the living room :)  It didn't look QUITE this bad, but I realized just how much crap I had left over the summer.  Maybe it's time to purge through my stuff?

Saturday, I woke up early to help freshmen move into Thurston.  They were all adorable, so ready to start college, but scared by the entire process.  I remember feeling those emotions just two short years ago.  It's strange to think about how much I have changed since my 18th birthday.

Yesterday, I worked in the morning and found myself in Virginia by afternoon.  What I thought was going to be a short grocery shopping trip to the local Trader Joe's with my friend Lauren who had just returned to DC became an epic journey to Virginia with her brother and roommate.  On the way, we stocked up at Target and Shoppers Food Warehouse, one of the largest grocery stores I have ever seen.

Today, I slept in!  I met with Rabbi Yoni to discuss High Holiday services (I have somehow become the student coordinator) and went to Eli's with Robin, Lauren, and Lauren's roommates for some nice Kosher meat.  YUM!

Plans for the rest of the week: work, birthday, and prepping for classes!

Peace, love, and happiness.

A Tribute to Bobby Thomson

I may not have been alive in 1951, but what happened on October 3 at the Polo Grounds in New York City will forever live on in infamy.  Russ Hodges call, "THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT," will forever ring in my ears and send chills down my body.  Forever, Bobby Thomson will be remembered for the shot heard 'round the world.

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=5471194

Heading Out Again

I'm off to Philadelphia for the day to see my beloved San Francisco Giants in action against the Phillies!

Fear not -- I will be back in Washington, DC tomorrow morning.

Peace, love, and happiness.

Remembering Lily

"The tears dry, without you.
Life goes on, but I'm gone.
Without you."
-- Rent (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrE7mh7Emj4)

Lily,

You were an amazing dog and an even better friend.  You will always be in my heart, and I will never forget the incredible times we had together, from chasing your toys in the backyard to pouncing through the snow in Lake Tahoe.  They say that a dog is a man's best friend, but they're wrong.  YOU are my best friend.

Love you forever,

Sam

Who's Thinking About October?

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&page=rumblings100812

Clearly these guys are!  If the bullpen can hold it together, the Giants will have a legitimate shot at painting their very own playoff picture, one where they fill their name.  Let's see what you got, boys!

Sam's New York/Jersey-riffic Weekend

Let's play a game called "What did Sam see during his first real trip ever to New Jersey?"

What:
-- Liberty State Park, NJ
-- Ellis Island, NY
-- Statue of Liberty, NY
-- Battery Park, Manhattan, NY
-- Esplanade, Manhattan, NY
-- Ground Zero, Manhattan, NY
-- The Prestige Diner, New Providence, NJ
-- "Downtown" New Providence, NJ
-- Target on Route 22 ("The biggest mess of a road ever" according to Ricky)
-- Short Hills Mall where, according to Rachel, stores get kicked out for not being fancy enough

Now for the story of our weekend.

After a little train delay, Rachel and I were on our way to New Jersey!  Because of the delay, we arrived late, so Rachel's boyfriend Ben picked us up from the train station.  I was exhausted and crashed immediately upon arriving at Rachel's house.

Saturday morning, we were up bright and early to go to Liberty State Park where we jumped on a ferry to Ellis Island.  Arriving at Ellis Island was a strange experience for me.  Walking the same footsteps as some of my ancestors eerily reminded me of Shalhevet, the two-week Holocaust remembrance trip I went on during my senior year of high school.  I remember walking through Auschwitz and other concentration camps, shocked at the fact that I was retracing the steps of so many people, my family included.

Auschwitz and Ellis Island are clearly two very different places, but the same eerie feeling ran down my spine in both locations.  The former symbolizes the attempted extermination of so many peoples; the latter the rebirth of so many.  But both provided a huge feeling of uncertainty for those involved.  And, more importantly, both marked places where I relived the experiences of my family members.

After arriving at Ellis Island, we watched a film about the people who came through the island from all over Europe.  The journey proved very difficult for some people.  They could travel anywhere from a week to a month, diseases were transmitted the entire way, and most difficult of all, just like flying these days, the people on the boat were allowed to bring one bag.  Just one.  I could never put my entire life in one bag.  These people made huge sacrifices, leaving their entire lives behind in the hopes of finding something better in "The Golden Land."

The rest of our visit at Ellis Island was much more uplifting.  We got to see America through the eyes of those leaving home seeking better lives: this beautiful country with gold-lined streets and an opportunity for everybody.  Even after arriving in the US not knowing any English, these people were able to make lives for themselves.  And if it weren't for the Nadelfeins, the Bernsteins, the Kaplans, and the Goldsteins, not only would I not be here, but I would not have the opportunities I have had my entire life.  And for that, I am forever grateful.

We finally left Ellis Island for the Statue of Liberty.  Lady Liberty was everything I ever imagined and more.  Tall, proud, and representing the freedom that comes with being an American.  Rachel and I walked around the entire island and almost up to the statue's feet.  We decided that in the heat of the summer, it would be wiser to not climb into the copper furnace that is Lady Liberty's crown.

When we felt that we had taken in the Statue of Liberty's beauty in its entirety, we continued our journey to Manhattan where we met Ben and walked around Battery Park and the Esplanade.  We left New York exhausted and met Rachel's family for dinner at the Prestige Diner, where Rachel used to work.

We then continued our epic day-long adventure to Target, where I purchased a bike helmet for work.  By the time we arrived back at the Azarows, we were exhausted and watched Madagascar.  Rachel crashed before the animals even arrived on the island, and I barely made it through the movie before following suit.

We got to sleep in yesterday before meeting Lauren for lunch at the Short Hills Mall.  Never have I seen or heard of such a place where stores get kicked out for no reason other than not being fancy enough.  In any case, we had a nice lunch at Papa Razzi before Rachel and I returned to prepare for our train ride back to DC.

All in all, I had a great weekend full of firsts.

Peace, love, and happiness.

Life is Better on a Segway

For those of you who don't already know, I just started working at City Segway Tours here in DC. Everybody who works there seems to be a lot of fun and really loves the job, so I am definitely excited about this opportunity.

As the title says, life is better on a segway. It's fun, it's fast, and it goes everywhere! Well, maybe not everywhere; it hasn't quite mastered the off-roading. In any case, Washingtonians, be on the lookout! If you see me, feel free to say hi! I'll be the one with the City Segway Tours t-shirt on the segway with hair coming out of my helmet in all directions yelling random facts to my tour groups.

ALSO, friends get a 10% discount!

Anyway, I'm off to Jersey for the weekend, and I have absolutely no idea what to expect. Wish me luck?

Peace, love, and happiness.

Job?

So, for those of you who don't stalk me on Facebook -- I GOT A JOB OFFER!!!

After interviewing at City Segway Tours yesterday, I got an e-mail offering me a job as a tour guide. So, starting very soon (not exactly sure when), I will be giving tours of Washington, DC on a segway! Look out DC, Sam Bernstein is on the loose!

August

August is officially upon us. Scary, right?! I know it is for me. But fortunately, that means my birthday is coming up (August 25 for those of you who don't know)! And I could not be more excited to spend it in DC for the first time with some of my closest friends (you know who you are)!

Aside from my birthday, August means something different for everybody, including, most imminently, the end of summer -- a last chance to get out and enjoy the hot weather. The school year is creeping up on the horizon, and unlike my younger days, I'm looking forward to returning to the daily grind of classes, more extra-curricular activities than I can remember and wide-eyed freshman swarming GW's campus.

But for now, summer continues, job hunting lingers over my head, and I am enjoying my laid back lifestyle. My advice to you all: get out and have that last summer adventure, whatever it may be, and enjoy the heck out of it!

Peace, love, and happiness.

DC Summer

After dining just north of Dupont Circle Saturday night, two of my friends and I wandered our way back toward the fountain where a friend of ours was performing. What some would consider to be a common Dupont Circle occurrence turned into a surreal experience for me. I sat with my friends listening to the music, feeling the water spray on my back, and I finally understood what everybody has been talking about since I announced I would be going to school in our nation's capitol.

I have experienced my fair share of excitement in this city since I arrived two years ago, including President Obama's inauguration, snowpocalypse, and other crazy moments. However, for the first time, I experienced DC in a very different way. The air was light and comfortable, people were out and about enjoying their Saturday nights, and I felt a strong sense of being and belonging. Everybody has told me how exciting Washington, DC is, and while I am well aware of this fact, I could quickly list off plenty of cities in this country that I would consider to be more exciting.

But there's something different about the District. I can't quite put it into words, but there is a certain charm this city possesses that other cities don't. I don't know if I totally understand it, but I love that I am a part of it all and that I can call DC my own.

I may never live in this city again, but I will certainly do my best to enjoy my remaining time here.

Peace, love, and happiness.

Meat

For those of you who don't know, I consider myself to be a very religious and observant Jew. I grew up Conservative, and I identify with the Conservative Movement (not politically; religiously). Growing up, I was one of the most observant Jews I knew. I kept Kosher, went to synagogue as often as possible, and knew surprisingly more about Judaism than my peers.

That all changed upon my arrival at GW.

Meeting Modern Orthodox Jews and really getting to know them for the first time definitely changed my views on Judaism, especially my own perceptions of the religion. Even meeting other Conservative Jews changed my opinions. It was bizarre to me that I actually knew people who wouldn't eat meat our (or even dairy) if they were not 100% positive it was Kosher. And I'm not talking about pork vs. beef. I'm talking Kosher butcher, a hechsher (certification), the whole shabang.

To give a little background, I had always thought of myself as Conservadox (a combination of Conservative and Orthodox), having very little knowledge of the typical Orthodox lifestyle. That is, until I arrived at college (sensing a theme?), when I realized that I'm really, really, staunchly Conservative.

Now, over the last two years, I have been grappling with my level of observance of kashrut, Jewish dietary laws. And for some reason, over the last two weeks, I have gradually decided that I will not eat meat out anymore. I will only eat meat that has a hechsher.

Because that's how I do things. If you know one thing about me, it's that I'm extremely indecisive. I will spend hours, days, weeks, even months making the most minute of decisions. Just like everything else, it took me a while to officially decide I was not going to eat meat out.

I couldn't tell you why I suddenly made this decision, but for some reason, it just feels right. At least for now. I like to think I'm on a little ride and I'm seeing where it will take me. For now, things are all right. I will certainly keep you updated.

Peace, love, and happiness.

NYC!

After sleeping for approximately three hours Sunday night, I prepared for the four-hour bus ride from DC to New York. The ride went smoothly and we arrived in NYC shortly after 11 AM Monday morning. I killed some time in the Borders at Penn Station before walking up to Grand Central to catch my train to New Rochelle. On the way to Grand Central, I walked through Bryant Park, a cute little grassy area with food and lots of people. I eventually made it to New Rochelle where Leah picked me up in her soccer mom Toyota minivan. I definitely mad fun of her for that!

Given that I had been up since 5 AM, I was a little bit tired, but Leah took me back to her house where we hung out and she made me food, as a good Jewish Mother in Training would :-D. In some ways, Westchester County was exactly as I thought it would be. Charming, suburban, tree-lined streets sport huge houses (mansions), sidewalks don't really exist as everybody either bikes or drives, and the streets all zig-zag around so as to confuse foreigners.

Leah's family took us out to Sal's for some great New York style pizza. The fan favorite: salad pizza. A strange combination of lettuce, tomatoes and vinaigrette on New York style crust builds this unusual pizza. Strange as it sounds, it was pretty tasty. I would definitely eat it again and recommend it to a friend.

After dinner, we returned to the Morse home where Leah, her sister, and I put on our game faces for a Settlers of Catan match. I played pretty terribly, but we had fun nonetheless. Leah and I then watched a few clips of Whose Line is it Anyway? and laughed hysterically, a good way to prepare for bedtime.

In the morning, everybody went to work while I slept in. Leah came back from work, and we trekked down to New York City. We walked around a little, had some lunch, met up with my friend Hayley, and made our way back to Penn Station where I picked up my bus back to Washington, DC.

While the trip was not the most exciting I've taken, it was good to see Leah before she goes to Israel for five months, and I enjoyed getting away from DC for a little while. I am now back in the District and ready to go out and enjoy the city. Wish me luck!

Peace, love, and happiness.

Weekend Recap

***Disclaimer* **

Since I already discussed the excessive heat and humidity from this weekend, I will refrain from mentioning it in this post.

The weekend officially started at Friday night services at the DC JCC (Jewish Community Center) with DC Minyan. This marked my second appearance at DC Minyan services, and both have been very enjoyable. Despite the relative strangeness that is DC Minyan (separate seating without a Mechitza), I was glad to be back in a religious/spiritual environment. For those of you who don't know, I try to attend weekly Shabbat services as often as possible to reinforce my connections to Judaism, prayer, spirituality, and God. Having not been at services for at least three weeks now, I was in need of some spiritualism in my life, so I dragged my friend Rachel to Dupont Circle to join me. The service itself was incredible. The acoustics of the room were such that the sound filled the area, wrapping around every person. I was surrounded by what I had been missing for so long, and it couldn't have felt better.

Saturday (the hottest day...ever?) came and I had plans to go with Alexis to Virginia. Moving slowly and running late (as usual), I sprinted to the Metro in an attempt to catch the bus that would take us toward Dulles Airport where we would be picked up by Alexis' family. Sweating profusely and having difficulty breathing upon my late arrival at the Metro, Alexis was not a happy camper. Two Virginia-bound trains had come and gone while she waited for me, and the next one wasn't scheduled to arrive for nine minutes. The only problem: our bus was supposed to arrive at Rosslyn station at the SAME TIME our train was supposed to arrive at Foggy Bottom. How were we ever going to make it on time? After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, our train came. We arrived at Rosslyn a few moments later and ran up the never-ending escalator. I continued out to the street to find our bus just pulling in to the station. With my sweat everywhere (it wasn't much cooler in Virginia) and Alexis experiencing heat/athletic-induced asthma, we made it onto the bus (somehow in one piece) and even found seats. Within a half-hour, we arrived at the bus station where Alexis' mom, brother, sister, and dog picked us up. Fortunately, the rest of the evening ran smoothly.

Today, Alexis and I woke up bright and early in preparation for our three-hour drive to Philadelphia. The impetus for the trip: Phillies vs. Rockies (Alexis' baseball team) at beautiful Citizens Bank Park. Even though rain interrupted the game and forced us to drive home earlier than we had hoped, we had a great time in the car and at the stadium (unfortunately the Rockies lost). It may be a little shameful that I have been on the East Coast for almost a week and a half now and I've seen a baseball game in Philadelphia but not in DC; however, I plan to change this disturbing fact ASAP.

Anyway, I must be getting to bed now as I have a 7 AM bus to catch in the morning. That's right: I'm headed to New York City for 30 hours! I'll be busing there in the morning, and returning Tuesday afternoon/evening. The whole reason behind the short journey: my friend Leah will be leaving for Israel on Sunday, and I won't see her until January, so I thought I would pay her a visit in Westchester :)

Peace, love, and happiness.

Sweltering Summer

All that stuff I said in my recent post Savoring Summer could have been thrown right out the window yesterday. Saturday, July 24 marked the hottest day I have lived through, as far as I can remember. Heat indices (heat + humidity or more simply "how hot it feels") reached 110 degrees, people tried to fry eggs (albeit unsuccessfully) on the sidewalk, and the intense humidity gave the entire city of Washington, DC a drenched, underwater feeling. Breathing became difficult and running to the Metro resulted in unforeseen disgustingness. Nobody I know felt comfortable in this weather, and I wisely stayed inside for the majority of the day. Fortunately, the hot weather has cooled off slightly and The Weather Channel forecasts cooler temperatures over the next week. Hopefully I will be able to get out and explore DC without experiencing breathing problems.

Savoring Summer

After spending all day trying to figure out what I would write tonight, I came across two articles from the Washington Post, both of which have to do with savoring summer (one more specifically the monuments at night: a GW classic!). While I might consider the heat and humidity to be a debilitating one-two punch at times, there are still plenty of activities I can pursue here, like baseball! On Sunday, I will be driving up to Philadelphia with Alexis to see the Phillies take on her Colorado Rockies! I just hope Phillies fans don't kill us in the process. Anyway, the articles did not give me so many specific ideas of things to do here, but they made me realize that summer is not time to be wasted, or time to be spent waiting for the weather to cool down. It's time for us to get out there and enjoy the heat while we can! Hopefully I will practice what I preach and get out there to explore the world (maybe we'll just start with DC!).

Peace, love, and happiness.

Quote of the Day

"Some observers might describe this three-hour, 16-minute tussle as wild. That's redundant. It was a Giants-Dodgers game." - Chris Haft, MLB.com reporter. You can find the full article here.

I love Giants baseball :-D

Jon Miller: A Legend

I read an impressive article today from the San Francisco Chronicle about Jon Miller, a brilliant Giants' broadcaster. Fortunately for me, when I am not in the Bay Area, I can listen to Mr. Miller every week on ESPN for Sunday Night Baseball. I most enjoy listening to Jon when he and his partner Dave Flemming get bored and start acting like five-year-olds :) They come up with these crazy stories and Jon Miller makes some incredible noises. If you've never heard the two in action, you must try to find them on KNBR 680. If that's not an option for you, try tuning in to one of ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts. He and Joe Morgan also make a great team!

Peace, love, and happiness.

BlackBerry

Today, July 19, 2010, marked a momentous day in the life of Samuel Chaim Bernstein. After six years of "conventional" phones, i.e. phones that serve just that purpose: phone calls, text messaging, and the occasional game playing binge, I gave in to the BlackBerry craze. I know, I know. Please don't judge me. But I will only use my BlackBerry under two conditions: no Facebook and no AIM. Alexis will try to break me, but I will not allow myself to use either of those two applications. Other than the two restrictions, I like to think I'm free to do whatever I want :-D I've already started using BBM, which is pretty incredible. I don't get it, but I prefer to BBM than to text. I also am in my first game of BrickBreaker. I think I'm going to enjoy this device.

Giants

Starting tonight, the Giants take on the Dodgers in Chavez Ravine for a three-game series. This stint in LA begins a stretch of 12 out of 16 games against division opponents. If the Giants stand a chance of making the playoffs, they need to perform against their NL West foes. Starting the season 9-20 against these teams does not say "playoff caliber." These next 16 games can make or break the Giants playoff chances. Play well and win the series against the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Rockies, and the Giants could very well find themselves nose to nose with the Padres for the division lead. Play poorly and they could all of a sudden fall to the NL West cellar. This weekend against the Mets, Giants starters did what they couldn't the first two weeks of July: go deep into starts. Lincecum, Zito, Cain, and Sanchez racked up 31 innings in 4 games for a combined ERA of 1.16. If Giants starters can continue to hold opponents, and key players including Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval, Aubrey Huff, and Freddy Sanchez produce at the plate, the Giants could compete with any team in the Big Leagues. Let the fun begin!

Things I Don't Like

Call me crazy, but I really don't granny carts. Most of my friends seem to adore them and use them whenever they have the opportunity. In my experience, they don't steer well, they don't always fit on escalators, and they are usually too small to fit anything worthwhile. I would much rather carry my groceries (or whatever I have) than deal with the stress of a granny cart.

Home at Last

Since my return to DC, I have managed surprisingly little productivity. While today was not entirely different, I managed to make it to Good Stuff, Eastern Market, and Kramer's all in a day's work. I officially feel like a Washingtonian. However, as my friend pointed out to me today, I don't get out enough, so I'm setting a goal for myself RIGHT NOW: over the course of the summer (once I get a job, that is), I will go out to the wide range of neighborhoods DC has to offer and try more local cuisines. If there is one thing I don't have the opportunity to do during the course of the school year, it is exactly that. While I don't intend to go broke in this endeavor, I hope to experience all that DC has to offer its resident's stomachs. More on that one later.

Peace, love, and happiness.

Back in DC/Summer Recap

For most students, the end of their sophomore year signals a turning point. The house(s) in which they grew up no longer have the same feeling of home. While the same is true for me, I had a rough spring semester and was ready to return home to my parents.

The first week home was wonderful. I brought a friend home with me, and we had a great time exploring San Francisco, the Bay Area, and Lake Tahoe. We even found our future home on the Embarcadero in San Francisco! After my friend went back to Virginia, it was time for me to start my job hunt.

Having spent all of last summer working in a warehouse, I was looking for something a little different. I applied for a few communications/PR-type internships in the area, but nothing came together. A few weeks in, my mother suggested I get registered with a local temp agency. As it turned out, the day I interviewed, there was a job waiting for me! I didn't know it at the time, but I enjoy administrative jobs (I'm really good at filing!).

So I went out on my assignment at a local school in Alameda for three days. Upon finishing the assignment, I drove to Los Angeles for the second time this summer to drop off my sister (she's interning at the LA Times for the summer). A couple days later, she and I met the rest of our family in Santa Barbara for my other sister's college graduation!

After a great weekend in Southern California, I returned to the Bay in anticipation of my next assignment. The day I got back, I received a call from the temp agency telling me there was a full-time receptionist job available for as long as I could work. "Working full-time?" I thought. It sounded a little overwhelming, but I needed the job, and I felt qualified to be a receptionist, so I accepted the offer.

In just my second week at the auto repair shop, they began interviewing for my position. Unfortunately, I was unaware that one of these ladies would become the new "me." The following Monday, I was officially replaced. Without a job, with a strong desire to return to DC, and a job possibility with the Redskins, I decided to make the trek eastward.

After a week-long stop in Chicago to see some family members, I have returned to DC, where I am experiencing a combination of HOT HOT HEAT (and humidity), college friends, interns, and tourists. DC is a very different place in the summer than it is during the school year. More on that later.

For now, it's definitely bed time.

Peace, love, and happiness.

Introductions

First things first.

Who: My name is Sam Bernstein.

What: I am a rising junior in the class of 2012.

Where: I attend The George Washington University in Washington, DC. I hail from the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area of California. I grew up in the small town of Piedmont.

When: Why, now, of course! "If not now, when?" - Hillel

Why: Well, in all honestly, it's partially a bandwagon situation. Most of my friends have blogs, and I like to think my life is interesting enough to the average college student and other worldly beings that it's worth reading about.

How: The beautiful parallel universe we call the internet.

Moving on.

College Stuff

Studying: Believe it or not, after two years of rigorous course work, I have yet to decide on a major. It appears at this point that I will major in Liberal Arts, with minors in Judaic Studies, Music, and Journalism and Mass Communications, just to give you a sense of my wide array of academic interests.

A little more: This past semester, I took my first Journalism course, which was a great experience for me! I hope to incorporate the skills I learned into this blog. Currently, the dream is to be a sportscaster. I love sports and everything about them. In elementary school, I played baseball, soccer, basketball, and football. While football and basketball were short-lived endeavors, I continued to play baseball through my freshman year of high school and soccer until my senior year. I occasionally search for the men's club soccer team here at GW, but have found that classes and student organizations take up too much of my time to play soccer.

Teams: While I no longer play sports the way I used to, I still watch them with the same intensity. I grew up a San Francisco sports fan: Giants (baseball), 49ers (football), Sharks (hockey), and Stanford (all college sports). I continue to support all these teams while living in Washington, DC; however, I have adopted the Nationals (baseball), Redskins (football), Capitals (hockey), and of course my very own GW Colonials (all college sports). Fortunately, no sports rivalries exist between any of these teams.

Organizations: As previously mentioned, I am VERY involved in student organizations. This past year, I was President of Koach, the Conservative Jewish movement at GW. Through Koach, I am a leader at Hillel, the center for Jewish life at GW. I attend services almost every week and participate in various Hillel programs. I also belong to two professional fraternities: Alpha Chi Sigma, the Chemistry fraternity, and Eta Beta Rho, the Hebrew Honor Society. I am a Student Admissions Representative (STAR), which is just fancy talk for a tour guide. I was also a founding member of Shir Madness, the new Jewish a cappella group at GW. Shir in Hebrew means "song." We like to think we're clever. Between all of these organizations and my hefty class schedules, I never had a dull moment during my sophomore year.

More to come.

Peace, love, and happiness.