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| I love my city of Boston--my
life is so fun and fascinating sometimes. I'm working full time at my
family's summer camp this year, and keeping up my internship at the FBI
once a week...(hoping to keep my foot in the door :). I love working in
the city--I've seen so much--it always seems like I'm there when the
action happens. Around where I work is homeless bum central, and it
always seems like I'm getting into these random conversations with
them. One day, I was doing my makeup in a shady Burger King bathroom,
when an older lady with a pinned together yellow rainjacket walked in,
and started squeezing massive amounts of toothpaste from the tube and
"brushing her teeth" with her fingers, all the while asking me what she
should do about this troublesome coat of hers...."Should I ask my
manager for a new one, because someone ripped it? I just don't know
what to do!!!!!!!" A few days ago, I was getting a bagel from Dunkin
Donuts, and a lady in front of me ordered 2 toasted wheat bagels with
cream cheese. As the employee was putting them through the toaster, she
started freaking out, and saying that it wasn't what she ordered. I
stepped in as her advocate and translator. (The guys working there
couldn't really speak English that well...) and finally got her calmed
down. I've been in Boston when our governor (now Presidential
candidate) was being interviewed by the news, and I got to hear him
speak. I got to meet Robert Muller, director of the FBI, sing the
national anthem for a prize for a traveling singing group, etc, etc.
There are just so many random, fun things that happen. Here are some
pictures I shot with my camera phone the other day:
Boston Harbor--I was about an hour early for work, and got to sit by the harbor
while the city was still quiet and peaceful. Lunchtime is a different story. :)
The Fanueil Hall Marketplace is always "wicked" (Boston word for really)
busy. There's always something going on. Here's a street mime that had
gathered a huge crowd.
Every summer, Boston has a "Haymarket" a huge area of TONS of cheap
fruit, veggies, bagels, pizza slices for $1, "Freshly Killled Goat meat" --hehe..
no thanks, Indian spices, Spanish specialty foods and more...
I was there to pick up some cheap fruit for my mom. :)
Anyway, just a little peak into my cool life. I love this city, so anytime anyone wants to visit me,
you're more than welcome! Other than that, life is good--but CRAZY!!! I'm working full time, and
finishing up a few classes, and doing my internship, so things are insane, but I'm loving life and the
summer! yeah!
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| NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND
Kath,
Ames and I headed down to Newport, RI for the day last Saturday...SO SO
MUCH FUN! It's great being single and having a car. Newport is famous
for it's HUGE mansions, the ocean (of course), the great lighthouses,
and the really cool little shops. It was just such a random and
spontaneous trip filled with awesome memories....hehe...
First picture of the day....Amy in front of an outhouse with a mansion in the background
The beginning of the cliffwalk...I think we ended up walking about "20 miles"
(that's what some random guy at a Dunkin' Donuts told us....riiiiight.)
One of the MANY cool mansions...these were the summer homes of big wigs such
as Rockafeller, etc, etc
Inside a little tunnel that went under one of the houses on the cliffwalk
Yep, I definitely need a MAAAAJOR tan.....:)
Me and Ames, waiting for our falafels (where we were supposed to get a
20 percent student discount, but that didn't happen...oh well)
Having fun in a store...again
Ok, yeah, we're dorks!
On the pier at night.....kindof sunburnt, but unfortunately, it didn't last! :(
Kath and I contemplating the harshness of life, after being denied passage
free of charge on a dinner cruise....;_) As typical poor college students, we
tried to see what we could do to get on an evening cruise either really really cheap
or free. Charming the sailors didn't quite work, so we just settled for watching
and eating expensive ice cream transported from Maine, sold by a guy that we
had to wait for because he was in the bathroom...we were just praying he washed his hands!
There's light at the end of the tunnel!!!! what a perfect day!
CUTE......
Sorry these pictures are not all labeled. I'm not a xanga formatting expert by any means...:)
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| WARNING: Boring
post below. Read at your own risk. Side effects may include heavy
eyelids, deeper breathing, and sudden spurts of drool flowing out
of your mouth. Scroll past post for cool pictures if you like!
JOB UPDATE:
I know some of you were wondering
what the status with my potential job is/was: I applied for a position
as a Criminal Intelligence Analyst for the Federal Gov under a program
called HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area). This agency works
with the FBI, DEA, ATF, as well as state and local police to combat
drug trafficking in the New England area. Anyway, it was incredible,
because one of the job requirements was that you had to have at least 2
years in the intelligence field--which is a far stretch for me. Yes,
I've been interning at the FBI since September, but even then, not all
I do is analytical work. So....they asked me to come in for an
interview, hence the interview pictures in my last post. :) I was
unprepared for what awaited me there.......it was a panel interview!!!!
3 guys (the head of New England HIDTA, the senior Intelligence Analyst
for the Boston FBI and a DEA official) sat on one side of the table
while I nervously sat on the other. I felt like I presented myself
well, but also that the interview revealed my lack of experience for
this job. (It would involve gathering and analyzing intelligence for
state and local law enforcement agencies, giving press briefings, and
briefings to law enforcement personnel, and writing threat assessment
reports!!! Scary stuff, but good experience!)
I didn't think I would hear back from them, knowing that they would
probably find someone with WAY more experience than myself. But a few
days after the interview, they called back and offered me the job!! It
was an unbelievable INCREDIBLE honor to have been offered that job! I
told them I would get back with them in a few days and let them know.
The next few days after that were the most AGONIZING ever.....for some
reason, I've never been so torn up over a decision. People told me that
if I took this job, I could basically move onto any other kind of
intelligence, including counterterrorism and counterintelligence, which
is eventually what I want to do. But for some unexplainable reason (and
honestly guys, I'm not trying to sound like a martyr) I just didn't
have the peace of the Lord. For 3 days I WRESTLED with God, and asked
that if He didn't want me to have this job, that He would provide a
definite sign. My desire for this job overpowered my faith to just
trust a "feeling". As I was transferring all my credits into Thomas
Edison, they called me and said that there were about 15 credits that
they wouldn't accept. I called and talked them into at least accepting
6 of those. It was down to the wire. With about 3 hours before I had to
call and let them know my decision, I still was torn. I had an inward
feeling that for some reason the Lord didn't want me to take this job.
I had this feeling that there was some sort of unknown danger involved
if I took it, but wasn't sure if my fears were rational or not. I was
on the couch just sobbing and crying out to the Lord to help me. Now,
typically I'm not this "rhema" sort of a person--sometimes I think that
people overdo it too much--like, "Oh, I read in Psalm 88:5 and feel
like this is what the Lord wants me to do..." but that day I felt to
open up to Hebrews 11, and started reading. When I got to the verse
that said, "By faith Noah, having been divinely instructed regarding
things not yet seen, and being moved by pious fear.." the Lord, said,
THis is it. You have been divinely instructed. I knew that I couldn't
take the job, and it was the hardest thing to have to call HIDTA back
and let them know. I felt like the Lord was telling me to obey first
and understand later. It's not one of those perfect testimonies, like
"And then I made the decision, and the peace, joy and satisfaction I
experienced was overwhelming--GOd's grace is sufficient." It was the
hardest thing I've ever had to do, and I wrestled with the Lord, during
the decision and even after. I know that the Lord will provide another
job--something even better. I'm not trying to sound like some
self-pitying martyr, but to those of you who were wondering, I just
wanted to give you an update.....:)
Right now, I'm trying to finish up school, interning still with the FBI
(I went to the initial appearance for some pimps in a big prostitution
ring who were busted by SWAT yesterday) and working at the Kids'
League. I'm planning on furiously applying to different governmental
agencies within the next couple months. Right now, the FBI doesn't
really have any openings for what I want to do. One thing that I've
been thinking about is a Victim Witness Specialist, either with the FBI
or through the District Attorney's office. This would fulfill my love
of working with people, yet would'nt fulfill my dream of busting
terrorists 
***Side note: Rachel posted wondering what a victim witness specialist does. Here are some of their duties, just for more info: http://buffalo.fbi.gov/victimwitness.htm
Anyway, I hope that didn't bore you guys to tears, but just wanted to
update on what's been going on in my lovely neck of the woods, which I
HOPE YOU CAN ALL COME AND VISIT!!!
so it's a toss up! PRAY that the Lord would give me wisdom in where to apply, what to pursue more, etc.
NOW WHAT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR.....MORE PICTURES.......A
few weeks ago, they took all the FBI interns out to the FBI firing
range on an old military base. It was a "blast" --haha--literally!
Nothing like telling the agent who was instructing me that "oh ya, my
uncle used to be a firearms instructor, so I shouldn't be too bad!" and
then not doing too great.
Boston FBI interns with part of the SWAT team......(although they look happy
in this picture, you should have seen their faces as we approached them for a picture--
they STARED us down.....ahhh!!!)
They're standing in front of the only "live fire house in New England" They actually practice
in there with real bullets and explosives.
The SAC (Special Agent in Charge) of the Boston Field Office, giving a little
talk to everyone who was there.
I'm super glad this is NOT a close up! hehe....can you see how FEW I got in the middle?
Stephanie, Zach, Mike, Margie and Tiffany
The interns and Mike. Stephanie is from New Jersey, and just graduated and got a
job with the Philidelphia FBI field office...I miss her like crazy!
The SWAT team doing a demonstration of a hostage rescue scenario.
Me and Steph
P.S. Come to Boston!!!
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| FBI Firing Range 
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