First time for everything

Being the inaugural post of my new blog, Painting the Town Blue: A Semester in Washington, DC, I would like to welcome you all to the hub of top-notch Washington insight and unprecedented academic analysis... okay, so maybe I'm pushing it a bit.  Nonetheless, thanks for taking the time to read my blog and see exactly what I'm up to in our nation's capital.  For those of you who I haven't seen or spoken to in a while, let me fill you in:

I will be spending the 2012 Spring Semester in Washington, D.C. participating in a program offered at Hamilton College.  The program consists of two seminars focusing on electoral politics, an independent research project, and a full-time internship at an organization of our choice.

Through this blog, I intend to post pictures, describe various experiences, provide political commentary (although I cannot ensure complete objectivity), and, hopefully, create an outlet to stay in touch with friends, family, and folks back on The Hill.  If you like what you see, feel free to spread the word; the more followers, the more fun I have.

Three weeks and counting until departure.

Happy holidays to everyone!

Nick