Charleston, baby!

So I'm back in Washington from an 8-hour ride from Charleston for the debate. And I have to say that the highlight of the entire trip wasn't getting to see the Presidential Candidates again, nor going back to the Spin Room and actually knowing what I'm doing.

It's the after party.

After spending much time in the spin room and being able to take some pictures with Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Howard Dean and Obama girl, we went to the post-debate party at a former bus terminal near the city's visitor center. There were lots of food, free drinks, pool tables and lots of press people to talk to.

I was telling my fellow interns how disappointed I was that I went all that way to watch one of my journalist heroes, Anderson Cooper, moderate the debate in one building, while the rest of the media camped out in the media filing center across the Citadel campus. As we rode the bus to the party, I thought, there was no way that Anderson Cooper would be in the party, because he would be swamped all night.

Well, I never said I predicted the future.

I was hovering over the dessert table when my friend and fellow intern, Candace looked at me with wide eyes and said, "Sheena, just breathe." She didn't have to say another word. She knew how much I wanted to meet Anderson Cooper, we've been talking about him all summer. All I could say was, "Shut up, shut up!" Oh, how articulate.

I handed her my drink so it wouldn't spill because my knees buckled. Of course, she couldn't hold the drink either because she was shaking as well. We weaved through the crowd until I saw that familiar head of silver and eyes of blue. I thought, "Oh crap, no way," as my mouth said, "Shut up."

My other fellow intern, Heather, spoke to him first and told him that I wanted to meet him. He looked to the girl standing next to me and said, "Hi Sheena, it's nice to meet you." Heather then told him that I was Sheena and he shook my hand. I told him how I admired his reporting and I read his book and loved it. And then, we took this picture:

Oh, happiness. That made an eight-hour ride worth all the while.