Steph Drahozal

Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. We always host at my Dad’s house in Herndon, so it’s nice to not have to travel too far. It’s a holiday filled with family, friends, food, drinks, and games - what more could you ask for? We’ve added a few traditions over the past few years, one of them being a morning Turkey Trot. We run in the Ashburn Farm 10K/5K which benefits the continued education for Ugandan children who live in poverty. The first year we all ran the 10K, and then realized that was a bit aggressive. This year we all took it down a notch and ran the 5K, but hey it still made me feel a lot better about all the carbs I was about to consume. Melissa and Tom and the boys were able to join us before they headed to Melissa’s dad for Thanksgiving (bummed not to have them with us for the dinner portion for the first time in years!), and we got to run alongside the adorable boys in their jogger. After the run, we made ham and egg bagel thin sandwiches with...

On November 9, 2016, Donald Trump was elected as the next President of the United States. On that Wednesday, the feeling that overwhelmed me was shock. I was confident that Hillary would win. I thought it was going to be a close race, but I thought she was going to pull it off. And so did most of America. Commuting into DC that morning, the metro was quiet. The city was solemn. We were ready to celebrate the first female President. We were ready to see that glass ceiling shattered. My heart immediately went out to those with disabilities, the LGBTQ community, minorities and women. I couldn't stop thinking about the disappointment and fear they must be feeling. That morning my colleagues and I gathered in our office kitchen to watch Hillary give her concession speech. I was surrounded by people in disbelief, distress, and tears. A lot has been said about this election, and especially over this past week. With that being said, I don’t feel the need to talk too much...