It would be easy for me to decide that the first 2 weeks of this program were insignificant at best.  In all honesty, my initial expectation of the time spent revolved around this idea that we would only have "orientation type stuff" to deal with - learning about what to expect in London, being given resources to look to if we ever needed assistance, and reviewing course materials.  It was not my first trip to Washington, D.C., and I truly believed I had seen all that it was worth.  Some of my family lives in the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area, so I have been visiting ever since I could remember.  However, time began to separate my visits to the area.  With the exception of the 2008 Inaugural weekend, this was my first stay in the city in a long time.  Above all else, these two weeks were truly the first time I had an opportunity to experience the city, its rich history, and the culture that make up the nation's capital.

Our class assignments could have easily been centered around pulling all-nighters with our heads in a book trying to make sense of someone else's knowledge of something that is still too far away.  That didn't happen here.  The learning environment was turned into an experience in itself.  The City Exploration Activity is a perfect example of this.  We were given this assignment with specific sites to see - Chinatown, Adam's Morgan, Dupont Circle, Capitol Hill & Eastern Market among others.  I found that my favorite area of town revolved around the U Street Corridor.  The African-American Civil War Memorial & Museum. Howard University.  Lincoln Theatre - which is where great musical legends such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, and Louis Armstrong were all regular performers.  I stood in the center of rich African-American culture - a hub - of education, entrepreneurship, and artistic expression.  It was evidence of flourishing creativity and positivity in a time of struggle.  Unfortunately, the riots had a lasting negative effect on the neighborhood and only in the most recent decade has the neighborhood begun to rebuild.

This is only a small part of the two week seminar in Washington, D.C. and only one perspective of a single experience.  The city has much more to offer.  Obviously the entire walk through the Federal district is a tourism favorite and no trip to D.C. is ever complete without it.  Yet, this too was another experience that takes you beyond the massive visual element.  If you love studying history and different cultures the way I do, your experience in the city will transform you.

Well, our group is off to London to explore another city and a hub of new cultures.  But, please enjoy the pictures from some of our tours in D.C.  ---> Click Here