Intro

A Map of DC

In DC, space is as elusive as political compromise. It exists, it's there, but you have to fight for it unrelentingly. From the moment I arrived I could feel the city closing in around me, cars and building filling my field of vision ever taller and ever closer as I approached the center. After driving four days across the wide-open United States it was so strange to see the world get small again. True to its status as the heart of the nation, DC seemed to have a quick pulse, bringing in new blood and expelling it just as quickly.


Moving to DC has been much like moving to another country. There is a new culture to become familiar with and there are new rules to follow. For example, rule one: don't go on the wrong side of the river. I know this rule because I broke it my first day when I became lost before making it to the apartment. It becomes very obvious which side of the river you are on when you cross it. This leads to the second rule: don't drive in DC unless your life depends on it, and if your life DOES depend on it, then you are in serious trouble.

Instead, it is much better to take the metro. I named this blog after the metro because it is so symbolic of this city. It's a small, cramped space yet vast in its reach. It's confusing as hell until you "get" it and even then you're guaranteed to miss your stop at some point. Its crowded with every sort of human being a person could imagine and you hav eot fight them all to earn your own small space. But, even though it's an unspoken rule that you're not supposed to talk to anyone on the metro, sometimes you strike up a conversation with a stranger who makes you think about the world in a new way, and that moment is worth everything.

People have asked me how my first few weeks have been, and I cannot deny that they have been interesting. My first week in DC there was an earthquake and a hurricane. This week it rained almost non-stop for 4 days resulting in heavy flooding. There is increased security everywhere due to a possible terrorist threat around the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11th. I've been lost more times than I care to admit, approached by a creepy stranger on the street at night, pushed while waiting in line during rush hour, and suprised more than once by a monster in my closet known colloquially as the "house centipede." Much like when I was new to Peru, I've had to relearn how to do the most basic things from transportation to grocery shopping. On the plus side, I've found at least a dozen new uses for pliers and duct tape. Needless to say, there has been a learning curve.

However, these experiences just set the stage for what has already become quite the adventure. As my roommate explained to me, someone not living in DC would describe our neighborhood as "ghetto." However, someone living here would describe it as "up-and-coming," or a "neighborhood in transition." It's all a matter of perspective. What better place for a person in the midst of a life transition to live?

There is much more to say about life in the urban jungle but I think this will suffice as an introduction. Pictures are forthcoming, I look forward to sharing my experiences with you and hearing about yours in return!

Hasta la proxima. :-)