Last Day in Washington DC

"WHERE AM I? THIS ISN'T MY PILLOW." Those were the thoughts that ran through my head once I woke up to the "melodic" sound of my alarm. Waking up at 8AM was a huge challenge, since most of us went to bed at 4AM. 

Washington Monument from the National Mall.

We ate at a small breakfast buffet offered by the Holiday Inn Hotel. The food was alright but nothing truly special. I had myself the usual breakfast of eggs, bacon, fruits, a few potatoes, and some orange juice. The results of sleep deprivation were clear while we ate. Our breakfast was really quiet, there was barely any conversation. The only mouth movement that occurred was the chewing movement every second. 

About thirty minutes later, we boarded a shuttle headed towards the national mall. Unlucky for us, the shuttle had very few seats and we were forced to stand during the whole bumpy ride. Just like the descent during the plane ride, the shuttle ride was uncomfortable as well. All the sharp turns and sudden stops had us all moving around like a bunch of tennis balls. We arrived at the National Mall and trudged through the smoldering humidity all the way towards the National Museum of American History.

Front of the National Museum of American History

A huge replica of the American Flag that flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 hangs proudly from the museum as seen in the picture above. Entering into the museum was almost as similar as entering the pearly gates of Heaven. Why so? Not only was it due to the amount if interesting historical artifacts, but it was also due to the fact that the air conditioning was on full blast.

We were able to secure a tour of the highlights of the  for free with a New Yorker named Andrew! During the tour we were able to see many interesting aspects of our nation's history. Out of all the many exhibits, I found the American War Exhibit the most interesting. There were old muskets from many of the older 19th Century American Wars but what I found most interesting was George Washington's military uniform.

The actual uniform worn by America's first president.

Our tour lasted for about an hour and a half. Andrew was an excellent guide who took us through many aspects of American history from the Civil War to the Industrial Revolution, Andrew was able to provide interesting information all with an awesome sense of history humor.

Once we finished up with the museum, we headed off towards Georgetown University! 

Healy Hall

Upon our arrival at Georgetown at around 2:30PM, we entered into a small lecture room where the information session part of the tour commenced. The lights dimmed and a young lady came to the podium and gave us information that pertained to the history of Georgetown University, alums, the four schools they offered, and the admissions process. I have to say, although the information she gave was really informative, the overall presentation was kind of boring. I don't know if it was because of the robotic rhythm of her voice or because of the dimmed air conditioned room, we were all on the verge of falling asleep.

Our day at Georgetown University continued with a tour by Georgetown student, Matt! Matt lead us to the many interesting aspects of Georgetown that made up its unique symbolism. Georgetown has a uniquely beautiful campus that conveys that majestic castle feeling. The historic background behind Georgetown is also really interesting since it is one of America's oldest academic institutions. 

The design of each building was astounding. Each building had it's own personal style which adds to the diversity of the campus. You can have uniquely designed buildings like Healy Hall and then next be surrounded by a building as ugly as Georgetown's library. 

What I loved most about Georgetown University was its four schools: the McDonough School of Business, Walsh School of Foreign Service, Graduate School of Arts and Science, and the School of Medicine.

View from the balcony of a dorm

We got back to the hotel to get ready for our dinner with some alums from Georgetown University. We left the hotel at exactly 6:30 and arrived at the City Tavern Club around ten minutes later. There we were greeted by Georgetown alum and Georgetown Club President Sean Redmond. Sean gave us some background info about the exclusive club like how James Madison would hold meetings in the floor above us. Another alum, Chris Fisk, arrived along with his friend Josi, who is also a Georgetown alum.

Chris Fisk and I quickly started to chat it up as both Chris and I were interested in the realm of domestic politics. Since Chris himself was a political science major, I let him know about my aspirations to major in political science and upon hearing this Chris told me about the wonderful opportunities that Georgetown offered in the field of political sciences. The information that Chris told me was so persuasive, I think I might want to apply to Georgetown to try my luck!

After a phenomenal dinner filled with steaks and crab cakes, Sean gave us a tour of the cabin. It was really interesting to learn that the CTC was a hot spot for prominent figures in Washington DC. The tavern is so historic that it was able to host some of our Founding Fathers. Each room in the tavern had its own unique design that gave out that "nowhere else like home" feeling.

Then it was done. Our full day had ended at around 10:30 when we got back to the hotel. Washington, DC is now over and it's time to move on to the Land of Brotherly Love.