Stop 5: WASHINGTON D.C.

"A house divided against itself cannot stand"-Abraham Lincoln

Good

DC is green and European, both things that I like. The urban planner for DC was heavily influenced by Paris, so the city is laid out in a similar fashion, as you can see by the rotundas, elongated park areas in front of the monuments, and narrow, windy streets. The city is known for its cupcakes, I’m still not sure why, but one of the shops, Georgetown Cupcakes, has its own TLC show called “DC Cupcakes.”

Bad

I consider myself an American, but I think our country has a lot of learning to do before we can really be considered a united nation. In my mind, DC was supposed to be a celebration of American people and all ways of living, but it was more of a statement about white, male, patriarchy. For example, the Lincoln Memorial is the weirdest thing I have ever seen. It is built like a Greek temple, with a white man on a pedestal wearing a business suit, with a bunch of tourists scrambling to get a picture with him…really? I felt no romantic, spiritual connection with this monument, which I believe was its intended purpose because of its similarity to a Greek temple. I'm not questioning the role of Lincoln in American history, because I do think he was an influential character. But, I am questioning the way by which his importance is displayed. I wanted to see sculptures of influential African American, Native American, Hispanic, and Asian Americans. America is supposed to be a melting pot where all different types of people are celebrated. But is America even a melting pot? I think the monuments in DC are due for an upgrade.

Crazy

I was amazed at how many people asked questions about policy and money spending. The questions asked reflected the fact that people in DC are generally up-to-date in current events and enjoy questioning the current system in order to make it better. I wonder if you would find this same trend in other capitols around the world.

 Lame

Parking ticket….it was bound to happen at some point. I didn’t have enough time to explore the Spy Museum, Crime and Punishment Museum, and Video Game Exhibit.

Quote

I am thankful to live in such a powerful country with an incredible amount of opportunity, but I think Americans could stand stronger if the divide between groups of people were sealed. We are absolutely moving in the right direction, but it amazes me at how divided social groups still seem to be, with very little intermingling. Another interpretation is how many people experience conflict between what they really want to do in life and what they are stuck doing. It's hard to stand strong when your passions are totally divided from what you spend your working life doing. I hope people build a bridge between their career path and their hobbies for the most fulfilled living situation.


Explore DC right now


Georgetown Cupcakes
http://www.georgetowncupcake.com/

Flawed Legal System: Project to free all of the innocent people in jail
http://www.innocenceproject.org/

Cowgirl Creamery
http://www.cowgirlcreamery.com/

European Sites
Personal Travel Consulting in Rome (study abroad internship project)
http://www.tourscookingandevents.com/

Euro Trip: Traveling Coin (study abroad film project)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuDUA5DT1g0&feature=relmfu

Place de la Concorde
http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Paris/Monuments-Paris/Obelisque.shtml

Victor Emmanuel Monument
http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/victoremmanuelmonument.htm