Washington DC

Four score and seven years ago...well, actually just last week, I enjoyed living and breathing American politics and history, and also meeting up with three of my closest friends from our Sweden exchange group in Washington DC!

Kelli, my American friend from Sweden, now lives and works in Washington DC, so for the first few days in DC after meeting up together, we enjoyed being able to hang out again and relive old memories and catch up on new times! With her friends, we road-tripped out to Virginia one day to the Virginia Wine festival. This was a wine festival with a typical American fair atmosphere, so I really felt like I was in the USA! I ate fried dough and even got to hold some antique rifles! Although the Virginian wine had nothing on Australia’s, we still all managed to purchase several bottles to take home…

Feeling like a true American, holding my first gun...

While Kelli worked and I awaited the arrival of Jorrit, my good Dutch friend from Sweden, his housemate Edwin, and Hazel, another American girl from Sweden, I explored DC. I learnt a lot about American and DC history thanks to the Hop On Hop Off bus!

Washington DC is not actually a State in America, it is a ‘District of Columbia'. George Washington formed this district when he was the first American President and it was to be an area for politicians to meet from around the country. Obviously, as time progressed, people settled here and are now residents. However, residents of Washington DC still have no vote, so there is a disgruntled sentiment and unofficial motto used by DC residents, even on their number plates - ‘Taxation without representation’. DC is still however a very transient district, with the majority of professionals working for government departments, many of which come and go throughout the week.

I visited several monuments and some of DC’s free museums.

The commanding Capitol Building

The massive Abraham Lincoln Memorial - which is also where Martin Luther King gave his ‘I have a dream’ speech

View towards to Washington Monument from the Lincoln Memorial

Check out the American flags - talk about patriotism!

DC has a population that is 55% African American. Kelli told us DC is referred to as a ‘chocolate coated marshmallow’ – the city is very attractive, clean and safe, however, the outskirts are quite poor and dangerous. DC has one of the highest crime and murder rates in America and some of the stories I heard freaked me out a little! Kelli and her housemates live in an all-black neighbourhood, but in a really nice house. When I was walking to the metro those first few days by myself, it was the first time that I really felt like a minority. I think this was a good experience for me to have, as many people experience this feeling on a daily basis! And not once was I approached or felt unsafe, in actual fact most people were friendly, but just very different to life back in Freemans Reach and Bondi Australia!

When the Dutch Duo arrived, I had mastered the DC metro system, so we visited more monuments together, including the White House. I had always imagined the White House to be positioned on large acreage, just outside the city, but instead it is smack bang in the middle of the city! Unbelievable, imagine the security this would require! The are snipers on the roof of the White House 24 hrs - apparently if you enter the lawns of the White House, security will chase and tackle you as a first measure, however, if you have a backpack on, the snipers are allowed to shoot you! Word on the street was Mr George W Bush was in 'da house during our visit!

Me and the Dutch

One of many snipers on the roof of the White House

Many parts of Washington DC have an ‘old english’ feel about it, the bars and pubs are all quite conservative and classic. I really loved Georgetown. Not only did this area have gorgeous shops to browse through, but the area is so pretty with flower pots that line the streets, old colonial style houses and buildings and cobbled streets.

DC was a really interesting place and was good to be able to learn a bit more about American history and politics, especially on the eve of a very historical time, not only for the USA, but for the world. It was also so much fun to be able to hang out with my mates from Sweden again. Despite not seeing each other for a few years, the friendships picked up from where they were left. We were all definitely pumped to hit New York together!!