Washington, DC

My mom and I have been having loads of fun in Washington this past week! We're staying in a youth hostel that is within walking distance of the capitol mall and many, many, many FREE! museums, Smithsonian and otherwise. Washington seems like a really neat place, and the history geek in me feels right at home. A week wasn't nearly enough time to do all we wanted to!

We have done quite a bit, though, including walking the mall and checking out all the memorials, visiting the Museum of Natural History, the Freer Gallery, the International Spy Museum, Mount Vernon, and the Holocaust Memorial Museum. I also got to spend a couple nights going to concerts with my good friend Sam from Grinnell, who is here with some other Grinnellians doing an internship and taking classes for the semester. Great fun!

Some photos- James McNeill Whistler's Peacock Room at the Freer Gallery, the Washington Memorial, my mom and I at the Lincoln Memorial, a working farm on GW's Mount Vernon estate, the back porch of the Mount Vernon mansion, shoes at the Holocaust Memorial Museum, and a funny dog Sam and I saw on a walk.








In Senegal-related news, I got an email a few days ago describing my host family! Here is all I know:
"It is a young couple. They have two children, Raïssa (1994) and Pascal (2002). Maman Binta is one of the best cookies, donuts and samussa makers (be careful if you do not want to put on weight). She sells them every evening at the entrance of the house. Papa Anicet works at Cheikh Anta Diop University."
!!!
So very exciting! I already have a pre-facbricated fib to tell the family to prevent morbid obesity from the gross overeating of donuts- namely that I have a mild allergy to sugar, and that if I eat too much of it, I'll break out in hives. (My mom says this is not too farfetched.) (Also, I feel that it's a vague enough story that I can still say that one or two pastries a day isn't "too much" sugar.)

For now, I must go finish packing, and then my mom and I both have long days of travel ahead. I probably won't have internet access for the first week of my stay, but I'll post ASAP!

PS- some people were confused about how to post comments on the blog- as far as I know, you can click on the link at the bottom of each post that says "0 comments," (or maybe "1 comments" or "29385203 comments,") write your comment, and then post using your gmail, AIM, or other accepted user name and password. I think you might be able to post as a guest, as well. Please write back!
PPS- HAPPY BIRTHDAY NORAH DEMING! xo