Washington, D.C.

My second and final stop before heading to Russia is Washington D.C. Here, I am staying with my aunt Tania and uncle Vadim and their beautiful baby boy Lucas Anthony. Lucas Anthony is so smart and playful - I even taught him to give "Hi-Fives"! However, he seems to always get sick when I'm around. His teeth are growing in and they're causing him severe pain as well as a fever for some bizarre reason...(but I think that he actually gets sick because of me). He is wonderful, though, and so smart for his age - 1 year, 1 month. 

During my two-day stay here in DC, I'm am visiting a few universities to see if I would be interested in applying and possibly transferring to them in the fall. So on my first full day, Saturday, Vadim and I take off and visit all three. 

First is George Mason University. Located on the suburban outskirts of Washington DC, the campus is vast and new. Certainly a car would be needed to commute since the campus is so large and isn't situated near a metro stop. The student center, the only open building on the weekend, is very modern, inviting, and diverse in the sense that it houses a lot - various eateries, offices, and even the library. We talk to the two girls working at the front desk of the admissions office and ask for information about the Psychology Department. Though they don't know much, they give me a number I can call; but I have already done my research and I know that of the three universities that I am visiting, this one has the most appropriate program for me based on what I'm looking for - psychology tightly intertwined with education. 

Our next stop is American University, just outside downtown Washington D.C. but still in quite an urban area with the metro stop just about a block away and several bus stops directly on campus. As soon as we walk onto campus, I get a whiff of the wealth and prestige this university enjoys - the buildings are beautiful, professional landscaping is evident, and everything is clean and sophisticated. This is the class of universities that I always envisioned attending. The campus itself, I happily notice, is a unitary closed campus, which gives it the necessary feel of a true university. As for the education aspect, the psychology major is very much suited for my needs and many education-related minors are offered to enrich the program of the major alone. This university, from what we gathered, is wonderful and fairly fitting to what I am looking for in a higher-level education setting. The one thing, I wonder, is what the students here are like.

Finally, we drive just about five minutes into the heart of downtown Washington D.C. and arrive at George Washington University. This extremely urban campus consists of 4 by 4 blocks of the city with cars driving though it at all times. Though the university buildings do differ slightly from those of the non-academic buildings, this campus is very well integrated into the city and there is a metro stop right on campus. We stop off for a cup of Starbucks coffee (Katya - I need your partner number to get discounts!!) and then continue on to the Admissions Building, which turns out to be a massive multi-story building with a regal façade and elegant interior. Nearly all of it is closed since it is a weekend, but the information desk is open so I ask the girl working there for any information she may have. Turns out she, too, is a transfer student who just transferred this year and is currently a Junior studying Political Science. The university itself has a high inclination to political science, international relations, economics...that sort of thing, she explains. Makes sense - being in the heart of the US's major political city, there are infinite opportunities to work along side politicians and participate within the government. Though this is not at all what I am interested in, it would be an intriguing supplement to my education - one that I highly need because I am not knowledgable in the realm of politics or government whatsoever. My major, however, is not that much better than it is at my own university right now. The only perceived improvement is that it is a BA program, focusing less on the science-y in-lab aspect of the BS program and focusing more on the human-relation in-field aspect of it. I'm sure living in the heart of the city would open many doors for me to intern in the field.

Once our college touring was over (I thought mine would be over my Junior/Senior year of high school...), we headed over to Wagman's - the most amazing supermarket I have ever visited. Similar to Whole Foods, but cheaper and with more variety. They really need to make more of those. There, we purchased some food, wine, and balloons for our dinner with the Zhukovs' that evening. Celebrating Masha's 20th birthday, catching up with one another, and Skyping home created a fantastic evening. (And Masha got me addicted to BBC's Sherlock. SO GOOD. Two words: British Accent.)

On my last day in Washington DC, Vadim drove me around and showed me more of the area. I finally got to see the White House in person - so disappointing and much smaller than I thought it was. But then we visited downtown Alexandria, which was remarkable! Water-front, reminiscent of a mixture of downtown Los Gatos/Palo Alto/Santa Cruz, the cute small shops and historic architecture took my breath away. If we had any more time (and it wasn't too cold), I would have loved to spend the whole evening walking around, admiring the area, and dining at a seafood restaurant. Next time! Instead, we drove back home to spend time with Tania and Lucas Anthony. Vadim made a mouth-watering dinner and I watched my first 3D movie on their high-tech new tv. Tania also gifted me a warm and super fuzzy jacket as well as a Kipling backpack - now I am certainly set for Russia!

Finally, the next morning time came to depart for Russia - a nine and a half hour nonstop flight from IAD. I had a wonderful time in D.C. and as of right now, I would really love to transfer to a school here and live either with or nearby Tania and Vadim. Guess I should start applying....

But for now, off to my final destination (for now): Moscow, Russia.