It’s strange coming back to a place I’ve called “home” for the past two years, only to feel like a freshman all over again. I don’t know or recognize anyone on campus. That might be a mild exaggeration, but returning to Georgetown to find it devoid of almost the entire Class of 2014 was quite the shock. It appears that I’m officially a proud member of the select few at Georgetown who aren’t going abroad during their college career.
I didn’t notice how dominant the study-abroad culture was here until the end of last year, when I realized that I wouldn’t be seeing most of my friends for the next eight months. A lot of students go abroad in the fall so as not to miss some of the more important events that occur in the latter half of the school year—basketball season, Georgetown Day, etc. Looking at friends’ pictures on Facebook of their travels in far-off places, which cover almost every continent, has caused some pangs of jealousy. Still, I can’t say I regret choosing to stay on the Hilltop—after all, as an international student, my four years at Georgetown basically are my study abroad experience.
When my friends were applying for and discussing study abroad options, my roommate and I decided that we would have our own domestic semester and fully experience the city while everyone was away. I’ve lived in D.C. for two years, and am embarrassed to say that I have yet to venture outside my comfort zones of Georgetown and the area around the National Mall. This semester, I have vowed to take advantage of all the city has to offer and get out of the Georgetown bubble at least once every week.
It seems that every time I talk to a real person (read: adult), I am told to savor these years of youth in college, when we have few responsibilities, because the real world sucks. This summer, I took this advice quite literally, and refused to do any sort of activity that could be constituted as ‘real’ work—although I did get my driver’s license and read Anna Karenina. I realized that the freedom I have now will be coming to an end all too soon, never to be regained.
I have already wasted too many hours of my life these past two years watching TV on my laptop in my dorm room instead of going outside and exploring my surroundings. This fall, instead of sending straight to trash those weekly emails I subscribed to from various cultural organizations in D.C. before I moved here, I’m going to start actually reading them and going to the events advertised.
Instead of walking down to Chipotle when I’m craving Mexican food, I’m going to head to Columbia Heights for some tacos from a real taqueria. Or I could even try one of the many cuisines offered in D.C. restaurants, like Ethiopian or Lebanese. Instead of going shopping for the hundredth time on M Street, I’ll take the bus to Dupont to browse the bookstores and art galleries there, and maybe have coffee at a place that isn’t Starbucks or Saxby’s. Maybe I’ll actually start going to all the outdoor movies, jazz concerts, and rooftop pool parties I keep reading about and retrospectively wish I had checked out.
And this “domestic semester” is not limited only to the District — for excursions fairly close to home, there are beaches near to us, while the summer weather still holds out. Rumor has it, Old Town Alexandria is supposed to have some beautiful architecture. Having recently finished watching all five seasons of The Wire, maybe I’ll go up to Baltimore and tour the city. Or maybe we’ll make the trek to colonial Williamsburg for an entertaining history lesson. If I don’t do it now, when else in my life am I going to have the energy and time to dedicate to exploring an area as wide as the DMV?
I’ve had plans since the summer before freshman year to become, or be able to act like, a local Washingtonian by the time I graduate, but school and other things, like plain old laziness, have gotten in the way. With only two more years left in Washington, I think it’s about time to get off campus. And hopefully, by the time everyone is reunited on campus for senior year, I’ll be able to navigate the city like a native of the District of Columbia.
