Staging in Washington DC

Due to the distance, I had to arrive a day early in Washington DC. My plane departed at 7:50 in the morning. I slept on and off for two hours as I listened to the Symphonies of the Planets and then studied Albanian for the rest of the flight. As I checked into the hotel, another guest walked in with two large bags, which were obviously not meant for casual travel. She recognized the same with my luggage and that's how I met my first fellow Albanian volunteer. She previously served as a health volunteer in Turkmenistan and has been living in Oregon since.

For dinner, we went to a nearby place, Justin's Cafe, where I had a disappointing bowl of butternut squash soup. It's my fault because I hadn't anticipated it being so sweet. Every bite had to be chased with a gulp of water. However, I'm glad I tried it and will beware in the future.

Between checking in and dinner, I snapped this quick selfie/self-portrait. (I'm sorry Nick). It seems appropriate to begin with at least one picture at time zero.