Sunset on the beach - logically this is probably a Seattle beach
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A photo of Washington, D.C. in spring. The trees are blossoming in the foreground, along with people in short sleeves crossing a street. In the background, the U.S. Capitol.

A trip to Washington, D.C., covered exclusively by Dartmouth, sounded too good to be true. But, before I knew it, I was on the Dartmouth Coach at 3:00 am on my way to Boston Logan International Airport. My whole class was giddy with excitement. Some, like me, had been to D.C. before, but some had not. When we landed in Virginia, everyone was ready to begin our adventure.

The primary reason that we were going to D.C. was to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Our class is curating an exhibit about Black theater for Rauner Special Collections Library on campus, as well as helping think through some future exhibits at the anticipated African American Museum of Performing Arts in Chicago. Needless to say, we needed some inspiration.

Given my love of museums and D.C., I decided to set out to explore while the rest of the class rested at the hotel. I started at the National Portrait Gallery and saw portraits of the Obamas (among others). Then, I decided to head to the National Gallery of Art. I was FLOORED by this gallery. It was so, so beautiful! I loved seeing all of the greenery in and around the museum; it made me even more excited to see spring colors arrive in Hanover.

An indoor grotto featuring an archaic fountain. Trees and natural light frame the picture, with the fountain in the center. Big columns are in the back, making the structure look very formal.
I mean, come ON! The Natural Gallery of Art is so, so beautiful!

After eating some lunch, I met back up with the group at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (our main goal of the trip). It was so special to explore the museum with people who care about Black history as much as I do.

For dinner, we met up with the creators of the African American Museum of Performing Arts! We had great conversations about what it means to create an effective and likable museum. Then, I headed off on my own again to visit one of my close friends who's in D.C. for college! Pretty soon, I was back in my hotel bed so I could rest before heading back to Hanover in the morning.

I am so happy to go to an college that offers students the opportunity to go on such unique adventures. I know that this is adventure the first of many!

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