Week One

The District of Columbia has welcomed us with wide open arms. Nothing more representative of the summer weather than moving into the GW apartment in a rainy and humid afternoon. Maneuvering with the group through the metro system, learning to avoid looking like a tourist by understanding that on the escalator, standing is on the ride side and walking on the left. Yet, everything that has happened this week has been a unique and enriching adventure.

NIST surpass any expectation. I can go on and on about how astonishing the facilities are; to me, it is the Disney world for science. But more importantly, the people that I counter every day has proved the passion that D.C. has that attracts success. Everyone at the facility shares the same passion for research and are always welcome to talk about any research. On the shuttle so far, I have learned about particle physics, 2-D structures, and crystallization. However, it has also humbled me to sit down and realized how lucky I am to be working amongst them.

Both my research group and the SPS community have made this week unforgettable. To be able to see the personal side Cathy and her family, as they welcomed us into their home, was far beyond the best event this week. Cathy made us feel at home, in a place far from home. She let us help set the table, get drinks, and play with her dog, Max. She conversed with us individually, learning that she’s studying Spanish while hope to visit Machu Picchu someday. Throughout the week, but especially that day, the SPS interns got a chance to feel like a family with the care and support from Brad, James, and the SPS Committee.

We concluded this amazing week at the outreach event, Astronomy on the Mall. Here we not only show our passion and interest for physics, we were all filled with joy seeing other people enjoying it as much as we do. From the astonishment of an adult playing with LED light and defragment glasses, the many puzzled faces of looking at the upside down world through Galileo's telescope, to the mesmerized giant eyes of children learning about the motion of the universe, there was a glow of happiness in everyone’s eyes.

D.C. has and will make a positive impact in each of our lives. I cannot wait to see what week two has for us.