Quatsch

"My ancestor, King George IV, founded that University. And the bus you're talking about hasn't run in years."

Many times, talking to strangers can be a great way to get directions in an unfamiliar city. This is what my Midwestern roots told me as I walked out of the Rosslyn Metro Station in Washington DC. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me rewind.

Being the techno-savvy 20-something that I am, I Googled directions from Reagan Airport to Georgetown University before I left. The last 3 miles, Google said, I would have to walk myself with 55 lbs of luggage. This was clearly unacceptable. I searched around and found out that Georgetown runs a free shuttle bus to the nearest subway station. I figured this knowledge would be enough to get me to my destination fairly quickly. I was right...more or less.

Ok, restart.

I walk out of Rosslyn Metro Station and immediately see mounds of construction. I realize that this could derail my whole plan, so I go back into the station to get some water and ask directions to be sure. I set my luggage down and spot an older lady in the area. She says, to no one in particular, "Two more minutes and I'll leave without her." I'll admit right now that I'm a terrible judge of character...and mental health. But, I rationalize, Rain Man can give awesome directions; maybe she can too. I ask her across the room, "Do you know the best way to get to Georgetown University from here?"

What followed was a speech that lasted nearly as long as my flight to DC and covered all topics ranging from Obamacare to the (alleged and mistaken) closing of American University to this woman's (alleged and mistaken) family history with Georgetown University. She suggested I walk or take a tangle of "red buses" to get "near there." To clarify, I asked her about this shuttle I'd heard of and I got the opening quote for this post as a response. I thanked (cursed) her and left. I was unconvinced, but I decided that a native, even a crazy one, probably knew more than me about public transit. I started walking to get my bearings and trying to find this "red bus."

As I meandered I saw this woman no less than three more times. She didn't recognize me. This, right here, should have made me doubt her mass transit advice. At this point I was getting a little frustrated, it was approaching 105° and I was hungry, so I starting walking toward a nearby McDonalds, and be damned if I didn't stumble on that Georgetown shuttle! On the shuttle I met Sergio, who I learned was a cosmetologist from Tuscon. He will also be joining me in Germany. I had made two friends already!

The rest of the day has been tiring. Mostly lectures on the State Department, Germany, and alumni of the program. There are a lot of faces to memorize, but I'm doing well. Tomorrow should be more relaxed especially since it's a half day.

Today's German word is an interjection that means "nonsense" or "bullshit" and you should use if after someone tells you that Georgetown doesn't run a shuttle bus.