The Fulbright Pre-Departure Orientation, Washington, D.C.

View of the U.S. Capital building

As a Fulbright Scholar, I attended the Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO) in Washington, D.C., in late July.  I made sure that I had an early morning flight, so was at the hotel before 10 AM.  Since the PDO did not begin until 6 PM that evening, I spent the day on the capital mall.  There was some sort of Chinese demonstration going on, but the number of tourists were manageable.  I FINALLY was able to see the Smithsonian Air and Space Musuem, a place I've wanted to see since I had a glimpse of it in 2001.

Charles Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis", Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.  I grew up on Lindbergh St. in Appleton, WI.

I also made it to the National Museum of Art (mainly to see the Gilbert Stuart portraits of the founders, especially those of George Washington) and the National Archives Museum to see the originals of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights.  The last time I was in D.C. and had time to go to the National Archives (~2006), the line was out the door!  This time, it was about a 15-20 minute wait, and well worth it to see the documents that created our form of government.  A very big deal for an early American history buff like myself!

Smithsonian Air and Space Museum

The Fulbright PDO meetings, focused on southern Europe, were very well done.  I found that information sessions that covered material in the PDO packet weren't particularly informative, but the country sessions were VERY good and worthwhile.  In the country sessions, I met all the Fulbrighters that are going to Croatia and Croatia Fulbright alumni.  The alumni provided excellent tips regarding food (its really good!), travel, housing, the issues facing faculty in Croatian Universities, best modes of transportation, must see locations in Croatia, and so on.  Additionally, just meeting all the scholars, English teaching assistants, and students was truly awe inspiring.  Fulbrighters are a really passionate group of people, and the students in particular were incredibly impressive with their understanding of the world and empathy for people in southern Europe region.  The PDO was both a humbling and exciting experience!