The ISH garden looks best in the summertime. This has been my last summer here at International Student House.  After my stay for more than two years, the day has come to say goodbye to this beautiful place. I have thought about it many times and I wondered what made ISH such a happy place? What aspects of ISH can I take with me to recreate the same happiness?

I decided to interview fellow residents (mostly long timers) to find out what made ISH so special for them.

Here are some of my favorites:

“ISH gives you the option to stay alone if you chose to and slide into any group whenever you want to. This fluidity clearly is unique, because the outside world is either solitary or communal.”

“There is a greater level of tolerance within the ISH community. Due to the model of prolonged stay (at least a month), we tend to forgive and forget quickly.”

“A legacy of kindness exists. When you come here new, someone more experienced would assist you. Then you are reminded of the same thing when someone new arrives and[you] help out the new resident. This becomes a chain of kindness passed over from semester to semester.”

 

I also feel a very important aspect of ISH living is to focus more on our similarities than our differences.  After several discussions, it became clear that even among different opinions, the core beliefs of community, love and family stay the same.

In a hugely diverse community like ISH, the topic of race comes up occasionally. I remember this conversation about racism once. We unanimously agreed that anytime anyone assumes supremacy based on something that the person was born with (color, financial status, parental status, etc.) it falls close to the category of racism. I find that in ISH, over a period of time, we are taught to overlook these differences and begin to connect to the human identity.

Usually, over the stay, your original identity of nationality soon becomes something cool you are known for. For example, if someone was ‘Fernando from Ecuador’ at the beginning of the stay, towards the end, he would be ‘Fernando who loves ketchup’, or Chris becomes ‘Chris who has a particular affection for minions’. You become known as ‘Jakub the amazing violinist’, or an articulate writer, an intriguing storyteller, the resident mother, the improvisational comedian or a scientist. You will be known for what you are instead of where you are from or what you do. Isn’t it a Utopian concept for a perfect world; where your color or nationality or your gender is not your first point of identification? This is what ISH teaches you, apart from the many other lessons you receive. To see another person for what he/she is.

As one of my favorite fellow residents, (who is an idealist like many of us here) mentioned a few days ago, “After staying in ISH for such a long time, it feels like we have graduated from a very prestigious university and now it is our responsibility to take what we have learned here and use it for the betterment of the outside world.”

Of the millions of students around the world, I was one among the many to experience this privilege. I am very thankful to ISH which also encompasses  our  ever enthusiastic Board Members, Executive Director Tom O Coin, our Resident Managers Bob and Jen; Jill, David, Katie and all other equally important staff members who work together to ensure that the brand of ISH stays.

Goodbye ISH and good luck to all the current and future residents. ISH will change your life, if you let it.

Americans around the world recently celebrated the 4^th of July, a monumental day marking the country’s independence. The festivities and fireworks inspired me to reflect on moments that have signified shifts in my own understanding of both independence and interdependence.

In America, we often equate independence with freedom. Nevertheless, we frequently cultivate relationships with other foreign powers in order to protect and promote our interest, chief among them being what Americans like to refer to as fundamental freedoms (check out the U.S. constitution in general or the Bill of Rights in particular for further information). When examined closely, we come to notice that these international relationships are built upon mounds of mutually beneficial agreements and intricate webs of interdependence.

Imagine if America was completely independent. Free of any foreign connections of any kind. In such an increasingly connected world the thought is nearly inconceivable. The extreme end of independence whereby the nation can become entirely self-sufficient is even economically unrealistic when considering concepts such as scarcity and specialization. All nations are interdependent in some capacity whether it is related to trade, security or global development.

I fervently believe that the aspects that make America such a dynamic and resilient nation often reside at the nexus of community and diversity. Each day one can witness new relationships blossoming at the International Student House. Residents often rely on each other for advice and assistance on a wide range of issues. The house undeniably serves as a microcosm of a global community where individuals worldwide take pride in reliable relationships that allow both involved parties to realize their aspirations.

Next year on the 4^th of July I intend to celebrate the progress of this great nation. However, I will also strive to consider the contributions that other nations have made that continue to strengthen the character and capacity of this country. I will remember the sacrifices of soldiers and diplomats working to provide and preserve peace around the world as countries in conflict fight over various variations or interpretations of freedom and independence. I will not only celebrate the day we were declared independent but also all of the unacknowledged days where we demonstrate our interdependence as proud contributors to  a growing and glowing global community.

This Saturday the best thing to do in DC was to stay indoors. The rain was pouring down and while the dreary feeling embraced the city, a warm and cozy feeling filled the indoors. It was time to make the most of this weather and ISH was the perfect setting. In a rainy day like that, we all (about fifty of us) gathered together under one roof – literally. It was time for talent night in ISH.

The night began with an exhibition of one of the resident’s paintings, with classical music as a backdrop. After this visual treat, music was next on the menu.

An American resident had the whole crowd burst into laughter when he started singing, “If you are looking for trouble, you came to the right place”. We sipped our wine as the rain fell and classy American Rock n Roll and Jazz filled the great hall.

 

After the painting and music, it was time to see some moves with traditional dance forms, which included elements of storytelling. Before the dance form began, a short explanation with valuable knowledge about the culture and history of East Timor was presented to the community. It was inspiring to hear about a nation’s struggle for freedom against many odds and its victory in 2002. The dance form represented the East Timori community’s struggles and showed us how men and women worked together as a strong team to achieve their common goal of independence and freedom.

Performances went on to include dancing and singing. Chants of “Aloha” echoed in the hall with a contagious cheer.

Rain outside, fireflies glowing amidst the raindrops of ISH garden, the art induced feel of community and togetherness inside – the visually enthralling evening was completed with delicious food and tasty wine. What could make it better?

Art, community, food and wine – life is good at ISH.

I’ve never much understood the quick hit, city-to-city-to-city method of travel. In a couple of days you can only get the barest scrape of a surface, if that. Paris, at its best, is an old, vibrant town, where ‘every street, every boulevard, is its own special art form’, as Woody Allan put it.

Yet, spend only a few days there, among the crowds, expensive tourist restaurants, street sellers and cons, it can just as easily seem like Disneyland for adults.

New York, is much the same. On first glance it might appear filthy, chaotic, deformed. Too overwhelming to take in.

When I arrived in DC, my first view was of a cold and empty place. Memories of those first few weeks are caked in a grey, jet-lagged fog. But when winter breaks, it does so almost instantaneously. A green, balmy city pops up by mid March, a technicolor wash. And I started to see the different characters of DuPont and Georgetown, of Adams Morgan and Shaw. If your focus is the monuments and the Capitol, you’ll probably miss the African restaurants, the books shops, the parks and creeks, the happy hours and brunches.

At the same time, as you get a feel for the details, you get a better sense of the differences from your home town. It’s inevitable to compare, impossible not to. There are just some things about my home, Melbourne, Australia that just can’t be replicated in DC.

For one, much as Washington might aspire to a fertile café culture, there are few, if any cities in the world that can compete with Melbourne. Back home, there is fantastic coffee, literally everywhere. In alleys and laneways, parks and boulevards, almost every nook and cranny of the city is jammed with the smell of fresh beans and tattooed baristas. This obsession stretches to the suburban main streets, even to country towns surrounding the city. And the cafes are rarely ‘coffee shops’ that do coffee and maybe a bagel if you’re lucky, like you’ll find often here in the states. There’s nothing like rolling out of bed on a Saturday morning for a flat white and a plate of poached eggs on avocado toast (and don’t get me started on American bread).

And on the subject of purchasing food, is there a country with a more convoluted system of paying for meals and drinks than this one? Sometimes sorting the bill takes longer than meal itself. Seriously America, it’s pretty simple, include the tax in the listed price and get some decent minimum wage laws so we don’t have to worry about this tipping business. And while I’m at it, I’ll never miss an opportunity to talk up the many virtues of plastic currency.

Washington has a good sporting year, with Capitals and Wizards having great seasons, and the Nationals putting together a solid first part of the baseball seasons. Yet, as a city of expats, there is certain lack of passion for the DC sporting teams. The same cannot be said of Melbourne. Outsiders may not know it, but Melbourne is actually something of a sporting Mecca. Not only do we have nine Australian rules football teams, which sometimes attract attendances of over 90,000 people, we also have host a swathe of internationally renowned events. The Australian Open is one of only four tennis Grand Slam tournaments. The Melbourne Cup is a horse race so large that it has its own public holiday and attracts entrants from all across world. The Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach is one of world’s most famous surfing events. The Boxing Day Cricket test can attract up more than 250,000 people over five days. We even have a Formula One Grand Prix.

Most starkly for, I feel like Melbourne is a diverse but also well integrated city. There are few of the racial and social disparities that might shock visitors to Washington. Homelessness, while still a problem in Melbourme, occurs at nothing like the scale you find here. Nor is there the stark racial division between those working in office jobs and in the service sector. I don’t think I’ll ever get over being in a shop or restaurant where essentially all customers are white, while all employees are black.

Finally, and as stereotypically Australian as this might be, I really miss the beach. Imagine how nice it would be if you could cool off on one of those muggy DC afternoons with a quick trip down to the beach?

Having said all of this, Washington DC has some incredibly attractive aspects. For one, it is a truly international city. There are people living and working here from all corners. It gives the city a flavour that you would be unlikely to find in other parts of the U.S. or even many parts of the world.

Not only are they far flung, they often come to work in think tanks, universities or embassies. This is a smart city, and one that is passionate about ideas. It isn’t a closed circle either. It’s incredibly easy to roll into a talk at Brookings or Heritage, to drop into a Congressman’s office or to visit an embassy.

One potentially underrated aspect of DC is the depth of its cultural. Tucked up among the vast federal departments are countless museums and galleries, many of which are free. Whatever your fancy, these institutions offer unparalleled views into the worlds of history, art and science.

And yet, Washington retains a comfortable, almost small town feel, especially compared to larger cities in the states. It is easily walkable, the height restriction on downtown buildings removes the glassy claustrophobia that tends to encase larger cities.

Europeans might disagree, but a valuable aspect for me, is the ease of travel to other cities from. Unless you fly, it is simply not possible to head up to Sydney or Adelaide for the weekend from Melbourne, unless you want to spend 20 hours of it in a car. Don’t even talk to me about trying to get anywhere interesting on a bus from Canberra.

From DC it’s incredibly easy to head up to New York, Philadelphia or Baltimore, not to mention many of the other interesting places in Virginia or Maryland. The key sites of America’s founding, and its Civil War, are often only a short trip away.

Finally, Washington is now a very active and youthful city. Not only are there thousands of young staffers on the hill, in the public sector and a constant flow of interns, there are nineteen universities or colleges in the district. From all reports DC is now fitter, younger and more exciting than it has ever been.

It’s not home, but it sure has been a nice place to spend some time.

“You don’t become a runner by winning a morning workout. The only true way is to marshal the ferocity of your ambition over the course of many day, weeks, months, and (if you could finally come to accept it) years. The Trial of Miles; Miles of Trials.”

― John L. Parker Jr., Once a Runner

There are few sports as egalitarian as running. The cost of access is negligible. The price of success is your own effort and discipline. The facilities are everywhere. We all have our own goals, our own reasons for running. And yet, we are united, as noted in the cult classic novel Once a Runner, by the ‘trial of miles’. There is, literally, no other way. You might be training for a marathon, like I am aiming for Berlin in September. You might a novice, looking to lose a little weight and get back in some shape. You might want to run a fast 5km, or a slow 10. There is only the miles of trials and the trials of miles.

And yet, we must admit that some places are better habitats for runners than others. Washington D.C., as the winter rolls over into spring, is a joyful place to grind out miles.  Winter running, especially in the north east of the United States, is hard work. The most determined of us, those who actually do make it outside amongst the sleet and snow, are wrapped in all kinds of strange gear. Face masks, gloves, beanies, leggings, jackets, compression tops. But the only other option is spending hours a week on the monotonous ‘dreadmill’. Sometimes 30 minutes meticulously rugging up for a 45 minute run seems worth it. As you might imagine, after a few months of hellish winter, spring is really something else.

Right now, the cherry blossoms are out in force down at the Mall and the Tidal Basin. A nice route is to scoot down by the Potomac, past the Kennedy Centre and then along the Mall down to the Jefferson Memorial. Weekends are getting busy, however, so this is probably best attempted on a nice weekday morning. Even for non-morning people like myself, the early quiet of an area normally teeming with people is well worth it. For variation, you can cross the river a little earlier and head up the gates of the National Cemetery at Arlington. Or, you could do repeat laps of the ellipse behind the White House, or laps of the Reflecting Pool. There is almost no end to the places that you can both run and feel you’re in an episode of The West Wing.

At the same time, I mostly prefer to feel like I’m getting out DC a little. Stroll a few miles down by Rock Creek, and you’ll have forgotten the city (and maybe your troubles) completely. A favourite route of mine is to cross the bridge at P Street and 23^rd and head down to the creek via the steps on the left. Take a left and head along the creek. The trail goes for many, many miles, but I like to go just past the zoo and turn back for around a 6 mile run. The good thing about this run is that you can make it as short or long as you like, depending on how you feel.

The same goes if you take a right instead, and run next to the motorway. After about half a mile, you turn off to the right and head down along the boardwalk in front of the Swedish Embassy. After about another half mile, you’ll reach the start of the C & O Canal Path. This is a beautiful track to run on – it tracks the Potomac for a couple of miles and then heads off up into Montgomery Country, Maryland, all the while surrounded by lush trees and grass.

If you fancy a workout with a little more speed, nothing beats a proper track session. The closest track to ISH is in Georgetown at R and 38^th St. The track is only 320m, rather than regular 400m, and can get a little busy. However, with relative lack of public tracks in the District, this is a pretty decent option.

Really, it is little wonder that Washington DC has been ranked the fittest major city in the United States. So what are you waiting for? Get out in the sun and do some miles.