March 6, 2005 (Washington, D.C.)
I’m never quite prepared for the culture shock of traveling from West Kerry to Washington, D.C. Because I know D.C. so well, arriving here and settling in feels automatic. I know where to go and what to do. I have friends here. I know the metro system, the neighborhoods, the museums, the movie theatres and the restaurants. But it’s not really possible to make a seamless transition from rural Ireland to big-city America with no mental hitches.