WASHINGTON D.C.— Today is my first day in Washington D.C., well, my second day technically. It's 2:12 a.m. out here. After 6 hours on a plane and a 3 hour time change, I'm starting to feel the jet lag.

I landed at Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) about 8 hours ago. As soon as I stepped off of the plane I could tell this place was different.

For one, the airport was about as loud as a library, which, to anyone who has ever flown out of Ontario or LAX, is like stepping off of the plane and on to another planet.

And second, everything is green.

Driving down through Maryland to get to D.C. I drove the Greenbelt and two thoughts immediately ran through my head:
1) Where's the traffic?
2) Where are the dirt and weeds?

The Greenbelt is a large portion of the 295, which is a major highway, but it's 2 lanes wide, the exits are miles and miles apart and, instead of K-rail and cement dividers, the street is lined by decorative stone guarders on one side and a freakin' forest on the other. But it's beautiful--really.

My impression on arriving in D.C. was less inspiring than the drive through Maryland. I can't help but puzzle over my new surroundings.

Washington D.C. is a city of contradiction and juxtaposition.

The modern and historic twist is very cool--especially to me since I come from Corona. You can walk down the street between a row of century old buildings and a street lined with the newest high tech cars and designer cafes. It's all the convenience of the 21st century in the architectural setting of the 1800s.

It's very beautiful, sure, but it's also very ugly.

In the middle of town near the Metro Central Station, you can find young successful yuppies meandering through the streets, window shopping at Ann Taylor and other designer stores. But, at the same time and in the same place, you can also find an old man sleeping on the stoop of a church with all his belongings in a grocery basket.

And, before I left, I was advised to be safe, use the buddy system and keep an eye out, because D.C. can be a dangerous city. It has one of the highest murder rates in the country.

It's strange to me that, in the very city in which our lawmakers spend most of their time, the failures to protect and empower the people could be so immense and so terribly blatant.