Week 4 - Exploring the Nation's Capital


It is hard to believe that it is already my fourth week at USIP. This week has been very exciting because the funding for the project I am working on has been confirmed. This means that we can officially move forward with hopefully bringing a proposal to life. This news has shifted my research towards generally looking at gang violence and transnational crime in Latin America, rather than specifically focusing on El Salvador. This news has also shifted my research towards looking into different organizations and individuals that could serve as consultants for our project targeting the issue of gang violence and transnational crime in Latin America. My research this week has demonstrated that there isn’t a “one size fits all” solution to gang violence. It is an issue that every country faces to varying degrees. 

As I have become more accustomed to my schedule, I have been able to take more time to explore Washington D.C. Although I have had the pleasure of previously visiting the country’s capital, exploring it as a working adult has felt different. The architecture and atmosphere of the city remind me a lot of the city where I completed my undergraduate studies and so despite being new to the area it already feels familiar to me. My favorite part about D.C. is the greenery. USIP is located close to “the mall” (new lingo that I have learned), which is a beautiful stretch of park that leads to the Washington Monument and other well-known buildings that I have yet to explore. The heat can be daunting sometimes, however I don’t let it stop me from taking advantage of my proximity to this beautiful city.