Arrived in the nation’s capital about twenty-four hours ago. The national iglooo is located here, and I accidentally had the good sense to arrive cloddily in the thick of Winterlude. So, I get to eat beaver tails and ogle ice sculptures while dashing between meetings that seem slightly more important than usual because of the metal detectors and special passes involved. Plus, with the snow fortresses, the l’Unifolie overload, and the almost too-Canadian tire d’erable, this is turning out to be a defining moment of my Fulbright year.