Yesterday I arrived in Virginia. My aunt and uncle picked me up at the airport. We stayed at my aunt’s sister’s farm, Silverbrook Farm. It is an absolutely gorgeous place, an 18th century farm house, with a meat house and outdoor bath house too. Decorated with antiques and the gorgeous view of the mountains it was exactly like staying at a bed and breakfast, embroidered robe and all. In the gardens there is a HUGE chess set with stone pieces (when I say huge I mean the playing pieces are waist high), there is painted silhouette of a man carrying a candlestick at the bottom of the stairs that led up to my personal little living quarters, and fireplaces in every room. We had dinner at a restaurant called Magnolias in Purcellville. It is in an old mill with many of the furnishings still intact. We took the scenic drive home and I got to see a lot of historical buildings and some really large homes. I think Virginia might be a place that is after my heart.

The flights were all right, though I practically ran from one end of O’Hare to the other for my connecting flight. Today Uncle Joe and Aunt Diana brought me up to The Grand in North Bethesda, which is where I’ll be staying for the ten day duration of our Washington D.C activities.

Another girl who is living in my apartment I went to get some healthy snacks for our place here for in between meals and breakfasts at the Giant Mart down the way. We pretty much have the day to ourselves aside from our short orientation type meeting tonight. So I’ll be reading more of my assigned articles and unpacking some. It’s official I have an interview with The British Museum, can’t wait for London!