One thing I certainly didn't miss during my three weeks at home was the constant sound of sirens. There's no escaping it here. I'm a light sleeper, yet even I have become completely immune to sirens in the middle of the night. I think it has a lot to do with the large number of hospitals, particularly in the Foggy Bottom area. I hope it doesn't have much to do with DC's crime rate - after all, I live in the safest part of the city.
Of course, there are also the sirens of motorcades. I was at the corner of Pennsylvania and 22nd one day, and a particularly long motorcade went by. Someone later told me the exact number of cars in the presidential motorcade. I didn't count the cars in the one I saw, but it was long. It's possible I saw the president go by and didn't even realize it. One of the cool things about living in DC!
Added to the sirens are the airplanes and helicopters. I've never seen airplanes fly so low before - I guess this has to do with the close proximity of National Airport (and the Pentagon?). There were two choppers in the sky tonight as I walked to my Chinese class at the International Language Institute. It's amazing how quickly all this background noise becomes just another part of everyday life.
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