Washington, DC: Global Gateway Summer 2026 (A Day in the Life 1)

Program: UW Global Gateway in Washington, DC, Summer

Sidharth B: Public Transportation in Washington, DC

A few months ago I saw a map highlighting how Americans get to work every day in different parts of the country. Only two places stood out where people relied on public transport: NYC and DC. So I was really excited to explore this bustling city’s metro trains and buses. Although we walk to class in the morning, we take the metro almost every day to get to different places in DC. The first thing that caught my attention was the stations’ architecture. The wide, brutalist tunnels and the platform lights that flash when a train approaches made me feel like I was in the past and the future at the same time.

I found the metro very easy to navigate because of the ample signage and maps, and the lines named after colors. I also learned that every station on the DC metro is fully wheelchair accessible. Most of the places we visited in DC were no more than a 10-minute walk from a metro station, and with trains arriving every few minutes, I could see why the people of DC depend on this system even more than cars. I also took a little detour to visit the longest escalator in the Western Hemisphere, located in the Wheaton station on the Red Line. It took almost three minutes to ride from bottom to top! For the places we couldn’t reach using the metro, we used the buses. Apart from some initial confusion during our first two days, with the help of Google or Apple Maps we were able to easily get where we wanted to go. 

Getting around without ever needing a car gave me a real sense of independence, and made me appreciate how much freedom a good transit system can offer. I want to see dependable public transport spread to more cities across the United States, so that everyone has the freedom to move through their city easily and affordably.

Jadyn G: Food in Washington, DC

I see food as a universal language, one that virtually everyone can understand the importance of. Food connects us all, uniting different countries and cultures. Given the city’s rich history of diversity and activism, many restaurants in DC have unique stories. The Global Gateway Program has provided me the opportunity to experience this firsthand.

Beyond the taste and texture of food, dishes and restaurants have told meaningful stories throughout history. One of the restaurants that our cohort visited as a group was Ben’s Chili Bowl. This restaurant played a vital role in many social movements, acting as a meeting place and providing resources to activists; Ben’s Chili Bowl takes great pride in its local impact. From Bruno Mars to Barack Obama, it has also attracted a great number of influential people, demonstrating food’s ability to bring us together and support collective action.

So far, my favorite dish I’ve eaten in DC was an ube waffle with Filipino fried chicken. When I told my work supervisor that I would be studying in DC this summer, he recommended that I go to Purple Patch, a woman-owned Filipino restaurant in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood. They are known for their brunch menu, and the ube waffle and fried chicken is one of their most iconic dishes. Additionally, the atmosphere was extremely warm, welcoming, and community-oriented. Their dining areas featured Filipino-inspired decorations and phrases, displaying a strong presence and culture.

Both of these restaurants told meaningful stories, bringing together people from different backgrounds and walks of life. Being new to the city of DC and paying close attention to the significance of local restaurants has inspired me to learn more about the backgrounds of such places in Madison. I often overlook how impactful local restaurants are to the Madison community, so when I return from the Global Gateway Program, I want to view them with the same curiosity that I am in DC. I gathered all of the information on the two restaurants I have discussed from being observant and asking the employees questions; it is quite amazing what you can learn from being engaged with your surroundings.

Elise H: Places: Routine & Favorite

Over the first couple of days, I found myself using public transportation as part of my daily routine to get to some further museums and monuments. It has also become one of my favorite places over the course of the program. While we were given a brief orientation about how to scan into the station and how to loosely navigate the map, everything else was learned by experience.

While I became more normalized to public transit while in Madison, this type of train transportation was incredibly new to me, coming from a suburban area where cars were the main form of transportation.

Therefore, there was a bit of a learning curve. Having to remember which color lines go which way across the city, which direction is correct, or even how to navigate the more complicated transfer stations at first was a little stressful. Additionally, many of the stations were decently filled with bustling bodies, urgently hurrying to work or wherever their intended destination might be. I can’t like, there was at least one time I unsuccessfully traversed the stations, missing a stop or getting on the wrong train. But these mistakes are quickly learned from.

However, like all experiences, I became used to it in due time. I already used my skills learned from navigating Madison transit to assist here. Skills like staying alert on the train to watch out for navigational signs, which often signaled when I should get off, checking stops and maps on my phone beforehand, etc. I quickly began becoming accustomed to the scene, often becoming a comfort spot after traveling to other above-ground areas I was less familiar with.

Overall, though, the public transportation here has been efficient. Trains are more often “on time” in comparison to buses, vulnerable to traffic, and the system itself is organized in a way that is simple (colored lines, frequent transfer stations, large signage). I appreciate a good organizational structure, so moving around the city has become a favorite. The site itself is also great for people-watching and really understanding what daily life looks like for those who live in D.C. The train seems to be one of the few places in D.C. that seems to be a hub for both tourists, working-class, and white-collar workers, while still displaying the “professional hustle” culture within the workforce that I have seen so far in the city, which I have enjoyed.

Now, my routine is simple. Find a metro station, go down the escalators (and remember to stay to the right), identify the specific train I need, or occasionally, mentally map out the several trains I may need to take, and sit until I arrive at the station. Now, only a week into the program, I can easily navigate which popular stations and stops I must make from memory. Ultimately, this place has been a lesson in making mistakes, learning, and eventually growing confident and comfortable in new situations, and it quickly became a favorite for just that.

Jacob T: Daily Life in Washington, DC

My day starts with waking up and grabbing a delicious breakfast at our hotel to get ready to meet everybody in the hotel lobby. From there, we head to our classes at the UW building, which sits right near the Supreme Court and the Capitol. Walking past those buildings every morning makes me realize how fortunate I am to have class right in the heart of D.C. politics.

In class, we dig into polarization and politics, and afterward, we talk through the readings from the day before. Hearing and learning from each of my peers’ perspectives has been one of my favorite parts of this experience. When class wraps up, my friends and I, or the whole group, usually grab lunch together. On this day, we went to a historic local spot, the kind of place with stories on the walls and people from all over the city stopping in to eat.

After lunch, we get to do an activity to explore DC. On this day, my friends and I had the chance to choose, so we chose the Natural History Museum. We hopped on the Metro and figured out the route ourselves. We spent the afternoon looking at dinosaur skeletons and fossils, took way too many pictures, and stopped by the gift shop on the way out. I walked away learning so much about the history and with some souvenirs.

After a long day, we go back to the hotel, and I knock out whatever homework is left. Later, my friends and I usually met up again for dinner, and the other night we found a place with really fresh, healthy options. After that, I usually fit in a workout and finish the night together playing cards or just hanging out with my friends in the lobby.

If I had to say how I try to live like a local and connect to the culture, it comes down to the small things: dressing casually, taking the Metro instead of standing out as a tourist, and just moving through the city at an everyday pace. This first week has been awesome to explore D.C., and doing that with my friends makes it even more fun. It makes me want to visit this place or even come back to live in it in the future.