Even though I've only been in DC for a little more than a week, I've come to both love and respect our Nation's capital in more profound ways than I initially expected. Being around the Capitol or walking the National Mall this week as the Inauguration festivities kicked off brought a giant swell of humanity into the city. I'm glad that I'm not yet a jaded "local" who scoffs at the large crowd of so-called tourists invading the city to see President Obama. Everyone was a tourist at one time or another here, and I believe that at least some of that sentiment should always be held on to.

Of course, I still prefer encountering folks who have an understanding of how to ride the Metro, or what proper museum etiquette is, but the important part is that they're here, experiencing history. And isn't it partly the local population's responsibility anyway to point people in the right direction, to lend a helping hand? We are all guests in this great city, and we should all lend a helping hand to our fellow visitors.

But back to the reason why I love this city. Not to inject religion into a blog named after an indie rock song, but I think our country would do well to urge its citizens to visit Washington, DC at least once in their lifetime if they are able. A secular pilgrimage. The history embedded into every nick and cranny of this vibrant city is similar to other big cities, I imagine, but something about this being our nation's capital makes everything all the more special. I live in a part of town that was once decimated by the race riots of 1968 after the assassination of MLK. But those riots were only a tiny slice of the history of the streets of my neighborhood. Before a large African-American population, waves of European immigrants called H Street home. People say it's going through another transformation, gentrification, but in reality, it's always been in a state of flux. My neighborhood acts as a microcosm for the entire city, our entire country, really.

Which brings me to my final point. I love this city not only because of its historical significance, but for its current significance. Yesterday I braved the crowds estimated at 400,000+ to see a wave of A-list celebrities as well as the A+ list celebrity, Barack Obama, at the Lincoln Memorial concert. It's funny, I think Obama is the only person in this world who can upstage Beyonce. After his speech, thousands (myself included) streamed towards the exits as Beyonce took the stage to sing "America the Beautiful". I bet that sort of thing doesn't happen to her very often. All in all, I enjoyed the music and the speeches, but looking around me, I was inspired by something deeper. Whenever I found myself with a good vantage point, I surveyed the crowd around me. It was inspiring to see people of all walks of life, from the well-dressed elite to, well, everyone else, all converging to this one spot to catch a glimpse of our next president. The crowd was silent as Obama took the stage, commanding yet reassuring even from a jumbotron hundreds of yards away, standing in the freezing cold. You could tell that despite the myriad troubles we face that we as a country, as a people united in this tough time, we want to believe that this man will guide us to a better, more respected America. Anyone standing in that crowd would've done anything President Obama asked of us at that moment. I have a feeling he will ask us to sacrifice more than anyone in my generation has ever been asked to sacrifice. I hope we will be smart and thoughtful when we decide how to answer that call.

Only time will tell what kind of president Barack Obama will make. I believe he will be one of the greats if only because of the magnitude of the challenges he faces. What is certain is that Washington, DC will always be the epicenter of our nation's history. For tomorrow, at least, it will also be the epicenter of our nation's hope.