Flying from Brunei to Singapore to Japan, I arrived at Washington Dulles Airport on Wednesday 10th October after about 22 hours of flight and 6 hours of transit.

Trying to fight the urge to sleep after checking in the hotel, myself and Nga (Fellow from Vietnam) went out to see some sights before we freshened up to head out for dinner with Tony, Kara, David and the Fellows. My first day went by like a blur as I was in a constant battle with my fatigue.

Thursday and Friday were our orientation days where we got to learn a bit more of each other, and of the US government structure. We were also given further briefing on the program and deliverables, which included submitting a group project for the Congress. After a fun and interactive discussion of our project theme and structure, we started filming parts of the project (special thanks to Kara for helping us out with this and for being patient with us).

Saturday 13th October was when we headed our separate ways to our host placements. I flew from Washington Dulles to Denver where my host, Theresa, picked me up and drove me to Golden (Colorado), where I will be based at for four weeks.

I woke up early on Sunday morning and witnessed snow for the first time in a long while (I’ve only ever experienced it in the UK). My morning was spent gazing out the window, marveled by the beauty of fresh white snow that have settled outside Theresa’s house. This would probably be the only time I get to experience snow while I’m here, hence photo taking was a must!

And that ends my first week in the US! The highlight of the week is meeting the other Fellows – being exposed to their energy and passion has gotten me more fired up for this Program!

Up next: tons of fun and learning experience in Golden, Colorado.