A Quick Trip to DC!

One great thing about going to Hopkins is that we have access to two great cities, Baltimore and Washington, DC. While I've already talked about the many transportation options we have in Baltimore, I haven't talked about getting to DC which is just as easy as hopping on the next JHMI shuttle.

There are pretty hard to miss, they run every 5-15 minutes during peak times!

Getting to DC on the weekdays is really convenient, all you need to do is take the JHMI shuttle a few stops to Baltimore Penn Station. There, you can head over to a QuikTrak machine and buy a ticket for the MARC commuter train's Penn Line to DC's Union Station for $7 each way. This is a great deal cheaper than taking Amtrak. If you have a student advantage card, you can get an evern better discount! While the service only runs on weekdays for now, it's expected to operate on weekends starting this December.

Just yesterday, I hopped on a train to have some dinner with friends in DC. This year, I'm lucky enough to be on the national board for the Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Students Association. Being part of a national organization is really great because I get to meet people from all around that I otherwise wouldn't have, as well as extend my passions and skills to larger scale projects. A lot of fellow national board members either live in the area or are just here interning for the summer, so it was a good chance to catch up.

ITASA NB members and Pamela from Board of Directors!
(Photo credits: Jesse Chen)

After some dinner and a refreshing treat from Rita's, I hopped on a train back to Baltimore and made it back to my apartment in almost no time. So many cool places are just a stone's throw away from Homewood.

More info about MARC commuter train service: http://mta.maryland.gov/marc-train