Last week I traveled to Washington, DC, on Amtrak from New York for a daytrip of meetings. One great advantage of traveling with Amtrak is that even though it can be crowded, sometimes you can change your train ticket even after you’ve purchased it or missed your train, without any troubles. But I reserved a late train in the evening to ensure I wouldn’t have to rush out of the afternoon meetings. Anyway, I did have some time in the evening to walk around DC, an occasion I rarely have and so I took full advantage. A friend met me for dinner at the Willard Intercontinental, and as the weather was summerlike, we sat outside, and I took in the political scene. Almost every passerby’s conversation revolved around the recent election, and every corner store had Obama-Biden paraphernalia for sale. What made the night extra special for me was just before catching my train, around 8:30 p.m., we took a stroll down Pennsylvania Avenue right past the front lawn of the White House. I probably had not done that since I was a little girl. Having traveled the world since then and having seen the homes of many heads of state from a distance, it was awe-inspiring and humbling to stand so close to the home of the President of the United States. It was peaceful, beautiful and a truly great symbol of this country. Whoever resides in the White House, be it President Bush, President-elect Obama or future presidents, I wish them all the best of luck, because no home so beautiful comes without hard work!  Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher