A POLL-BOUND VACATION

It's election season in the US and nowhere do you feel it more strongly than in the country's capital city of Washington, DC

- SMITA TRIPATHI

Will she? Will she not?... I pluck the petals of an imaginary flower as I walk down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC, and make my way towards the most famous residential address in the world-the White House-the official residence of the President of the US. Kamala Harris, often referred to as the 'childless cat lady' and the Democratic presidential candidate, is on my mind. Will she be the next US President? The world is holding its breath.

It's election season in the US, and nowhere is it felt more acutely than in the country's capital city of Washington, DC. "Fight! Fight! Fight!" screams a T-shirt with a picture of Republican candidate Donald Trump, hanging at a souvenir cart, alongside one promoting Kamala Harris for President. The cart is owned by an East Asian woman, who doesn't say much except 'dollar' while signalling you to pay up. I ask her who she will vote for. "No voting," she says unsmilingly. I then inquire about what sells the most. She points to a $15 Trump bobblehead. I feel tempted, but instead buy a Harris T-shirt. WhetherTrump returns to the White House or Harris breaks the ultimate glass ceiling and is sworn in as the first woman President of the US, it's going to be a moment in history. Either way, a rather apt souvenir, I feel.

Washington, DC, is quite charming with its wide roads, large open green spaces, and lack of skyscrapers. President George Washington chose the exact site along the Potomac River, and the city was officially founded in 1790 after both Maryland and Virginia ceded land to this new "district," to be distinct from the rest of the states. The new territory was named District of Columbia (DC) to honour explorer Christopher Columbus, while the city was named after the first President of the US.