Inside the Capitol: No map, no shame

One of the unexpected perks of traveling to Washington, D.C., has been the friendships I've made along the way. Over the past few months, I've gotten to know many locals, and recently one of those new friends offered me the opportunity to join an exclusive tour of the U.S. Capitol. To this day, I'm still not entirely sure how I managed to get on that tour, but I wasn't about to ask too many questions.

What struck me first was the lack of crowds. In a city where tourists seem to materialize around every corner, there was practically nobody there. For a moment, I felt like I had somehow unlocked...