Shhhh...
City life hard hardened me. This is no more evident than when I'm riding the metro home. You see, one of the stops on my daily commute is Arlington Cemetery, and there are always scores of touristy folks who make that their stop. Now I understand the tourist mentality, as I have been in those shoes many a time. But at the same time, I think I have bought into the going mentality that my trip home should be in silence.
A digression: Have I even earned a right to criticize tourists? I mean, I'm only an intern who has lived in the DC area for 2 months so I'm technically a newbie myself. Honestly, I think the power comes in the way I dress. I mean, I figure if I wear a shirt and tie, that makes me above a tourist. Does this make sense?
You can always pick out the tourists. They're the ones wear khaki shorts and tank tops and tennis shoes. They typically have their volume turned up a tad more than most. I find myself getting irritated that I can't just ride in silence. Instead a hear stories about a 50-some mother from South Carolina who still has 2 boys in high school and a 3rd at Clemson.
I'm sure once I get out of here I'll return to my jovial talkative self. I long for the days I can make eye contact and say hello to a stranger on the street. Though I will say that I'm sure DC is better than NYC in terms of friendliness.
So, if I'm a jerk when I come back, forgive me. It will only be a short time.
A digression: Have I even earned a right to criticize tourists? I mean, I'm only an intern who has lived in the DC area for 2 months so I'm technically a newbie myself. Honestly, I think the power comes in the way I dress. I mean, I figure if I wear a shirt and tie, that makes me above a tourist. Does this make sense?
You can always pick out the tourists. They're the ones wear khaki shorts and tank tops and tennis shoes. They typically have their volume turned up a tad more than most. I find myself getting irritated that I can't just ride in silence. Instead a hear stories about a 50-some mother from South Carolina who still has 2 boys in high school and a 3rd at Clemson.
I'm sure once I get out of here I'll return to my jovial talkative self. I long for the days I can make eye contact and say hello to a stranger on the street. Though I will say that I'm sure DC is better than NYC in terms of friendliness.
So, if I'm a jerk when I come back, forgive me. It will only be a short time.