DC
Before I embarked on my DC trip last weekend, a handful of my coworkers anxiously implored me not to meet some guy and fall in love while I was there. I didn't meet a guy, but I did fall deeply and instantaneously in love with the city itself. It's how I expected to feel about San Francisco-and then didn't-and now here I am, feeling it about someplace else entirely.
I was amazed by everything. The strikingly clear weather. The fact that I could dust off my fall clothes and actually wear them. The joyful travel-aided transition from acquaintances to friends. Our confusion at whether we were indeed gazing upon the White House. (Thanks to Google Images, we were able to confirm that we were.) Seeing Audrey, dear friend, light of my life, and fellow ghost-hunting enthusiast, for the first time in nearly a year. Vodka shots, at long last, with thorne_scratch. The Loews Madison Hotel. The bed at the Loews Madison Hotel, and sleeping for 11 hours straight, dead to the world, behind blackout drapes. Georgetown Cupcake. The seemingly endless parade of good-looking men. The insanely beautiful view of the Potomac as we walked across the Key Bridge to Arlington. Cheering friends across the finish line of the Marine Corps Marathon. Dinner at Oyamél. Feeling at home, and crazily happy, in this wonderful place.
The White House. I can't believe we were confused, but in our defense, it was a lot smaller than I thought it would be, and there wasn't a strategically-placed plaque to explain what we were looking at. Also, we were on the north side. The South Lawn, apparently, is the famous side. The north side appeared to be little more than a glorified service entrance with a fancy fountain.
The Washington Monument. I didn't recognize it, either, at first. I thought it was just a random obelisk, because it seemed so tiny and insignificant. But apparently that was just an optical illusion, because it actually is somewhat sizeable. Also, I'm apparently a really bad American who is bad at this.
Some sort of cool building for something. The Red Cross? Or some other medical-related thing? (Remember when I said I'm bad at this?)
WWII Memorial. No confusion here!
Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool.
After 8+ years, I finally had a chance to meet the amazing thorne_scratch, and in honor of her love for Russian hockey players, we had vodka shots in the hotel bar. I will never forget how nice it was to chat, at long last, even though we were periodically interrupted by the incessant scat singing of the lounge band that was playing behind us. We couldn't tell if the dirty looks people kept shooting our way were because we kept trying to talk over the band, or because of the content of our particular conversation (which included lengthy discussions of gay porn, the reading aloud of a selection of hip hop RPS on AO3, and the decision, ultimately, that "undulation" is a cringe-worthy word, but sometimes it's the only word that adequately describes what Justin Timberlake is doing).
Fall colors in Georgetown.
And Georgetown Cupcake, whose wares we had promised to procure and bring to the marathon finish line.
Metro station.
Chinatown.
Breakfast at Ted's Bulletin, charming beyond words.
I didn't want to come home. I'm becoming increasingly restless in Phoenix-I've built a life here, a good life, but I feel more and more like another life is waiting for me somewhere else. Maybe in DC, maybe not. It has definitely given me something to think about.
I was amazed by everything. The strikingly clear weather. The fact that I could dust off my fall clothes and actually wear them. The joyful travel-aided transition from acquaintances to friends. Our confusion at whether we were indeed gazing upon the White House. (Thanks to Google Images, we were able to confirm that we were.) Seeing Audrey, dear friend, light of my life, and fellow ghost-hunting enthusiast, for the first time in nearly a year. Vodka shots, at long last, with thorne_scratch. The Loews Madison Hotel. The bed at the Loews Madison Hotel, and sleeping for 11 hours straight, dead to the world, behind blackout drapes. Georgetown Cupcake. The seemingly endless parade of good-looking men. The insanely beautiful view of the Potomac as we walked across the Key Bridge to Arlington. Cheering friends across the finish line of the Marine Corps Marathon. Dinner at Oyamél. Feeling at home, and crazily happy, in this wonderful place.
The White House. I can't believe we were confused, but in our defense, it was a lot smaller than I thought it would be, and there wasn't a strategically-placed plaque to explain what we were looking at. Also, we were on the north side. The South Lawn, apparently, is the famous side. The north side appeared to be little more than a glorified service entrance with a fancy fountain.
The Washington Monument. I didn't recognize it, either, at first. I thought it was just a random obelisk, because it seemed so tiny and insignificant. But apparently that was just an optical illusion, because it actually is somewhat sizeable. Also, I'm apparently a really bad American who is bad at this.
Some sort of cool building for something. The Red Cross? Or some other medical-related thing? (Remember when I said I'm bad at this?)
WWII Memorial. No confusion here!
Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool.
After 8+ years, I finally had a chance to meet the amazing thorne_scratch, and in honor of her love for Russian hockey players, we had vodka shots in the hotel bar. I will never forget how nice it was to chat, at long last, even though we were periodically interrupted by the incessant scat singing of the lounge band that was playing behind us. We couldn't tell if the dirty looks people kept shooting our way were because we kept trying to talk over the band, or because of the content of our particular conversation (which included lengthy discussions of gay porn, the reading aloud of a selection of hip hop RPS on AO3, and the decision, ultimately, that "undulation" is a cringe-worthy word, but sometimes it's the only word that adequately describes what Justin Timberlake is doing).
Fall colors in Georgetown.
And Georgetown Cupcake, whose wares we had promised to procure and bring to the marathon finish line.
Metro station.
Chinatown.
Breakfast at Ted's Bulletin, charming beyond words.
I didn't want to come home. I'm becoming increasingly restless in Phoenix-I've built a life here, a good life, but I feel more and more like another life is waiting for me somewhere else. Maybe in DC, maybe not. It has definitely given me something to think about.