DC Bunnies, Cherry Blossoms and Golden Retrievers
DC in the spring is like a bridal show with golden retrievers hanging around: absolutely magical. I love the cherry blossoms, as most women do, so was glad that we arrived before the weekend and thousands of tourists arrived. It was a weekend that I will cherish for a long time.
We headed down from NJ and took the country route through Pennsylvania to avoid the madness on the NJ highways (full of congestion, potholes, industrial scenes and mess). This winter in NJ made me forget that there is life outside of Jersey. There are perfectly paved streets. There is sunshine. There are other cities!
We cruised into Towson and had lunch with one of my favorite people. It warmed my heart to see her and to see a familiar face that I have loved for years. She has been my mentor, coach and friend for so long and it was like happiness was growing inside of me in so many ways: seeing the sun, my friend, the flowers...etc.
Upon arriving in DC we looked at each other gravely with one question "Should we eat our favorite pizza just after eating at the Cheesecake Factory?" Then we decided to walk 6 miles to 2Amy's, our favorite wood fire Neapolitan pizza to justify the enormous slice of cheesecake we had devoured only minutes before.
The walk there and back was totally worth it: along Embassy Row where we passed the embassies to dozens of countries.
Being in DC, being in the sun and seeing familiar streets and people really cheered me up. I remember when my brother attended American University and so many times I would walk to and fro with him to the Tennlytown Metro stop.
I enjoyed so many things about DC: the pizza, the flowers, the golden retrievers, my friends and feeling like the world reaches past the boundaries of little NJ towns. Everyday life makes it seem like that routine is the be-all, end-all of life. It can be overwhelming at times to think that this is it. And it is such a nice reminder to travel and see new places, to see old favorite haunts and also to remember of good times you were there. I remembered my tiny micro-apartment where I was a single girl with two cats, I remembered the itty bitty stove I had that looked like a toy stove, and how many single girl meals I cooked on that. Then I remembered meeting a guy with curly hair who turned that one little meal into a meal for two and every day (almost) after that my table was set for two.
Being in DC I remembered my brother and his crazy college buddies, going to night clubs with him and dancing till we could barely dance anymore. I remember my brother buying me pizza in his awesome college cafeteria that was way fancier than my college cafeteria and how we would still share everything "You get the pizza and I will get the chicken fingers."
I remember driving home countless nights at 3 AM after dropping my brother off and making sure my doors were locked on 4th Ave when I would drive past the man-stitutes (male prostitutes dressed like women).
I remember trying couscous for the first time in DC and thinking it tasted like sand. I remember taking my mom to see the cherry blossoms and watching her with horror and pride as she lay on the grass like a hippie and stared at the blossoms with pure joy.
Like I said, DC is one of my favorite cities. Towson is full of my college studious energy. A piece of my heart is in both. It is nice to visit and reflect on the "me" that was there when she was 20 (with 2 cats), 25 (with 2 cats) and now I am 30 (with the same 2 old farting cats) I love the memories I left there. I had a rough college life studying till the break of morning, holding down jobs, but I wouldn't trade those days for the plush spoiled life other kids had. Finding ways to split a 5 dollar sub between 4 hungry college kids builds character.
Anyway, some pictures of my weekend in DC.
2Amy's pizza: our total favorite!
We headed down from NJ and took the country route through Pennsylvania to avoid the madness on the NJ highways (full of congestion, potholes, industrial scenes and mess). This winter in NJ made me forget that there is life outside of Jersey. There are perfectly paved streets. There is sunshine. There are other cities!
We cruised into Towson and had lunch with one of my favorite people. It warmed my heart to see her and to see a familiar face that I have loved for years. She has been my mentor, coach and friend for so long and it was like happiness was growing inside of me in so many ways: seeing the sun, my friend, the flowers...etc.
Upon arriving in DC we looked at each other gravely with one question "Should we eat our favorite pizza just after eating at the Cheesecake Factory?" Then we decided to walk 6 miles to 2Amy's, our favorite wood fire Neapolitan pizza to justify the enormous slice of cheesecake we had devoured only minutes before.
The walk there and back was totally worth it: along Embassy Row where we passed the embassies to dozens of countries.
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| That is a sniper on the roof of the White House! |
Being in DC, being in the sun and seeing familiar streets and people really cheered me up. I remember when my brother attended American University and so many times I would walk to and fro with him to the Tennlytown Metro stop.
I enjoyed so many things about DC: the pizza, the flowers, the golden retrievers, my friends and feeling like the world reaches past the boundaries of little NJ towns. Everyday life makes it seem like that routine is the be-all, end-all of life. It can be overwhelming at times to think that this is it. And it is such a nice reminder to travel and see new places, to see old favorite haunts and also to remember of good times you were there. I remembered my tiny micro-apartment where I was a single girl with two cats, I remembered the itty bitty stove I had that looked like a toy stove, and how many single girl meals I cooked on that. Then I remembered meeting a guy with curly hair who turned that one little meal into a meal for two and every day (almost) after that my table was set for two.
Being in DC I remembered my brother and his crazy college buddies, going to night clubs with him and dancing till we could barely dance anymore. I remember my brother buying me pizza in his awesome college cafeteria that was way fancier than my college cafeteria and how we would still share everything "You get the pizza and I will get the chicken fingers."
I remember driving home countless nights at 3 AM after dropping my brother off and making sure my doors were locked on 4th Ave when I would drive past the man-stitutes (male prostitutes dressed like women).
I remember trying couscous for the first time in DC and thinking it tasted like sand. I remember taking my mom to see the cherry blossoms and watching her with horror and pride as she lay on the grass like a hippie and stared at the blossoms with pure joy.
Like I said, DC is one of my favorite cities. Towson is full of my college studious energy. A piece of my heart is in both. It is nice to visit and reflect on the "me" that was there when she was 20 (with 2 cats), 25 (with 2 cats) and now I am 30 (with the same 2 old farting cats) I love the memories I left there. I had a rough college life studying till the break of morning, holding down jobs, but I wouldn't trade those days for the plush spoiled life other kids had. Finding ways to split a 5 dollar sub between 4 hungry college kids builds character.
Anyway, some pictures of my weekend in DC.
2Amy's pizza: our total favorite!
Flowers, bunnies and golden retrievers = pure heaven!
Walking past Embassy Row you see all of the most marvelous Embassies.
Going home I felt so bummed out "I don't want to go to NJ. I don't want to go back to Jersey." But we are back, and making the most of it, with a smile (sometimes forced). I try to see some positive in each day, even if it is the laundry. But Jersey is not the prettiest state I have seen, nor the nicest people, but I will enjoy what I can while we are here. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God is what the Good Book says after all.
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