Travel: Washington D.C. 2013

 ” I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.”
– Robert Louis Stevenson

I love to travel. Simply… love it. It is both a blessing and a curse I suppose, at the moment in particular. Fifteen has few advantages, or so it seems. School attendance and limited freedom are perhaps the more obvious drawbacks, and the former affects the frequency of our family’s various yearly expeditions/vacations. Fortunately, my father delights in the going , as well and so… we go places. {A benefit of my age: travel – along with nearly everything else – is provided and paid for me.}

Washington D.C. – though a fascinating city – is not a particular favorite of mine . My parents adore it (they lived there for a short period of time) but I prefer Amsterdam, New York, Seattle, Brussels. The history, however, is just — amazing. You may aware of my history obsession, I believe I’ve mentioned it once or twice in the past? Historical documentaries are my entertainment of choice, I am partial to historical novels (fiction + nonfiction), and history is, of course, my absolute favorite subject. The Smithsonian Museum (The National Museum of American History, specifically) … incredible. George Washington’s Mount Vernon, the stunning monuments, I could go on and on —

Rather than bore you, however, I’ll share a slideshow/video, of sorts, in which the majority of photographs I shot over the duration of the trip are featured. Enjoy! [note: music plays in the background, so if you happen to have your volume up, be prepared for the sound. second note: yes, the tune is slightly annoying, but i’ve yet to do research on what songs can be legally used in the background of such projects, and until then have to settle for iMovie and Vimeo provided sound effects. apologies!]

To be quite honest, I was displeased with nearly every photograph shot over the course of the five day experience. After I recount our days of sightseeing below, a few photos will be shared. A few. None of which truly capture the essence of Washington D.C…*sigh*. Well, without further ado, I present – to anyone actually still reading this post -:

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~ Five Days in D.C. ~

Day One. I arise. Four a.m. It is… pitch black. The flight, departing. Soon- Around eight. I believe. Peppermint gum, I unwrap, I chew mechanically. iPhone, earbuds, music. Doze off, along the way. To the airport, at the airport. The airport. A favorite place. It means leaving. I like to leave. Eventually, boarding. On the plane. I complete a bit of summer homework. Sleep. We land, in Houston. Starbucks. Bookstore. Once again, we board. Once again, we land. Destination, reached. Car, rented. Dad drives to hotel. Younger brothers argue – typical of them. Later: eat, relax, shower, bed. Tomorrow! I can’t wait.

Day Two. Waken. It is late – perhaps, 10:30. We are not yet accustomed to Eastern time. Dress. Metro – which I love. And then… Smithsonian. The National Museum of American History. The Old Post Office. An ‘I <3 D.C.’ T-shirt ~ of course ~. A walk by… The White House. The National Mall. Lincoln [note: video watchers, did you happen to catch the Abraham Lincoln quote beneath the photograph of his monument? it is far from profound, but a teacher of mine once displayed a poster in her room with the very same message, and i remembered… it’s positive. it’s true.] and WWII and Vietnam. So moving. So moving. Finally. The Washington Monument — undergoing repairs — {hence, no photographs}. Metro, again. To the hotel. Some time passes. To Tyson’s Corner Center.  Hotel, again. Sleep.

Day Three. Awake, a great deal earlier. The metro. The Smithsonian ~ Air and Space Museum. A simulator, with the little brother. Interactive. I refuse to spin upside-down. Then… the National Museum of the American Indian. Pretzels + Chocolate, a walking break. The United States Capitol Building. Followed by the Library of Congress. {Their gift shop is a book enthusiast’s dream-come-true. Fahrenheit  451 T-Shirts? “I cannot live without books” coffee mugs? Pride & Prejudice Kindle Cases? Yes!} Oh, but the day must end. Far too quickly. Far too soon.

Day Four. Bright and early… the Jefferson Monument. Paddle boating, on the river. Georgetown University. Mount Vernon. Rain, rain, rain. Lightning. Thunder. Beautiful.

Day Five. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The National Archives. A drive past… Ford’s Theater. Time did not allow for a tour. Our flight. That very afternoon. To the airport. Boarding the plane. A delay. Hours later — home. Everything, over.

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Yes, the above sentences are rather fragmented, the thoughts scattered, but the brief paragraphs will serve as a reminder for my future self. Years from now I may wonder how our few days in Washington D.C. were spent. The quick little notes {some of which I scribbled down over the course of the trip} will ensure that I never forget. Yay!

Now… Photographs!

– Abby