Day 32

Ok...now I'm way behind. Still I think I am only going to do one tonight. Never fear. I plan to be caught up by Sunday.

Wednesday.

So after several days of having fun with friends, this was my first day of the trip (aside from Friday) that was spent mostly in solitude. It was also the first day of the trip with very few solid plans. I really had no idea what I was going to do. I just knew I was going to go to Washington.

I ended up sleeping till about ten. I called John because we had talked about getting some lunch. He was unable to make it because he was swamped at work. It happens when you work for the government.

I didn't end up leaving Isaac and Lauren's place (they live in the suburb of Gaithersville) until after eleven. I went to the Shady Grove Metro station and boarded a train. I ended up getting to D.C. a little after noon.

So what did I do? Not a whole lot. I saved money. I have done mostly every site in Washington before so I did not feel too stressed out about seeing a lot. I mostly just walked. And walked. And snapped pictures of buildings and monuments. I sat for a while at the World War II Memorial, which is very nicely done. Thank you Tom Hanks. There were a lot of old WWII vets checking it out. Of course none of them cry because WWII vets are real men. They know how to keep their emotions bottled up inside. Also, a lot of them were wearing shirts that said, "If you can read this thank a teacher. If you can read this in English thank a vet."

I also spent some time at the Lincoln Memorial. I think this may be my favorite place in Washington, D.C. When I was little and we went to Washington for the fireworks we would always sit out on the big stone at the base of the memorial starting at about 3:00. It was a perfect spot, looking out of the reflecting pool and the Washington Monument. It also feels very cool in the shade of the memorial which is nice. And I went around back where there was nobody else and looked out over the Potomac. It was all very peaceful.

There was also something called the Folklife Fair put on by the Smithsonian. The themes were Bhutan, Texas, and Space. Manatees. It was okay. But it was hot and not very interesting.

So after several hours of this I was hot, tired, hungry, and extremely thirsty. I wandered off the mall and into downtown D.C. searching for some food. (There is of course absolutely nothing of interest to eat on the mall.) I finally stumbled upon a Chipotle. And right next door was a movie theatre. A sign across the street told me it was 91 degrees out. I literally said, "Fuck it. I'm going to eat some Chipotle and watch a movie."

So now I know my limit. Four days of walking around hot cities looking at buildings and then I hit the wall. I had a great lunch. I filled my Mr. Pibb three times. And I saw Iron Man. I loved it. Especially the ending.

I caught the Metro back to Gaithersburg at about 6:45. I ended up getting back to Isaac's place at about eight. Isaac, and Lauren, and I headed across the street to Isaac's local brew pub. It is called Growler's and Wednesday nights are $2.50 draft nights. Lauren stayed and had supper with us. Then Isaac and I went out onto the balcony and hung out for a few hours enjoying the night. It was a great time...maybe the best time of the trip, albeit the most relaxed.