A New Year

My New Year’s Eve celebrations are usually spent at home, with a bottle of Martinelli’s sparkling cider, and a movie marathon.  When I lived in California with my family, we spent quiet nights in until 11:59 pm, when we would scream along with the midnight countdown on TV.  I can count on one hand, how many NYE parties we’ve actually attended.  Despite my aversion to crowds and being out after midnight, I always wanted to get gussied up and go out on the town to ring in the new year. And, just a few days ago, I did just that.

After two days of discussing potential NYE plans with my friend, Rachel, we finally decided keep it simple by going out to dinner with more friends.  We were in for an interesting night.

We waited 2 hours for a table at P.F. Changs. That’s probably the longest restaurant wait I’ve ever experienced. Still, we waited and waited for a table. By the time we sat down for dinner, it was really late into the evening.  Soon, we ran to the square outside, with full bellies and happy hearts. Then, the countdown began: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!

And with that, 2015 ended and 2016 began with fireworks, cheering, and a kiss. With that, a new year lies ahead.

Saturday Post: Trip Down Memory Lane

Last year, I took a girl’s weekend trip to D.C. with my bestie, Sammi.  We hadn’t seen each other in months.  The last time we spent time together was during the days leading up to her wedding.  With the stresses of school and work, we figured it was time to take a trip together, albeit a short one.  Neither of us has been to D.C. before and decided it was a good “middle ground” for us to meet.  We booked a hotel room at the Marriott at Metro Center due to its closeness to the train station.  Amtrak tickets were bought and bags were packed.  Then, just a few days before the excursion, the government shut down.  Our very first trip to D.C. and all government-funded areas would be closed while we were there.  This meant no free museums, no access to monuments, and, as we would later learn, no public restrooms…

After prayer and long discussions, we decided to take the trip as planned.  We would still find fun stuff to do, right?  I called information lines prior to getting to D.C. to ensure we would still be able to walk around and enjoy some sights.  The area below the hotel had cutesy restaurants and shops.  Thankfully, public transportation was still running.

I dressed in a cute orange and polka dot dress and boarded my train to D.C.  Sammi and I jumped for joy as we met at Union Station.  The sights and sounds were overwhelmingly exciting.  Similar to New York, you can tell that this city never really sleeps.  Everyone seems to be heading somewhere with purpose.

As we headed out to find the hotel, we discovered that finding our way was going to be more confusing than we thought.  Being the independent, Rosie the Riveter-type girls, we thought, “We can do it!”  Funny thing, we could have taken another train from Union Station straight to the hotel, seeing as the hotel was next to the Metro Center.  But alas, that particular center was being renovated.  We stopped and asked a smiling station employee for directions and was told, “Getting to the Marriott is soooo easy, girls.  Just walk!”  So, we walked.  And walked.  And walked some more.  It just so happened that the hotel and Union Station were only two miles apart.  But, when you are lugging a purse, laptop bag, and small suitcase in ninety degree weather among winding blocks in crowds people, two miles can seem like ten.

After asking countless people to point us in the right direction and choosing not to take a cab (Rosie the Riveter, remember?), we finally reached the hotel, sweaty, thirsty, and with tired feet.  The hotel was great and just what we needed for our short trip.  Modern and sleek, and with wifi!  (Yes!  Instagram and Netflix were essential parts of the vacation).  We rested for a bit before deciding not to explore the city at six in the evening.  Instead, we went to the area below the hotel and enjoyed Five Guys.  We deserved a juicy hamburger!  After some girl time and movie-watching, we said hello to that welcome friend, slumber, excited for our adventures the next day.

In the morning, we got dressed, threw our sneakers on and had a cute (and expensive) breakfast in the hotel cafe.  Armed with pumpkin-spice frappuccinos, we were ready to explore.  Due to the metro center being closed for renovations, the city was offering free bus rides to certain areas of the city.  We rode to the nearest (and operating) train station and headed toward the National Mall.  I could hardly contain my excitement.  What grand secrets did the city hold?!

Remember when I mentioned that the government had shut down?  Well, the reality of this dawned on us and we saw “Closed” signs at the entrances of the museums we had so eagerly wanted to visit.  In the spirit of making the most of our trip, we explored what we could, taking pictures along the way.

Some of the my favorite sites included the Capitol building, National Monument (even though it was being worked on and had scaffolding around it), Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and the D.C. War Memorial.  I was slightly disappointed I couldn’t walk up to the Lincoln Memorial.  The city had closed off access to the steps.  Next time, right?

One of the most memorable parts of the trip is when we were just about finished visiting the Reflection Pool.  You will want to recall earlier in the post when I mentioned that the public bathrooms were closed due to the government shutdown.  Walking in the hot sun means staying hydrated.  Staying hydrated means needing to use the bathroom.  You can imagine how disappointed we were upon realizing we had to trek away from the National Mall to find a bathroom.  Despite our full bladders, we still had a fun time exploring.  And for some odd reason, we decided to take a cab to the White House, then walk several blocks from there to a Hard Rock Cafe to rest and eat and pee…

After a long day, we went back to the hotel, ordered cosmos and pizza, then watched Forrest Gump.  We weren’t ready to end the trip the next day, but “real life” needed to be started again.

I can’t wait to go back to D.C.  (I’ve been back once after that, but only for a 36-hour journalism trip).  I’m excited to explore the museums, find my way around the city, and finally walk up those steps to the Lincoln Memorial.  It’s going to be nice saying hello to Mr. Lincoln.