Greetings from the most patriotic place on the planet-- our nation's capitol! This post, or at least this portion of it, should be accompanied by some shrilly trilling piccolo and pulsating snares. I mean, at least a little Bruce Springsteen and Willie Nelson should be floating up from the floorboards. Or maybe just the sound of rain pouring down onto pavement, which would be a much more accurate soundtrack to my Fourth of July experience. Despite the fact it literally rained on the parade here, it was refreshing to have a little reminder of home halfway through my stay here in DC.
Friday afternoon Lidl treated us to an ice cream social. I felt like I was in grade school again and it was the day before Spring Break or some other vacation. Everyone was bubbling about their big weekend barbecuing or boating shenanigans. Once the final bell rang, aka my department's mass exodus to beat the traffic to New York, Philly or the Jersey Shore, I turned up the TBTL and turned onto full Weekend Mode.
Friday and Sunday evenings I hung out, primarily with fellow interns, in the charming neighborhood of Georgetown. On Sunday I was introduced to the friends of another Lidl intern. One of his friends and I for whatever reason started chatting about international relations and eventually we were geeking out about the foreign service. Well, it turns out her mother has close ties to the Embassy of Monaco. One thing leads to another and we're all heading back to her place, which just happens to be the Monegasque embassy. Man, never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be having a dance off to Icona Pop on the grounds of the Embassy of the Principality of Monaco to the US with some of my new friends and friends of friends!
The embassy was definitely a highlight, but I also discovered a pretty great place here in Alexandria. I've found my new writing nook, which just happens to be a hip little coffeeshop. Maybe it was the fact they serve A+ cold brew and iced tea in Mason jars canning jars (apparently AP outlawed that term) reminiscent of Eugene or maybe it was the strangely mesmerizing covers of covers of the Postal Service they play exclusively on vinyl. Who knows. But this place, Alexandria, but also DC on a whole, is growing on me. Maybe not the weather, but the social and cultural environments definitely are. And when I wasn't boogying away to Icona Pop or brainstorming for one of my freelance gigs, I went to the Mall twice (And no, not the Robin Sparkles kind. I know what you're thinking, SSHS Band circa summer 2013). I went once to meet up with a high school buddy and his sister and the second time to get in the Independence Day spirit along with my roomie and her boyfriend.
It came as no surprise, but the police and military presence in DC on the Fourth was huge. After the events this past weekend in Saudi Arabia, it's even more apparent how dangerous and unpredictable the world is. Sitting in the shadow of Abraham Lincoln listening to the pitter patter of rain and the low, dull murmur of tourist voices, my roommate and I would flinch every time an airplane would suddenly roar overhead completing its descent into Reagan National. It's hard not to immediately think the worst.
And while going out into the world does unquestionably require forethought and prudence, it also requires life. After reading the news day in and day out-- it is literally my job at the moment-- I can think of hundreds of reasons to run home, lock the doors, draw the blinds and curl up in a ball. But then I would never see the Monegasque embassy. Or meet new friends. Or reunite with old ones. Or discover the best coffeeshop ever. Or be in this amazing city learning things I didn't know I didn't know. For all of those things, and the freedom that has granted me the access to them, I am grateful. But enough talk-- now it's time to go seize the day, or rather seize some beauty sleep to take on the day tomorrow. One Lidl step at a time!
 |
| Speciosum hominem extra status Oregon in her natural habitat. |
 |
| Is that Portland I see? (It's not.) |
 |
| The roomie, good ol' Abe and a few thousand of our favorite tourists. |
 |
| I have never seen that many ambulances at once. |
 |
| Reflections on freedom. |