i really did not take very many pictures...at all. perhaps 10 in total.
B and A driving in rita to the airport. funniest moment about this picture: as soon as we took it we both looked at each other and said, "nancy cannot ever see this picture". well too late. mama, i promise, A is a fine driver.
i had to fight back the tears of joy (or maybe my eyeballs were sweating from the extreme humidity) upon exiting the airport in washington dc. everything there is green and beautiful. i was in heaven and felt a pang of home sickness. it was wonderful to see jacob and to spend a little time with him before he jettsetted off to thailand. he braved the dc rush hour (such a sweedish champ) to fetch me from the airport and then we just relaxed a bit.
perk of being in dc: there are so many vegetarian restaurants. it was extraordinary to have options available to me. i heartily partook right away.
i had the opportunity to ride up to the top of the washington monument. very cool. so much history there and amazing views.
please feel free to pretend that the reflection pool was not under construction.
it is easy to get a great landscape shot when you are 555 feet high.
and that is what happens when a 14 year old boy takes your picture. but i should be grateful that it cut off half of my perma shine face that i was sporting the entire trip. adam looks great. but he's adam, he always looks great. and what a savvy tour guide. the man knows everything about everything. i didn't realize that it was such a big deal, but apparently, georgetown cupcakes are all the rage...kk- you would have died. not just from the near diabetic coma, but from the sheer site of all of the adorable cuppycakes.
i also had the opportunity to attend the washington dc temple. this did require a rather interesting metro trip during rush hour (guess who fits right under everyone's armpits in standing room only metros...), but i made some friends, had a missionary opportunity and made it there in one piece. the drive to the temple is absolutely breathtaking. i wanted time to stand still so i could just soak in all of the foliage and beauty of god's earth. but a car ride with one of my best friends, listening to npr, on my way to the temple- that works too.
this temple is so special to me.
my family is where it is today because of the courage and faith of my parents making covenants there 30 years ago. we are so blessed and it was truly emotional to be able to participate in the ordinances in such a beautiful and sacred building. there was a nice nature path that surrounds the temple grounds that andrew and i walked around afterwards. i was just so happy to be there.
as a matter of fact, i was just happy to be out east in general. it was refreshing to not feel smothered by the pressures of provo, it was nostalgic to chase lightening bugs, and comforting to be with old friends. and as it is sea level there- the running is fantastic! i flew through all my troubles and i could not stop smiling. it is a good thing that i was running so much because the next morning i wolfed down a decent portion of:
mmmm eastern market's famous buckberry pancakes. so yum. carb heaven.
and then it was onto book heaven. why are there not more of these around? being in that store was bittersweet- i was so overjoyed to be surrounded by stacks of thousands of books but knew that i would require days to fulfill my curiosity. but andrew did walk out with two of my very favorites books and so that was satisfaction in itself.
we walked around the flea market but it was just so gosh darn hot. so what is the best way to cool off? just the way i was raised- jump in a river.
we headed to the potomac river where they had kayaks for rent. i was so happy. first of all i love being in the river- i know it sounds filthy but it just makes me so happy to be there. it was a beautiful day, we were right in georgetown where the water was warm and wonderful. andrew was right when he said that the only thing that would have made it better would be if we had brought our books.
georgetown is completely adorable. sure it has cupcakes, but it is such a charming little town. everything has so much character and class and i loved it. the shopping wasn't bad either. i love east coast style. so classic, nautical and preppy (my visit has officially solidified by decision to purchase a longchamp tote-i realize that it would be so trendy, but they are practical in every way.). i would just love to live there.
later that night we went for a bike ride from arlington to the district. it was one of the most enjoyable bike rides that i have had in a while. granted, i was not racing for anything, but just soaking in the eastern evening air and enjoying my surroundings (it should be noted- i do not recommend using a cheap cruiser to bike the 15 miles...though it can be done.)
our first stop was the WWII memorial (the rest of these pictures were taken by andrew- not bad for a phone, again horrible tourist, i know). the monuments are striking in the nighttime. they are so grandiose and have an alluring reverence.
it was so fun to ride around to the different spots and see everything, not to mention a little break from the the extreme heat that i was not accustomed to. and luckily for me, andrew is very knowledgeable on many subjects and learning from him made it all the more of an engrossing experience.
i love america. being exposed to so much of our nation's history, even just for a short time, was such a blessing. everything worked out just fine with flights, accommodations, transportation, meeting up with friends, seeing things that i wanted to, and taking a little break from everyday life. i was able to make some new friends, read my book, watch movies, go for walks, eat yummy food, and spend time with people that mean a lot to me. thank you, mama for fixing my flights, jacob and jaren for your house, adam for sightseeing, conversation, love and taking me to the airport, andrew for...well pretty much the rest of it.
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