Treasure Found

Tuesday, June 3
Walking home from work, down Florida then left on 18th and I have found this place, this place that on weekend nights when the bars let out I really don't like. Well at least I didn't like to, until I went to Big Slice with Jon after Bourbon...and followed it up with another Bourbon visit three months later for a night I will never forget. But Adams Morgan is seedy at 2am and frankly a little aggressive...not exactly my typical scene, and my high heels do not appreciate the holes in the sidewalk. however on a Tuesday afternoon, this part of town looks nothing like I had seen it before. 18th street looked like a cultural mix of food and drink that was waiting for life to be shot into it, but perfectly content with the calm rhythm of a normal Tuesday and the routine of daily lives...a calming routine of relaxation, where a few people were sitting outside there smoking a cigarette, others enjoying their iced latte and free wireless at a true gem for coffee house regulars.

And then there were the kids that brought a smile to my face, even bigger than my curious eyes that were taking in every sign, color, foreign script and ethnic food menu I could see. I found myself staring at these kids that were playing at this Community Center/School right on 18th street, across the street from this Ethiopian restaurant. Standing in front of the restaurant a man, who had to be almost 75 years old, smoking a cigarette on the patio of what had to be his local spot, caught me in the middle of my moment and asked me, "why are you smiling?" I replied, "They are just so full of life!" And they were, the kids were running around like crazy, having so much fun...and there was so much diversity, the kids were all different colors, were wearing all different colors and were running around, jumping up and down, screaming and laughing....and it was just priceless. The man replied, "well you look pretty full of life, you look so happy." "I just found a gem in my city." I found myself saying...it truly was a gem, sort of like a precious stone that's found in the ground....before it just looks like a rough around the edges clump of "who knows what," but if you really look at it, get to the heart of it, you see there is something there, when you least expect it, and when your not looking for it. He said, 'what is?!" pausing, I gave him a smile and said "you are." laughing, he said that I was mistaken and that I must be talkin' about the food at the restaurant....he continued to ramble on about Ethiopian food for the next three minutes, I can't remember what I was told to order. Which is a problem because I've never had Ethiopian food before and my roommates and I have decided to all go eat Ethiopian food together. I'm hoping it will come back to me and I will just know, but I fear I was too content, to in the moment to actually listen and remember what was being said to me.

But what's so great about it is that it started out as just another day as a working girl in DC in the summer (but i haven't started my real job yet and can still work whenever I want). No I'm not one of the many interns that flock to the sticky, humid DC summer to run the government and "sexually experiment with the entire Hill." I am finishing my job with the Institute...I won't give the full name in fear that the entire place crumbles to the ground shortly after I leave when my boss' craziness reeks full havoc like a tornado on a hot Midwestern night. I was supposed to go running this morning, but have finally allowed myself to sleep in and relax...I'm still not that great at it and as a true morning person, I still find it difficult, but Jon has helped me grow more accustomed to it. Soon enough I will have to start getting up very early, and will not be able to decide what days I play hookie just because the weather is nice outside (though in DC if its 70-75, sunny, blue clear sky and no humidity I suggest you cherish that day, even if it means you just take a very long lunch and have to stay late in the office because those kind of days do not last forever.) Oh, you think you like DC in the summer, because you came to DC before it was summer—it was still "spring" when you arrived, summer is the 100+ and very humid late july and august that hasn't hit yet, but when it does its like a mac truck, whose transmission dies right when its square over you, and your just stuck there, can't move. I mean, you can actually feel the air here in the summer! its horrible! Do not, I repeat, and I'm saying this to myself as well, wear a lined suit if you are walking to work. Just buy a summer suit, or wear the skirt. My mom always told me to never buy pants that weren't lined, so I get it if you are a little confused, but pretend like your in the Bahamas or something, unlined pants are necessary!

So back to the day. I walked to work today, like the past few days, across the bridge on Connecticut over Rock Creek Park to the Dupont area. It was really nice out, did my same old boring work, but besides the fact that I had heartburn all day, from I don't know what...the day managed to go by relatively quickly....helped by the fact that I calculated how much money I should be receiving in my next pay check....it was a large sum, that convinced me that I must go to Jordan/Israel to visit Kate—if she would only make up her mind/summon the Israeli university Gods to tell her where she was going so I could make my travel plans. Because in my new life, where I have nothing to do after work because I'm no longer in school and only work 8 hrs a day at my job and my boyfriend works late/really late, I decided to walk back from work through Adams Morgan. The weather forecast aka weather.com, the most inaccurate weather projection in the world I'm convinced, said it was about to storm, and when I went outside earlier to get Mylanta it was windy and cooling down...I booked my ass to Adams Morgan. I just had to make it to Tryst! Along the way however, I couldn't help but fall in love with my life and the neighborhood. DC I've decided....probably from the many conversations I've had with my roommates who have similar opinions....is so cool because its a bunch of neighborhood, that all have their unique characteristics, and while it can be spread out, it never feels overwhelming like the skyscrapers of NY, but like a bustling city like NY there is always a new thing to be found, a new area to explore. DC reminds me a lot of many of the things about London that I love, and I am so glad that I have finally gotten my ass of the hilltop. I've moved my ass to another hilltop, one with, if you can imagine, an even more reputable address. But what's so great about 3000 Connecticut, not focusing on the fact that I have a queen size bed and no snoring roommate is the fact that my "neighborhood" is like four neighborhoods and maybe five if I include the fact that I still go to whole foods in Georgetown. I walk through Woodley park everyday on my way to work, run through it on my jogs, Cleveland park is where I joined the library today and where I finish my jogs and where the first roommate dinner, a Monday night tradition that will be transformed from our first where we ate Mexican food, to a much healthier Yoga followed by sushi or salad. To make sure that our Mondays are never as rough as the rest of the working world! Then I basically feel like Dupont is almost like my neighborhood, because I walk there everyday, my office for now is there and its close, and then there's Adams Morgan.

Randomly ran into Katie and Josh at Tryst. I feel horrible for being so anti-social last night, but I'm reading Eat, Love, Pray and was in the middle of a chapter and couldn't put it down (if you ever read this book you will think I'm crazy for saying in the middle of a chapter because the chapters are either a page long or if thought of differently a third of the book.) I'm talking the sections, I was in the middle of Italy and had to finish so that I could start on India the next day. Everyone should read this book. I am not thirty years old recovering from a divorce and depression, and I'm hoping you aren't either, but that doesn't matter. This book is hilariously written, full of wit and truly speaks about human nature and life in general. There are certain people in my life that have to, have to have to read this book, because her insight on some subjects is exactly what I want to tell some of my friends/family, but don't have the heart, or am not the right person to tell them. I mean the main character went crazy at one point almost, telling someone you love that they basically have/are going through a similar situation or act very similar to that is not exactly easy.

We sat and talked and I fell in love with the atmosphere of the place and their iced skim latte blended....and i haven't tasted them yet, but their waffles that come in a variety of flavors are going to be the death of me, as well as the cinnamon buns. I have self control, but I mean, no really...in the past two weeks I've eaten two boxes of cheese cake! ps. frozen deserts from Trader Joe's are to die for! get in on some of that goodness however the peppermint cheesecake while an interesting experiment for the taste buds if you like the cream cheese flavor of cheesecake don't bother with experimentation.

Then back to the apartment, there were 3 NATS tickets left for us for a 7.10 game, couldn't make it and there was rain, then I joined he neighborhood library, my first step in officially joining the neighborhood (besides contributing my trash and recycling). They know I'm here now....I have a library card!

Day 1 attempting to be a blogger = success

I will return again to hopefully bring more random facts and neighborhood finds and remember to check your google events calendar for daily events and fun gatherings!

ps. it eventually did storm.