Washington, D.C.

I love Washington, D.C. I have loved it ever since I was a six-year-old first grader is Mrs. Steely’s class at Marshall County Elementary School in Lewisburg, Tennessee. And I hadn’t even seen it yet. In fact, it would be another three years before I saw it for the first time. But the way Mrs. Steely talked about it…well, I could imagine I had been there.

For most people, I imagine seeing some European city like Paris or Venice or some exotic island like New Zealand or Tahiti would be the epitome of their greatest adventure. And while those places would be worth seeing, going to Washington, D.C. for the first time when I was nine continues to be one of the highlights of my life. And, oddly enough, one of the greatest disappointments. Why? Because we didn’t have the opportunity to see the statue of Iwo Jima that trip. But, don’t worry. I’ve seen it every other time I’ve been to D.C. A statue I could sit and stare at for hours.

Which is why, when I was getting to know my husband, I was astounded to discover he had never been to Washington, D.C. NEVER!!!! He grew up not four hours from that amazing city and never saw it. NEVER!!!! I don’t think I could have been more amazed if he told me he had been born with two heads. NEVER?!?!?

Well, I am happy to say we have remedied that. This past weekend, my parents came from Indiana to watch the kids and we took off to D.C. for a few days. An exhausting but amazing three days. Yes, yes, yes…it was great to have a trip with just my husband. I actually slept for eight hours straight one night, I can still get ready to go in the morning in just ten minutes, and I got to eat all the food on my plate for several meals by myself. Talk about a vacation! But the best part was showing Ed the amazing city of Washington, D.C.

Now, certainly, I am no expert on D.C. I’m not a tour guide. I’ve never been a night-life person. I’m more than happy with Subway over some hole-in-the-wall café. And I’m certainly not a politician. There are a million things about D.C. I have never experienced, but that’s okay. Because we walked miles, and miles, and miles to see things I have loved since I was six-years-old: the Capitol, the White House, the Washington Monument, Iwo Jima, Arlington National Cemetery, the World War II Memorial, the Thomas Jefferson building of the Library of Congress, the National Archives….and so much more! Plus, I saw things I had not seen before: the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Zoo (yes, I got a glimpse of one of the pandas!), different sections of Arlington and Theodore Roosevelt Island. It was wonderful.

And we can’t wait to go back. Next time, we’ll take the kids!