It's funny the way that people who live close to places that are important or popular can take those places for granted. I, personally, have lived most of my life near a popular beach town, Ocean City, MD, and not too far (2ish hours) from Washington DC. Washington is far enough away that I guess I never completely took it for granted, but I did go almost every other year on a school trip, and on enough family trips that, for a while, it lost a lot of its appeal as a day trip destination. I know where to get the rock candy in the Natural History museum, I know how to get to the sculpture garden from the Air and Space Museum, and I know where Kermit is in the American History museum- I figured that was enough.
But then I realized that there is so much more to DC than just the Mall (though there is more there to see than you realize when you are 12). It could be fun just to spend a day reading the buildings! There is a building that says, I kid you not, that the organization within the building strives to be an "ear trump to the world." Hehehe- I wish I was an artist and I could draw the picture that comes into my head when I hear that phrase- kind of an old cartoony version of the world with arms and legs and a cane and a long white beard saying "Eh?" with an ear trump to its ear which would be right over DC. And I really want to go to the spy museum and the newspaper museum sometime.
And now, DC is my destination. I've decided that I want to be a bigger part of my family's life, especially my little brother who is only one and I want to be close while he grows up. On the other hand, I want to live my life, have friends, make money, and be on my own, and the Eastern Shore isn't exactly full of the best opportunities for me to do that. So Washington DC is my goal- it has jobs, friends from college who have moved there, and a world of the arts that is only a couple hours from my family. Win-win. :-) So that is why I am thankful for Washington DC.
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How many trips to DC did we make when you girls were growing up? It was always fun and exciting. We liked to visit Hard Rock Cafe in Washington, the old Post Office with its cool bell tower, and the IMAX at the Natural History or Air and Space Museum. I remember some of us liked to read the signs and some of us did not, and rushed the others on (you know who you are)...good times :)
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