DC….roundin up the trip to DC
My final days in DC started by checking out Meridian Hill Park and its gorgeous fountain and then checking out the streets nearby Logan Circle. There were a few walks that were focused on the Logan Circle/ U-Street Cardozo area and I spent a day checking out the area even though there weren’t that many historical sights to mention. I managed to complete 35 walks during my time in DC, and that seemed a little impressive to me because all of the walks seemed to be at least a mile in length. My favorite parts of DC included the Botanical Gardens, the government buildings, and seeing all the must-see sights a tourist does in DC. I hadn’t been to DC since I was very young and didn’t remember seeing any of the sights when I was younger even though I had to see the White House at some point, but it was good for me to experience DC as a city all over again and gain a new appreciation for our nation’s capital.
My last day in DC consisted of me helping the girls move from their old apartment to their new apartment. This required us getting a large truck, which was successfully driven by one of the girls, and then moving ALL of their stuff - I mean everything! - from their apartment into the truck. We were lifting bookshelves, tables, chairs, computers, clothing, and everything else one moves, and it took forever. However, we were assisted by a few other recent Kenyon grads who moved to DC, and it was much easier once they arrived. After successfully moving everything out of the first apartment, and then moving it into the second apartment we all celebrated at a nearby Hooters! Yay! I was the only guy out of the group of 5, so that was interesting, but I got an appetizer because I had already had Hooters a few times on the road trip, and had fun talking with the girls about what they had been up to since graduation and where they wanted to go.
It was fascinating seeing everyone in this new stage in their lives. We were no longer students concerned about what classes we’d be taking, or the homework assignments that were due next week. There was definitely a noticeable transition in each of our mindsets that always seemed absent to me while I was at Kenyon. Instead of talking about oddities that occurred at Kenyon we were now talking about what seemed to be more important issues. What we were doing with our lives….how we were paying the bills…what we wanted to do in a year or two…and all those things recent college grads talk about, with a little reminiscing of the good ol’ Kenyon days.
I had a phenomenal time in DC, and staying with the girls really made my visit that much better. I was longing to see some friends and people I knew, and DC ended up accomplishing that goal, and providing me a lot of other wonderful experiences. I left DC thinking that I wouldn’t want to live in the city, but I knew that if I came back there’d be a handful of Kenyon grads who were living/working there and I’d always be nearby a fellow Kenyonite. I thanked the girls again for their incredible hospitality and generosity (i don’t know if i mentioned that I also took them out to dinner to thank them for the week) and was ready for my next destination….Baltimore.
Tags: Summer 2007 Road Trip, Travel
