I don't know how to begin this post- I am currently sitting on the train, waiting to get moving as people file in, awkwardly hoisting suitcases and carry-ons into the overhead shelf. The taste of a much-craved green tea matcha smoothie lingers on my tastebuds, and I have the crippling desire to stay in DC and take the place of my friend's brother and live amongst her family as a polite imposter.
Ah, we're moving.
My long weekend has been plenty of things, perhaps most significantly, it has been necessary.
On Friday, I got up early and drove an hour to the Newport News Amtrak station. It was a clumsy trip- Google's final guidance to me were cryptic: "Turn right. Turn left." So of course, I ended up on the other end of the road, and then I ended up passing it and getting all sorts of turned around thanks to my free navigation app.
From here, the trip was great: I found a seat next to an unimposing older lady that reminded me of my abuelita. It was something about her vibes and tiny shoulders that did it. We chit-chatted, and I found out that she came to the states as a student from Korea, and upon learning my major and complementing my complexion, she told me to go to med school and get a boyfriend, words I had in fact, heard from my abuelita. Then, in further abuelita-fashion, refused to take no for an answer when she offered me a snack. When I politely declined a hard-boiled egg, she gave me a handful of grapes.
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| Monument to FDR |
When I arrived at Union Station, Becca was waiting for me at the gate- she's a dear friend, a fellow brass player, and my Spring semester housemate. Over the course of the weekend I stuck to her like glue. She guided us through the metro system and I arrived, unstressed and content, to her home.
After meeting her absolutely welcoming parents, she gave me a tour of her stomping ground. We traced chapters of her life, and having moved every couple of years, it was fascinating for me to consider what it was like walking to school with the same person every day for years.
I saw the monuments that evening, after eating homemade pizza and sitting at a real dinner table visiting a real family dinner. At home, dinner is our gathering time- we all have our spots at the dinner table, and we talk about our days. So I don't think I can really describe how comforting and relaxing it was to be at the table with them.
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| Golden Lion Tamarin at the National Zoo! |
On Saturday, we walked until I thought my feet were going to fall off. We went to the zoo, to Adam's Morgan, to DuPont Circle. We were planning on walking to Georgetown, but our aching feet made the decision to take the bus.
The entire weekend was full: of walking, certainly of eating, and the pleasure of being around people I know. I met a group of Becca's friends from highschool,, and another friend from Vassar. We watched a terrible movie, ate cupcakes from Georgetown cupcakes and as they talked about the people they know, I forgot about my tanlines and the quiet feelings of dread that are accompanying the approach of my departure.
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| Smithsonian Museum of Natural History |
After living for three months with strangers, in an unfamiliar place, visiting was wonderful- which is why I am stingily taking up two seats so I can wallow in my nerves without having to make small talk with any more strangers. I'm a very particular person. I like things the way I like them, and it's hard to be at ease when you're getting to know people in the house you're living it. It gets to be a little tiring, which is why it was so great to take a long weekend.
So, filled with a spectrum of emotions ranging from nervousness to relaxation, I return to Dismal to start my very last week of Summer. I leave on Sunday.
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