A Trip to Washington

Several weeks ago, my friend Amanda, told me that she had been hired to fly back to the DC area and photograph a wedding.  She then spoke the magic words and said, "You should come with me."  With a totally uncharacteristic speedy response, I said, "YES!"

And so, two days into our family's beach trip, I left Andrew with the four oldest kids, took Lucy and flew from Santa Barbara to Washington, DC (stopping in Salt Lake to meet up with Amanda.)  It was a quick trip - we arrived late Thursday night and left early Monday morning - but it was fantastic.  It was a chance to see dear friends, visit special places and take a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

Amanda and I stayed with our cute friend Jessie and man, she took good care of us.  When we arrived, we found a basket full of treats and snacks in our room - and in the closet, Jessie had put a little mini-fridge, stocked with cold Diet Cokes.  Talk about dreamy!  She and Conwey took us out to dinner one night and they let me use their car to drive all over Northern Virginia and DC.  It was amazing - but not surprising because that's just the kind of friends Jessie and Conwey are.

While we were there we were able to go to lunch at Coastal Flats with a big group of girl friends.  These are girls I was friends with in the early days of our marriage.  I love all these women so much - and although there were several I haven't seen in nearly four years, it was easy to pick up like we'd never been apart.  That's the sign of a real friend, don't you think?  It was so fun to hear about their husbands, kids and families and to get caught up on their lives.  I feel so blessed to call these girls my friends - and I am so grateful for the influence they have had on my life.

Amanda, Jessie and I also went to dinner at Carlyle Grand.  (Although now, I guess it's just "Carlyle".)  This was my favorite restaurant when we lived in Virginia.  It's the spot I loved to go for my birthday or a fun night out with friends or for a date-night with Andrew.  I still dream about the food at Carlyle regularly and I was afraid I had built it up too much.  I shouldn't have worried.  It was as yummy as I remembered.  Their bruschetta is to die for, and their grilled chicken goat cheese salad was as fantastic in real life as it was in my dreams.  As I drank my Diet Coke and studied their menu, I was one happy girl.

Me, in my happy place

On days when I am lonely, a little something to remember my salad by...

On Saturday, I spent most of the day by myself, (except for Lucy, my stellar traveling companion) and drove all over DC and Arlington.  It was such a trip down Memory Lane.  I drove past our old apartment, the first home Andrew and I bought and where I brought Abby and Isaac home from the hospital.  

I went over to Georgetown and walked around the campus and bought my kids some cool Georgetown gear.  I saw some incoming freshmen, who looked like they were twelve and almost choked when I realized that they were born the same year I started college myself.

Walking across Georgetown's campus

Georgetown Medical School - as seen from the car

I drove past the Smithsonian where I worked when I first moved to DC and then up by the Capitol and past the Senate Dirksen building where I worked until Abby was born.  I drove the route that was my daily commute and remembered the exhilaration I would feel everyday as I drove along the parkway,  seeing the monuments and the Potomac.  

The Smithsonian.  My job here totally legitimized my art history degree.

The Senate Dirksen Building: where my illustrious political career began and ended

My favorite view of the Capitol.  I saw this everyday on my way home from work.

Every step of the way I was taking pictures out the windows of the car and was calling Andrew in California to tell him where I was.  "I just drove past Cherrydale Hardware!"  Five minutes later:  "I'm driving across Key Bridge!"  Eight minutes later:  "I just drove past Whitlow's on Wilson!"  I was so excited to share every minute of the day with him.

I can't fully describe the feelings I had driving around that day.  My heart felt full almost to bursting as I drove around that area I love so much.  At one point, as I drove around and remembered so many experiences I had during the seven years I lived there, I had the thought: 

 "I grew up here."

Sure, I was born and raised in Utah but I really feel like it was in Washington, DC and Arlington, VA that I became me.  I moved there right after graduating from BYU without a job and not really knowing anyone and I created a life for myself.  I got a job and I met Andrew.  I learned how to be a wife and I became a mother.  

I thought about a very sad day in April 1999 when Andrew and I opened the mail and found out that he hadn't been accepted to the University of Utah Medical School.  We had been married for ten months and were living in Arlington, but were planning to move back to Utah for medical school.  That had been our plan all along and we were crushed when we got the news.   Less than two months later, Andrew got a phone call saying he'd been accepted at Georgetown Medical School and the next four years were a huge blessing in our lives.

As I drove around and thought about all that had happened during our years in Arlington and all the ways our lives have been blessed because we lived there, I called Andrew once again and said, "I am so grateful you didn't get into the U.  Our time in Virginia is one of the greatest blessings of our lives." Andrew totally agreed.

The Jefferson - as seen from the inside of a moving car.  (Not bad, huh?)

Finally, on our last night there, Jessie, Amanda and I went to visit the recently dedicated Pentagon Memorial.  As you enter the memorial, carved into stone are the words "September 11, 2001  9:37am"  As I read those words, I was overwhelmed with so many of the feelings of that day and my eyes welled up with tears.  Jessie, Amanda and I all reflected on where we were that day and remembered the shock and sorrow we felt.  The memorial is a stunning and reflective tribute to the 184 lives that were lost that day.  I was so glad to have the chance to walk through it and to remember.

A bad picture of Amanda taking, what I am sure is an awesome picture, 

of the Pentagon Memorial.

It was a short trip, but was so perfect.  I went back to the beach feeling rejuvenated and filled with gratitude.  I hope to make it back soon - only next time with Andrew.

Thanks to Jessie for being an amazing hostess and to all the girls who met for lunch.  And Amanda, thanks again for the invite.  It was unforgettable!

PS - Huge kudos to Andrew for taking care of the kids while I was gone and for encouraging me to go on this trip.  He is awesome.