This is a running thing, so it's not formatted. It might not even be good until I get home, revise and whatnot. But if you're interested in the raw copy, take a look. Comment. Whatever.
I decided this trip could have not come at a better time. It's more so in the middle of the summer and it's fairly warm and all cities are crawling with life, big and small. I realized I could sit at home in Miami and dwell on the fact that someone stole my identity and that my car just decided to give the finger in the middle of the work day. Who knew the damn thing had a computer? But I decided I would proceed with my trip as planned. I knew that I needed this trip more than I realized. I've only been to NY once for four days in 2004. I needed to broaden my horizons as not just a student, but as an individual as well. My family was never really big on traveling. The farthest north I've travelled with them was Daytona and that was when my sister and I were kids. I always found the adventure thrilling, but the trips stopped and so I guess did my ambition for travel. I'm a homebody. It must be genetic.
Trip's Log: Day One. The date is July 2nd 2008. I am sitting at the gate to board my flight in Ft. Laudy International. The people are nice. Air Jamaica's ticketing station was positioned right next to my bag check-in. So it was fairly familiar atmosphere: People hissing their teeth as if it communicated their moods better than words .
Jessica and Sarah
I meet two girls at my terminal: Jessica and Sarah. They were nice so I thought I'd have plane-pals. But it turns out they had flown in from Chicago at 3:00 A.M. Their flight to Lima is laid-over for seven hours. They were going to be there for a while. I was relatively early. It was about 11ish and my flight didn't board until about 1:30ish. It was suppose to board at 12:59 so we could leave 1:29. But there were delays. It made me wonder if they had time enough to refuel. But it worked out because obviously I am still alive. The girls and I have random, intermittent conversation and I find out they are actually going to teach the children of Peru, I believe it was geography and art. They were both adopted themselves and are not entirely fluent in Spanish, but going none-the-less. It made me feel less than excited about my vacations because I was just visiting friends. I wasn't going on some noble excursion to exotic lands to help educate young minds. I spoke with an older gentleman next to me who had been to D.C. before. He and his wife were going to a wake. Was I the only person with selfish interests this summer? Apparently...But I was excited to see all my friends and what they were doing outside of Miami. I believe you don't really know who you re until you extract yourself from your comfort zone. I exchange contact info with the girls and board my flight.
Of course everyone is glued to their cell phones. You start to feel like August Rush in crowded places, finding melody in the strangest accompaniment of sounds.
I am seated in the aisle next to this couple. The boyfriend is immersed in some book. The girlfriend feigns worry about her safety instruction pamphlet which had been stashed in the pocket in front of my seat. I returned it to her and cited I had no such plot to impede her safety should the plane go down. I noticed the air coming out from the tops of the windows. It wasn't just cool air, it looked like mist. It was either really hot in there and the air was so cold it was visible or some other cool explanation. I read my "Hey Whipple: Squeeze this," book and the girl next to me tries to read an environmental magazine before retreating to her laptop for a little "Sense and Sensibility," starring Hugh Grant. I fall a sleep for a bit and wake up, play some music and before I know it, the flight's over. Turns out the couple was on vacation in Key Largo. They helped give me some directions, which I ended up not needing anyway. I got off and walked my heavy luggage to the Metro, bought a ticket, got on the Blue line to Foggy Bottom GWU(George Washington University, I didn't know either. I was like...what the hell is GWU? I thought my friend had texted me a typo.) But I was right. So I get off the station and the George Washington Hospital is right there. Coming up from the Metro was like breathing after nearly five hours of captivity. I identified with how those animals at the zoo must feel. The city was beautiful. The architecture is amazing. The Seven Eleven looked like it had its own loft. I would live in the Seven Eleven building. I searched for a Starbucks for about 10 minutes before saying, "Screw this, I'm taking a taxi." And for $6.50 I was in Georgetown waiting for Drew to get off of work. We took the 20 Minute walk to his place. It's funny how different a place can feel. Your body notices. The sidewalks aren't the same. the streets flow differently. My body and especially my feet were in shock.
Drew's building is nice enough. It's no 5-star Hotel but it was acceptable. My propensity was to clean everything, so I did a little. At home I'm a slob... because it's your home. You know your home, when it's dirty and clean you know. Other places...surprise you. But it's nice. Drew was subleasing from a girl named Amanda. She left a very touching letter with helpful hints about the Garbage disposal and the wireless network. She's studying law from all the books I can see. But new a girl lived here because of the size of the bathroom/closet. It screamed Carrie Bradshaw. It was pretty bare though. But it's nice. Puts me in a very quaint mood. It reminds me of how lucky I have it home. Early 20's. Not so much grandiose living on your own. I'm milking it when I get back home. But it's cute.
So highlights. We went to Jack's for dinner with Drew's friend Joey. It was 1/2 off burger night at Jack's. $3 Margarita's. You know I was on it. I even ordered the mango flavored margarita. Just $1 more..So my first meal was fairly inexpensive. I loved it. I barely finished it, gave my fries away. We went for ice-cream which I opted-out for. I was too full. We walked to Dupont circle and watched the teenage crowd roam the park. This creepy old guy kept strolling by and staring at Joey, so we decided to leave. We went to the supermarket and bought a few incidentals. I bought nectarines. Love them.
This is where I am staying on the map.
Drew and I headed back home. We checked our emails and stuff. And then I looked over at the futon. And this is the good part. If you read this far....this is the reward. I go to open the futon, which is kind of dirty because Drew never really uses it. He says it's too uncomfortable to sit on. So even worse...I have to sleep on it. There are no sheets. He might have told me this. But I am sure I thought he was kidding. So I go to open it up and it doesn't...lay flat all the way. He helps me push it down and there is something strange about the way it sits. The damn thing is leaned all the way over to the left side. Like it literally tips to the left side. I don't know who helped Amanda put this damn thing together, but it was so jank. So of course Drew laid on it to find the sweet-spot. Meaning the farthest I could lean left before rolling down like a hot-dog on a George Foreman grill. I of course stood and steadied one side so he wouldn't go rolling off.
So I am still upset about these sheets and literally about to go out and find a place. I call target at around 10 PM and they say they closed at 9:30. Why they answered the phone, I do not know. So we search the closet and nothing. Andrew's on his bed laughing furiously and I'm not so much mad, but not happy either. I reach under futon and there are the sheets. They must have been new because they were still giving off the fuzz and they smelled like packaging. Thank GOD. I didn't find the extra blanket and pillows until the morning. So we read for a bit and then Drew went to sleep. I tried to maintain equlibrium on my see-saw futon while reading "Slaughter House Five," by Kurt Vonnegut. (Thanks again Alex. Lol. I found your husband's 6th period course card in it. Mr Vassaleo's 8th period Western Civilization. Who's De La Osa?) So that was the day in a really longwinded nutshell.
Anyway...why am I in here writing when I should be out there taking pictures I don't know. Peace. I will clean up this grammar mess later. More pictures, more fun, more tales. Hope you liked the info. Less detail more pictures right? I know, I know. And since my trip is less than a selfless crusade to educate our youth or something else as noteworthy. I plan to do a few social experiments and hoepfully not get robbed. That is my plan.
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