with all of my symphonies, in 24 parts

Twenty-four years on this planet...and I find myself in a pretty darn good place. I have a husband who loves me, family who loves me, friends who love me, and most importantly, a God who loves me and shows His love through all the people mentioned above. Year #23 was a year with it's ups and downs. I was exposed to several people in my life experiencing illness, and through these experiences I have gained a new perspective on how God is always with us in times of struggle, but that does not mean the struggle will instantly go away. I also attended a multitude of weddings during the last year and watched so many dear friends enter into marriage. I got to see my brother further pursue his dream of being a filmmaker by being part of a USC film program this summer. I have seen how my parent's have become happier after getting another dog (and I have loved being Milo's auntie!). I have continued to ponder my career path, and then have also been challenged with the concept that our main occupation on Earth is to be lovers of God and lovers of people, and whatever we do to pay the bills is secondary (this comes from reading Shane Claiborne's The Irresistible Revolution...amazing book). I look forward to year #24 and all that the next 365 days have to offer.

On the streets of Philadelphia

The second stop of our trip was the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia. After a long ride on the Greyhound from DC (we sat for about 90 minutes in gridlock traffic), we arrived at our adorable bed and breakfast. We then asked the owner for a recommendation of the nearest location of where we could find authentic Philly cheesesteaks. He directed us to Jim's Steaks on South Street, only a 15 minute walk away. We were both starving, and hurriedly power-walked over to Jim's, both salivating. We were not disappointed. I wolfed down my sandwich (and it must have been a foot long!) and almost wanted to order a second, but then realized that I might regret that decision later on in the evening, so I abstained. By golly, Philly cheesesteaks are a simple yet amazing combination of thinly sliced steak right off the grill, with slices of provolone cheese (or American cheese, your choice) on a long roll. That's it, no vegetables or special sauces or other such nonsense. Just meat, cheese, and bread.....and really, that's all you need. Ok, moving on from my cheesesteak obsession.
Besides the cheesesteaks, I have to admit I wasn't that impressed with Philadelphia initially. The area we walked around in South Street was kind of shady, I felt that one in every seven stores there was a kinky sex shop. So we headed back to our B&B and called it a night. The next day though helped my attitude towards Philly take a total 180.
The next morning, we walked to the Old City Historical District. This included Independence Hall, where if you recall your US history, was where the Declaration of Independence was signed and where the Constitutional Convention took place. We then saw the Liberty Bell and I was surprised at how small it is in real life. We also walked to the cemetry where Ben Franklin is buried and strolled down Elferth's Alley, the oldest continuously inhabited residential neighborhood in the United States, it's first tenants began living there in the early 1700's. My first impressions of Philly were quickly replaced with a great appreciation for a city with a rich historical background and a desire to share that history with others. Even though our time in Philly was brief, I'm glad we were able to see most of the historical sights that we wanted to see. Being in Phildelphia helped me to get a glimpse of why this city was the birthplace of American democracy, at least in many aspects.

Capitol city

Since having one gigantic post about each city we visited on our trip would be a daunting task to write, I'm going to split up each city into a different post.

The first stop of our trip was Washington, D.C. We flew into our nation's capitol on September 11th, and yes, I had a small tinge of anxiety while boarding the plane as I thought about a repeat terrorist attack. Then I realized I was being silly and was more likely to die in a car accident on my way home from work. Anyhow, upon our arrival in DC, we could feel the wonderful East Coast humidity upon stepping off the plane. I pondered how I would need to buy some hair defrizzer. Luckily, for the rest of our time there it wasn't humid at all!

I had been to DC before on an 8th grade trip, but I remember being too busy having a crush on some guy to really take in all that the city has to offer. This time around, David and I really tried to do as much as possible in our 4 days there and I feel that we succeeded. Of course, you could spend a few weeks in DC and still not see everything (I mean, there are 15 Smithsonian museums alone to visit!) but we gave it our best shot. Highlights included:

-tours of the White House, Supreme Court, Library of Congress, and US Capitol Building (we set this up through our congressman and I would highly recommend doing so if you ever go)
-National Air and Space Museum
-National Portrait Gallery
-National Postal Museum
-National Zoo (we saw the baby panda!)
-National Archives
-eating Ethiopian food in the Adams-Morgan neighborhood
-visiting Georgetown
-discovering an amazing pizza place in Dupont Circle, Pizzeria Paradiso
-Arlington Cemetery and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
-National Cathedral
-night visit to the Jefferson Memorial
-day visits to the Lincoln Memorial, WWII Memorial and Vietnam Memorial

I also tried to keep a journal of our trip and failed miserably, only chronicling the first two days. But it is below in case you're interested in reading a more detailed account. Overall, DC was my second-favorite city we visited, next to NYC. It has such a unique vibe and isn't quite as crazy and frantic as New York. I look forward to going back eventually and hopefully being able to spend more time there.

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September 12th

Our first full day in DC was indeed a full one, as we were gone from our hotel a full 13 hours before returning. We saw the original Constitution and Declaration of Independence at the National Archives and it gave me goosebumps thinking that I was inches away form the very document that our Founding Fathers signed back when idea of America as a democratic nation was a small inkling in their minds. Now over 230 years have passed and we can stare at these documents that held the concepts that would be the basis for our country...it sure makes you feel patriotic. We also toured the White House and the Capitol building which were both good tours. We even saw President Bush's dog, Barney, out walking himself in the White House garden!

I really enjoyed all the different areas of DC we saw today---downtown, Dupont Circle, Adams-Morgan area, and a little bit of the U Street Corridor. All of these places have a unique feel and I love walking down the street and seeing all the old architecture. It causes my mind to wander, thinking about who occupied these same buildings 100 years ago and how much has changed since then.

Our evening was also quite memorable for two reasons: 1) I tried Ethiopian food for the first time....I'll definitely be having this again upon returning to CA and 2) we came upon an AWESOME jazz ensemble playing on the corner of the roundabout of Dupont Circle that was made up of mostly trombones, a tuba, and a snare drum. There was also an adorable 7 year old kid playing the cymbals. They sounded like they had been transplanted right out of New Orleans because their music had that distinctive Dixieland jazz sound. These guys were good, and not just good for people playing on the street, but just good period. David and I stood entranced until we realized it was almost 11 and we needed to get to bed. I love these random moments, the moments that cause you to enjoy the little things in life. Anyway, off to another exciting day of museum hopping tomorrow!

September 13th

My legs are even sorer today after many miles more walking than I'm used to doing at home. There's just so much to see here and my legs can't keep up it seems. First, we went to the top of the Washington Monument, which gave a nice view of all of DC. We then went on to explore our first Smithsonian museum today--Museum of Air and Space. I'll admit that my favorite exhibit had nothing to do with either air or space but rather 'National Treasures of American History", an exhibit which is temporarily up while the American History museum is being remodeled. In this section, you could view such cultural icons as the ruby slippers used in the production of "Wizard or Oz" or Louis Armstrong's coronet. However, the items that made the biggest impression on me were Lincoln's top hat (the very one he was wearing when he was shot) and George Washington's military uniform. Again, a large wave of nostalgia rushed over me while staring at these two pieces of clothing that were worn by two of the most remarkable presidents this country has ever had. I began to contemplate how this top hat and this uniform that were right in front of me had been worn during some of America's milestone moments---such as the delivery of the Emancipation Proclamation or the Battle of Valley Forge. But contemplations like these can't last long here if you want to see everything in 3 1/2 days, which is why I wish we could have more time here to fully soak in the historical richness of everything.

We also went on a tour of the Supreme Court, which was interesting but not as in depth as I would have liked, and the Library of Congress, which was surprisingly more interesting than I thought it would be. Who knew that it held 130 million items, including 30 million books, 2.7 million sound recordings, and 6,000 comic books?

The day ended with MORE delicious pizza at Pizzeria Paradiso and then a night walk to the Jefferson Memorial. If only the memorials were closer together! I had hoped to also see the Lincoln memorial, but that will have to wait until tomorrow night, since my feet couldn't talk any more abuse. I look forward to our last full day in DC tomorrow.