I just got back from spending a few days in Washington, DC. It was a great trip--the official reason for going was to attend a conference for work. But the added bonus of having lived there several years ago is that I also got to see lots of friends and favorite spots. I didn't feel the pressure to try and see every monument on the Mall or visit every Smithsonian museum...instead I just enjoyed being in the city again.
And oh the Metro...how I love that subway system. Seriously, I got all nostalgic each morning as I boarded the trains to go into the city. I'm sure if I did it day in and day out again, I might not get so misty-eyed. And sure, there was that moment when I waited 30 minutes to find out no trains would be running because of a problem between stations and there was a mass exodus of people crawling up the escalators. And I immediately fell into the "stand on the right, walk on the left, PEOPLE" irritable mentality.
But still...when we'd come out of the tunnel to cross the bridge over the Potomac into the city, I couldn't help smiling. There's the monuments and the capitol, the trees along the Tidal Basin, the clickity-clack of the train on the rails. Love it! And there's just an energy about living and working in DC. I'm happy with my slower-paced, Metro-less life in Dallas, but it was nice to be a city girl (make that East Coast girl) again for a few days.
2 comments:
I can identify with the feeling that you had for the monuments and all that makes D.C. special, but I have to admit, I have no clue when it comes to reading the Metro map.
I'm nervous about leaving my metro and amazing public transportation in Prague. Life is so easy when someone else "whisks" you around the city.
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