I bet you all thought you'd have a break from me this week? Truth is, blogging is a grounding activity for me now, something that helps me track my time and actions. When I'm in different places, grounding is needed even more so by me. As it's Friday, no theme of the day so just tidbits in my head.
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| A mini flight of three to wrap up our week. |
Travelling in Threes
All three of us have different circadian rythms, problem solving tools, and communication styles, my two daughters and I. I think we maneuvered fairly well, but one week is probably the extent of maneuvering. We also have different degrees of organization, which on a scale of 1-5, my older daughter's a 5 and her sister is a 2. I'd say 1, but she has a lot going on in her brain, and her chaos works for her, but only to a certain extent. We've enjoyed our time together, and will appreciate our individual ways and means once home. I think travelling with more than one other person always inherently calls for more adaptability.
Meeting People from Home
Is this universal or a Minnesota thing? At the Washington Monument, the chatty park ranger guiding the floor elevator asked where folks were from. She mentioned another ranger was from Minnesota and low and behold, he came around the corner to chat. It was all of two minutes, but we found connections, and I think he was happy to see hometown faces, well, hometown eyes and ears above the masks. Anyway, Minnesotans of my generation and older, seem to frequently name people and places that might have a close degree of separation, and we found one with the ranger as we have family from his hometown.
Imagining Living Somewhere Else
I can't imagine living in DC. Perhaps where my friend lived about six years but not in the city or immediate area. She had as I recall, a 20 minute drive to a train, then nearly hour commute to her office. Every day. My 50 minute drive to work is long enough for me. Of course, I won't be coming to work if we relocate as I'll be retired. For my daughter, affordability might be key, which will mean farther from school or work. We've tested this out a bit and the airport run, as if it was a work or school day. Walking distance to grocery stores will be a determinant.
I'm glad we decided to come home today and not tomorrow. We'll still get a 1/2 day of research and exploration in, but be gone before weekend tourists arrive. I'll be happy to see pup and DH and the girls already have plans for the rest of their weekend. To be honest, I'm more of homebody than I tell myself. I like to travel, but I more than like coming home.
Snapshots and tidbits of the trip will be sprinkled as relavent over future blog posts, but a full post would be dull. I thought below was fitting since we're flying home today. We got to see the President, sort of, leaving in Marine 1 as we were about to enter the Washington Monument. Had we been in the group before, we'd have likely missed. What's on your mind this Friday Free for All?
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| That helicopter? Marine 1 taking off from the helicopter pad you see on the White House grounds below.I was too slow to get a better picture. |
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| The White House as seen from the Washington Monument. |
I travelled once with my daughter and said never again. That was nearly 12 years ago, and she was still in the party mode while I was ready for bed much earlier. Next summer we plan to do a camping trip to my home town with her 5 year old. We'll see how that goes. :)
ReplyDeleteI do agree that travelling with others requires some adaptation. I've done various trips with friends in the past and some trips were really good and others not so.
It was very good that your daughter had a chance to check out her new area prior to moving and settling in. Good luck to her!
I'm glad to read others have challenges/had challenges as well, and all lived to tell the tale. She hasn't decided anything, but knows more than before.
DeleteDC is a magnificent city for vacations and history. I'm with you, no living there for this girl from the West!
ReplyDeleteWhen I think how much we crammed in, I need a vacation from the vacation. It's not a pace I could do daily or even every weekend.
DeleteHow neat to see Marine 1 taking off in flight! I would have loved to have seen that.
ReplyDeleteIt was really cool- and I saw better than the picture.
DeleteI think travelling with others can be difficult - as we found out when we rented in Florida with my ex's sister and husband, and MIL and FIL. SIL and BIL had their own ways (and perfectly entitled to them, of course) and decided that everyone had to eat the same thing all the time. I remember telling them that I didn't want hotdogs YET AGAIN for dinner but that I would happily shop and pay for what I actually wanted to eat. At that FIL said he didn't want hotdogs either, then my kids said the same thing and we pretty much had a nuclear explosion. Never again, although of course some people are easier to travel with than others!
ReplyDeleteWe go through a bit if that at the lake, but it's more about meal times and schedules. Other than perhaps something like a cruise where all can do their own thing everyday, or a weekend, I think my vacationing with others is done.
DeleteI have never been up in the Washington monument. It was closed many times due to the earthquake. But I have been to DC at least 20 times. SO it is on my bucket list. I am happy you are having fun!
ReplyDeleteMy first time too. It's worth h it at least once. Very slick process. Some things changed for Covid had good impact. It's schedule a day ahead, tickets release at 10:00 am, for specific time slots.
DeleteSo happy to hear you've had a good trip. Traveling can be a challenge. I'm a home body now and really don't miss it. Day trips are more my thing now. Happy Friday!!
ReplyDeleteShe learned so much about options. The free zoo will be her friend.
DeleteLet's see if this posts- I've posted a couple of times and they never showed up. I have no idea what my google email is! Anyhow I lived in Northern Virginia 12 years and went into DC often. DC at cherry blossom time used to be awesome. Expensive area- yes but isn't everything now? Apartments in my tourist town are over $1600 for a tiny one bedroom. I'm glad the trip went well. GS has break next week and is going to Pensacola- I have no idea if that's the college spring place but he's headed there. Nan
ReplyDeleteWe saw some local DC college kids seemingly returning to Minnesota for break yesterday. My daughter's is early because the split the semester exactly down the middle and no January seperate term.
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