Riding trains to end of lines, still we’ve got nothing but time…

So my time here is sort of coming to an end. Its weird really to think about because its hard to fathom the fact that I’ve been here for almost three months already, that Thanksgiving and class registration are right around the corner, and that in only a few weeks I’ll be packing up, moving back to NH, and writing my final blog entry (don’t worry I’ll make it a good one) :)

This was actually one of the less eventful weeks for me in regards to work. With the end of Conference and people settling back into their routines at the office, not a lot has been going on. In all honesty the Share Our Strength office was sort of dead this week, at least for me. There was an eerie silence my first day back and things didn’t pick up too much by the time Friday rolled around. It was kind of nice though. It gave me a chance to acclimate to office life again and I enjoyed not having to run around getting materials boxed up. :)
       
Friday I headed to another farmers market event, which was definitely… eventful. Hurricane Ida attacked Washington D.C. I was at the City Harvest Farmer’s Market at the Reagan Building spreading the good word about Operation Frontline when massive gusts of wind took our tent and the tents of fellow vendors. All around me people were grasping desperately to tent poles and table tops trying to stop their items from blowing away. Despite the gale force winds, the stream of papers swirling up into the air with each gust, and the freezing down pour rain, people came out to sample foods, but meat and produce, and make small talk with us and I once again had a great time!  Farmer’s markets are amazing, there’s no possible way to argue that statement. I don’t know why I love them so much, but I do. They are full of friendly people, good food, tons of information, and they’re a great place to go get fresh fruits and veggies. This was sadly our last farmer’s market of the season!!!! No more sampling OFL recipes, no more chit chatting with friendly vendors, and no more coffee from Saint Lucia, located in my hometown (well current hometown) of Rockville, MD. (AMAZING coffee). :(

As sad as it is to say goodbye to my time as a farmer’s market participant, it was the start of a very good weekend. My weekend was consumed with running, museums, aimless wandering, live music, and friends, all the necessary ingredients to a good time. I headed into the city Saturday afternoon for a day of me time and went to the National Mall. I watched a soccer match going on as I slowly made my way to the Hirshhorn Museum. When you come to this city please make sure you take some time and visit the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden because it is seriously one of the most amazing places. 

As I’ve said before I love parks and gardens, especially in cities. Living in Regent’s Park in London was amazing because when I wanted to feel disconnected from the world, or the craziness of the city, I would wander through that park. I’d head up to Primrose Hill and sit on a bench and I could see all the way to the river Thames. There was no noise, things were quite and peaceful, it made you feel as if the world had stopped and everything around you was standing still, it was amazing. The Sculpture Garden is similar while you’re there you can almost forget you're in the city. 

After spending an hour and a half getting lost in artwork I continued my journey back down the mall. Trudging through mud and what seemed like a million tourists I notice how beautiful everything looked in that moment. It wasn’t conventionally beautiful. It was beautiful in that way that things are when you catch them in a specific moment, a moment that you’re not looking for, that just sort of happens. (Those are the best kinds of moments). The sky was gray, the leaves were a burnt orange color, the carousel was full of passengers, and all around me were families, kids running through the grass, couples sitting on park benches, and museum steps flooded with patrons. For a moment I just stood and looked around as if I was seeing the city for the first time.
    
These are the moments I think I’ve come to appreciate most over the last year. In London I feel as if they happened almost every second of every day. That city was constantly surprising me, constantly leaving me in awe of everything, and constantly stealing my heart. Maybe it’s a growing sense of nostalgia since my time here is quickly coming to an end, but in a lot of ways I’m starting to see that same beauty here in D.C. All I have to say is come to D.C. Whether or not you decide to participate in The Washington Center, come to this city. Its not a place I think I’ll live in again, but it really is beautiful and it really is worth spending some time in.

This Week’s Top Two Places to Visit:

1. Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden: Located just outside the Hirshhorn Museum of modern art on the National Mall is the sculpture garden. Here you can see works from Monroe, Auguste, and Yoko Ono. The garden includes an audio exhibit, and several surrealist style sculptures. It also include The Wish Tree (Yoko’s creation). 

One of the cool things about this particular piece is that you can write your own wish and put it on the tree. There are wishes for peace, happiness, love, and so on and it’s really cool to be able to contribute to the art. 

There are also several benches randomly strewn through the garden, perfect places to sit, relax, and write if your journal (if you happen to enjoy writing in a journal) J As I’ve said before I’m a huge advocate for wandering aimlessly through museums and the sculpture garden is an outdoor museum so its extra cool!

2. Madam’s Organ: On 18^th St. in Adam’s Morgan, is this tiny, dark, crowded bar. Madam’s Organ features live music, a warm atmosphere, good drinks, and tons of fun. This is one of few bars in the area that charges a cover but the $5 is definitely worth it.  A different band plays every weekend offering a variety of different music styles, there are three floors, and friendly people. So if you’re looking for a more low key night out, check out Madam’s Organ.

Top 5 Songs of the Week: 

1. The Mountain Goats: “International Small Arms Traffic Blues” 
2. Greg Laswell: “Like How the Day Sounds”
3. The Kooks: “Shine On”
4. Noah and the Whale: “My Door Is Always Open”
5. Sleepy Rebels: “Magic Girl”