Independence Day!

Well, needless to say this weekend was an eventful one! On Thursday after I got off of work I drove to the Franconia-Springfield Metro station (about 25 minutes away from the park), left my car there, and took the Metro into D.C. to meet my friends Colton, Tim, and John from TU who were all there for their fraternity national convention. When I got in Thursday, we headed towards U-Street where we stopped and ate some Salvadoran/Mexican food and then went to a bar to meet some other KAs from around the Oklahoma area. Friday morning we got up and got breakfast and then the guys went to convention stuff. I wandered around downtown shopping until they got done after lunch and then we went to the mall and to some museums for a while. That night while the guys were at their closing banquet, I walked a few blocks and met up with Cassie where her bus from NYC had dropped her off! Then we headed out to a place called McFadden’s near George Washington where we danced the night away—me with just one shoe. In the rush to get on the Metro to while we were leaving, a young KA gentleman stepped on the back of my favorite pair of flip flops and when he went to grab it, knocked it into the gap between the train and the platform—sadly, it was my beloved leather Rainbows that cost too much for flip flops and only get better with age as they mold to your feet. In actuality I was just glad it was not me or my phone or my camera that had fallen off the platform so I got over it quickly because obviously this would make an awesome story to tell later. No stores were open to buy a replacement pair so yes, I did spend the whole night with only one shoe and sustained no injuries, just a very dirty right foot! Worse has happened, ya know?!
Saturday we got up and had a very American lunch close to our hotel/the White House, then headed towards the mall where we bought ice cream and American flag bandanas and went to the see the Star Spangled Banner at the American History Museum. It was pretty crowded, but definitely not unbearable. After an obligatory bandana wearing group picture in front of the Capitol, we signed a piece of the 9/11 memorial that will be a part of a new museum within the next few years. Then we headed back to the hotel, got dinner, and rested up before we ventured back into the crowds for the firework show from the Lincoln Memorial. We made it through the throngs of people all the way to the Washington Monument where we watched the amazing firework show and when we finally made it back to the hotel through all the people we waited for the crowds to die down and then went to a late night bar and grill close by before heading in for the night. This morning our friends had to leave at 4:30 am to get to the airport and they were nice enough to let Cass and me sleep there for the rest of the morning. We got up and got breakfast and then went our separate ways and now I am back in the park, where there are nowhere near as many people! It’s funny to think that last summer we were in Paris, France for the Fourth and this year we were in an almost polar opposite place to celebrate! It was probably my most memorable Independence as of yet and it was great to be able to be reunited with Tulsa friends and Cassie! Next post: MOMO DOES WASHINGTON D.C.!