7 Years Later And I'm Back Where It All Began (or...my whirlwind weekend in Washington D.C.)

It's been 7 years since I lived near Washington D.C. and started this blog.  It's been a busy chunk of time. Lots of new adventures; travel, food, life.   

But in a strange bit of irony, the weekend of this anniversary, I found myself back on familiar ground.

I hadn't planned to be in our nation's capital on a blog anniversary; sometimes you just get a wild hair to jump on a red-eye and spend a weekend a few time zones away from home.  The timing was incidental.

As I look around the city I left, so much has changed - and yet everything seems to remain the same.

Ever since coming here as a child on summer vacations with family, there are things that time just never touches.  For example, one of the strongest memories I have of D.C. is the smell of the Metro...

And no, I'm not talking about the aromatherapy smells that the Metro experimented with earlier this year.  This is more of  a mechanical type of smell: combine a garage with an air-conditioning repair shop with just a dash of...something.   It's not unpleasant.  Actually, I look forward to it.  It's a familiar scent that reminds me of happy summers and family.

Hey - some people equate home with apple pie.  Me?  The Metro.  Who knows why these things happen.

But that's Washington.  History is revered and preserved.  Memorials are right where you left 'em the last time you were here.

Local or tourist, even if you've seen the monuments or memorials a hundred times, there's always a new angle to see, new perspectives to consider.

Sometimes you're lucky to wake up early enough to feel like you have the city mostly to yourself.

But when the city gets going, it makes it presence known.

The difference between tourist and local is reflected in the look of awe versus annoyance when the motorcades stop and heavily suited people pop out of cars.

Sometimes, though, you forget where you are and what you're looking at.  For example - this is the not White House.

THIS...is the White House.

Yes.  This mistake actually occurred.  I confused the White House with the Treasury building.

Although to be fair - it was nighttime (this picture was taken the next evening), we had been up for nearly 24 hours on 4 hours of sleep, and I was slightly disoriented.  Hey...they both had flags and columns.  It's an easy enough mistake to make.  Except for maybe the way-more security in front of the actual WH.  I suppose that was kind of a hint....

Such a rookie mistake.

D.C. is a fun city to watch morph from day into night....

And although I love walking the grounds during the daytime -

There's something magical about the way the city comes alive at night....

Nick could have spent more time in the light tunnel at the National Gallery of Art:

officially named "Multiverse"

I could have easily spent the entire day at this cupcake/coffee shop:

Baked & Wired - Georgetown

Best.  Cupcake.  Ever.

I could move back for this cupcake.

Maybe.

But even if there isn't another cross country relocation in my future, at least I know I can always come back for a visit with old friends:

And familiar smells.

Well.  You know what I mean.