waiting for magic...

This isn’t really a post so much as a notice that I’ve finally posted my photos from DC. You can find my photo page at the following link and they’re in the album “The DC” (in case you couldn’t figure it out). I’ll be posting more albums on this page, so keep checking it :)

Dana’s Photos are at: http://picasaweb.google.com/dana.humphreys

Posted by Dana at 4:18 PM | Permalink | Comments

I’ve been feeling conflicted for a while now. When should I move? Should I move? Where should I move? I admit that moving occupies a huge part of my confliction, but not all. However, it’s the only thing I feel comfortable talking about (I even feel conflicted about what to post on my blog…sometimes I’d rather it was totally anonymous, although that would probably decrease the number of people who read it). I’m supposed to be making all these decisions based on what I want, but I don’t know what that is. I can hear what everyone else wants, but it’s coming in like a badly tuned radio. I don’t know what to do.

Right now I’m planning on moving back to Colorado the weekend after I graduate. I want to be excited about this. Why am I not? Well it’s not simple. I’ll miss people here. A part of me feels like going back to Colorado is giving up in a way. I told myself I was going to be excited about my life; it was going to be adventurous while I could make it that way. However, I’m not ready to move somewhere completely different. I know going somewhere new is exciting but I’m also afraid it’s running away. I know I can’t stay here, though. There are things I like about Des Moines, and even Iowa, but it is filled with ghosts. I’d be happier living somewhere lest haunted. Going back to Colorado means going back to where my life was most ordinary and I’m not sure I’m ready for ordinary. Certainly not as my single self.

I met a fun interesting guy at a party last weekend and I was happy that I could feel attracted to someone. I was also sad because I realized I was unwilling to really pursue it. Finding a connection is nice, and I suspect that in the past I might have just seen where things went, but I don’t see any point when I’m moving in a little over a month. I don’t like being practical. And I don’t like feeling conflicted!

Posted by Dana at 4:49 PM | Permalink | Comments

Okay, so I feel a little bad about my truncated version of Washington DC, and this isn’t going to be much better, but this time I’m posting pictures. I’ll be posting the rest of my pictures later this weekend, so look for that!

Day 1

Friday. We arrive in DC and spend the rest of the evening checking in to the hotel and hanging out with Tyler and Alana drinking beer and barhopping (ah, kneipentour!).

Day 2

Saturday. Our first day checking out the city (slightly hungover). Because we were staying about a hour outside of DC we realize we’re going to have to get up much earlier for the rest of our trip (today we mostly just had time to look at the monuments and buildings). We go see 300 later in the evening (stylistically amazing).

Day 3

Sunday. We devote most of the day to the National Archives (I didn’t really find this worth the hype. The Declaration is pretty faded and everyone is pushing you out of the way to see something they can’t read) and the Air and Space Museum (way cool! Airplanes and rockets and spaceships and even a “current American History” section with features like the Kermit the Frog Muppet and Dorothy’s ruby slippers)

Day 4

Monday. We get up early and manage to make it to DC by 8:30. Because most museums don’t open until 9:00 or later, we go visit Arlington Cemetery first. I personally like the amphitheater architecture (we also saw the changing of the guard on the Tomb of the Unknown soldier which was sort of interesting…and long). Later, while Shaw explores the portrait gallery, Kerry and Ant and I go to the museum of Natural History and the Botanical Gardens. My camera battery dies (tragedy! I’m addicted to taking snapshots).

Day 5

Tuesday. Today we all go our separate ways. I spend most of the day in Georgetown and manage to find a Chipotle. Although I take pictures with a disposable camera, these don’t turn out very well.

Day 6


Wednesday. Last day. I have to be out of the hotel early so I wander around Georgetown for a while with my luggage, then take the metro out of town to have lunch with Ty before heading to the airport.


And that’s about all the highlights I have the energy for. I’ve entered a sort of malaise since my return to Iowa and am just generally unwilling to do homework or understand why I feel so anxious.

Posted by Dana at 4:25 PM | Permalink | Comments

It’s my last morning here in DC and I doubt I could find the city to be more lovely than it is right now. I’m sitting outside this little bagel shop in Georgetown, reading and typing away, waiting for Chipotle to open. Maybe it seems weird to be in such a wonderful city with so many restaurants and still want Chipotle, but I rarely understand my own mysteries.

Today I’m on my own (pretty much). Kerry, Anthony, and Shaw are all at the airport; my flight doesn’t leave for another 8 hours or so, so I’m still wandering around (with my luggage in tow, none-the-less). I’m not really looking forward to going back home or working on my creative component.

Georgetown was probably my favorite part of the trip, which is why I’m back again today. I was also here yesterday, the day where we all toured DC by ourselves. I like the old buildings and unique shops and boutiques. Reality seems a little less harsh here, perfect for a romantic like me.

I haven’t gotten much sleep while we’ve been here, but I decided that I was willing to accept that. After the first morning here, we realized we had to get up early to take the Metro into the city in order to have time to visit the museums, etc. The Metro is the underground rail system that traverses the city. We bought weeklong passes so that we wouldn’t have to hassle with it anymore, which was really the best option (they were only $34.00). Our hotel was about 10 minutes away from Ty and Alana’s apartment and the Metro station, so we were able to get a ride to the station from them or split a fairly inexpensive taxi. Surprisingly, I love riding the Metro; surprising because I usually don’t like being around that many people, and some of them can be downright surly. However, I like the energy of the morning commuters. They have a fast pace and the underground tunnels pulse with trains and people.

Some other highlights from the trip: I did most of the major things in the city itself, including Arlington Cemetery, the National Gallery, the Natural History Museum, and the National Mall (this is the area that contains most of the Smithsonian museums, Capitol Hill, and the Washington Monument). I also went to the Lincoln and Jefferson monuments, the latter of which was by far my favorite. It was peaceful and right on the water (we also went there after the sun had set and the fading light made it difficult for me to get a clear picture). I liked the museums, but the buildings and Botanic Gardens were my favorite. There’s something about the architecture of men and nature that I find much more fascinating that museum art (although I did especially enjoy the sculpture and Monet wings of the National Gallery).

I’ve accomplished more walking this past week than I’m even prepared to count. I also ate a lot and am glad I don’t have to feel too guilty about straying from my calorie counting. Of course we did a little drinking—but only a couple nights. Repeat hangovers aren’t the best way to appreciate history and art.

Posted by Dana at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

I have major Spring Break fever. I’m supposed to be doing work (right now!) but instead all I can think of is Spring Break. On Friday I’ll be on a plane (at 7 a.m. to be exact…do you know how early you have to get up to be at the airport on time for a flight that early? 4:30!) to Washington DC. This will be my first time in our nation’s capitol and while I don’t think I’ll pull a Jefferson Smith and become overwhelmed at the purity of or nation, I am looking forward to the trip. It’s somewhat of a Colorado reunion between Kerry, Anthony, Shaw, Tyler (who actually now lives in Maryland, not to far outside of DC), and me. I’m hoping to see some cherry blossoms, some national monuments, and mayhaps the national gallery.


A couple of evenings ago I was reading for class; the light was coming in the window behind me and I had a flashback to Seattle. Why Seattle, who knows. But it was something to do with the light. It’s the light of springtime. Somehow it’s just different than winter light (probably because the sun is traveling higher in the sky). It feels especially magical in the evening and it reminds me of last year around this time. I was in Seattle. With Rob. By far one of my best vacations. I loved Seattle. Rob worked on his creative component a lot (while I read Harry Potter instead of grading student papers), but when he wasn’t working we explored the city and Justin took us to the Pikes Market Place and the mountains. I like having pleasant thoughts about that vacation and don’t even feel a twinge of regret. I’m not much one for regrets, though.

Still, this got me thinking about other Spring Breaks I’ve taken, ones that don’t remind me so sharply of an ex-boyfriend.

Vegas

Vegas was my “Spring Break” trip two years ago. I was actually not in school at the time. I was taking a year off and working at Linens-N-Things (my-oh-my). This was probably my most exciting vacation. There were six of us driving two cars (Car A: those who don’t drive a stick shift; Car B: my car); Tyler, Kerry, Anthony, Greg, Becca, and me. On our way there we camped one night in the Grand Canyon. The entire way there I was dreaming about watching the sunset over the GC; we got there only to find out that there was a forecast of snow and the sky was so cloudy there was no way to tell where the sun was in the sky, let alone watch it set. Still we had fun shivering in our coats, building a fire, drinking, and huddling together in the middle of our huge tent because we didn’t want to touch the sides and let the snow moisture into the tent (because yes it did snow). We continued our trek to Vegas, driving over the Hoover Dam. Ty’s parents had purchased a time-share in a condo on the ritzy end of Las Vegas Boulevard (about three miles up from the highlife of the strip) and we had a much posher vacation than any of us deserved. Any given night could find us in the pool, on the strip, drinking, brushing our teeth (hehe), or going to Chipotle (that’s right, all those places to eat and we latched on to the one Chipotle on the strip and didn’t let go). If you ever want to suspend reality, Vegas is definitely the place to go.

Tucson

The two years before Vegas were the same two years that I shared a house in Boulder with Kerry and Carrie, and both of these Spring Breaks found me languishing in the Tucson sun with Carrie. The first year we went we stayed with Chris and Niky (her brother and his Chihuahua) and drove. This was my first experience driving a stick shift (Care’s red Bianca) and I can’t say that I fared to successfully (after a few miserable streets in hilly Colorado Springs, we worked out a system on the highway where I would depress the clutch when told and she would shift the gears for me). The second year we flew (a much better idea, aside from the sketchy plane we caught out of Phoenix (we had to actually run out onto the runway—literally running because our last plane had been delayed—and climb up stairs to board the sucker)) and stayed with her dad. This trip also included my one adventure out of the country (two hours in Mexico with strong margaritas that everyone but Anthony refused to drink and a “Prada” present from Carrie’s dad). Both trips will filled with shopping and slushies and sunbathing. What more could we ask for (especially the year we skipped the entire blizzard in CO).

And those are my Spring Breaks past. Look for more postings about DC!

Labels: spring, vacation

Posted by Dana at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments