a summer of daytrips

last night, my roommate said, "i think it's great that you have literally had a summer of daytrips!" that is exactly what it has been--seeing as much of this beautiful city as i can, everyday a new adventure. here are pictures from yesterday:

the national arboretum (fields and fields and hills and hills of trees, ferns, and flowers)

and the iwo jima memorial:

the monument is shockingly large. i was expecting something lifesize. it is, instead, monumentsize. there was a man with an american flag bandana wrapped around his head, carrying a very large bag walking through the park. i imagined stories for his life--walking across the country, a veteran, a hippie, a forest gump, who knows.

eat, pray, love, READ

i'm reading eat pray love right now by elizabeth gilbert. it is just the book i need--lovely little proses, a journey story, thick with imagery. the other night i came across chapter 18. i could hardly believe what i read, in lieu of my experience at the mall a few weeks ago. i decided to include it here, as her words are exactly as i felt. she calls it a "strange interior gesture of friendship":

In New York City..., I walked into an office building one afternoon in a hurry, dashed into the waiting elevator. As I rushed in, I caught an unexpected glimpse of myself in a security mirror's reflection. In that moment my brain did an odd thing--it fires off this split-second message: "Hey! You know her! That's a friend of yours!" And I actually ran forward toward my own reflection with a smile, ready to welcome that girl whose name I had lost but whose face was so familiar. In a flash instant, of course, I realized my mistake and laughed in embarrassment at my almost doglike confusion over how a mirror works. But for some reason that incident comes to mind again tonight: Never forget that once upon a time, in an unguarded moment, you recognized yourself as a friend.

charmed life:

the evening air was perfect for a summer evening out.

he and i rode bicycles to hear jazz in the sculpture garden. the lawn was a jungle of picnickers, all about our age, all in little circles on blankets, chatting, drinking, unwinding. eating grapes. the conversations buzzed over the jazz, so the park became a mishmash of stories and faces. we rode up the sidewalks to 501 7th street for dessert and people-watching. after frozen yogurt with berries and m&ms, we were escorted past the monuments by the last of the season's fireflies, a reminder that we too would be leaving this summer-warmth and -possibility all too soon.

d.c. is the most beautiful place. someday i want to fall in love here. to me, humidity in the evening is one of the most romantic places to be. we would sit by the waterfall in the falling light, the one in front of the museum of american history. we would ride bicycles every night through neighborhoods with giant magnolias heavy with leaves thick like hands. we would sit on the steps of the lincoln and tell secrets.

there would be lots of music and lots of adventures and lots of time spent walking

and getting to know each other

and riding bicycles through the evening air.

the big apple: foodie style

when in new york....

eat blackberry gelato!

then, after walking yourself all around soho, little italy, and chinatown, get lunch at la esquina--tacos and mm-mmmm.

have breakfast at tiffany's:

buy a rotisserie chicken and eat it. no fruit, no veggies, no rolls. just the chicken. with forks. on tinfoil because there are no plates. under one lamp in a dark-dungeon of an apartment. we are high class. obviously.

we also shopped a lot...

...and i present you with the find of the century: an old-school f/2.8 lens and lens case: $9, vintage thrift, shop on 23rd. so in love with shopping vintage and having magic fall into my hands.

it was a happy weekend, being with tiffany. but i will say this: new york is dirty and everywhere you go you're assaulted by some weird smell. the weekend made me miss the district. i am happy to be "home."

(oh what, did i just call dc home? yes, there will be tears when i leave.)

lyric of the day:

i swear when i grow up i won't just buy you a rose, i will buy the flower shop and you will never be lonely.

five reasons why i am part of the happiest group of sisters in the world

1. we laugh a lot:

2. sometimes we play dress up with glasses and popped-out lenses and big black hats.

3. we have a creek in our backyard.

4. rosie always makes gross faces in the backgrounds of pictures. (sorry for calling your faces gross, rosie, but there really is no other word for it.)

5. sometimes, on really special nights, melissa will dress up in a zorro costume and chase grace through the house. her eyes often flash red on such occasions.

awesome story:

so i'm at the outlet mall. i'm doing my thing, buying stuff, you know, and i'm walking across the hall to another store. out of the corner of my eye, i see this girl that i know from somewhere--

(sloowwww dowwwwn for mental dialogue)

you know how sometimes when someone is familiar to you, you have some emotion tied to them, that kind of helps you place where you met them before? for example, i re-met this guy since i've been out here in d.c. and we have NO IDEA how we know each other, but i have really negative latent feelings towards him. (i haven't told him this yet.) the odd thing is, he is the nicest guy...so i can't figure out why my subconscious has tied such things to his face. maybe he stole my parking place or something once. anyways, this girl at the mall--i have totally positive feelings towards her. like long-lost-friend feelings. subconsciously i feel really excited to see her again! not that i can quite place where i know her from, but whatever my history with her, it was a good one.

(speed up to real time)

so being the friendly person that i am, i smile and wave at her. i'm about to say hi when i realize i am looking in a mirror. the girl is ME.

A-MAZING.

and that's all i have to say about that.