Friday, October 20, 2017

party in the 202 - WASHINGTON DC

*this post isn't loaded with pics because i seriously overgrammed it*

if you follow my instagram, you know i went on a vacation of a lifetime lately to washington dc with my handsome sailor. it seriously was amazeballs so i just wanted to share a few highlights. justin's work goes to DC every year and this was my time to go. Not pregnant, not nursing, no babies- it was on! this year proved to be their biggest flyout ever and they even offered a spouses package. we left early friday morning so we could have some time together before justin had to work.

his work had us staying at the marriott marquis which was right next to the DC convention center. this hotel was ginormous. easily the largest hotel i've ever seen. it had two restaurants, two bars, a breakfast diner, their own fedex and starbucks. we started our vacation with a night bus tour to help me get a baring on the city. also, i knew i didn't want to spend too much time on the monuments and i wanted to keep my taxi rides to a minimum. i'm so glad we did it this way. our bus was pretty small, the monuments weren't crowded, and they were so beautiful lit up at night.

my favorite exhibit: at the newseum, they featured all of the pictures that have won the pulitzer prize since it was started in the 1940s. this exhibit affected me more then anything else. the pictures were amazing and the stories that accompanied them were so profound. Here's a link with some pictures.

my favorite moment: monday night we attended an opening gala and i was pretty worried about what to wear. i couldn't find an affordable, modest, and beautiful gown anywhere! especially when you don't look that hard... i went out on a limb and ordered one off a chinese website where i usually get my party/school supplies [aliexpress]. i was getting a bit worried about the arrival date [i had cut it close and only ordered it 6 weeks out] but thankfully it got here on time. the dress fit and while it's not my perfect cinderella dress, it was beautiful, modest, and affordable. i fussed over my shoes, makeup, handbag and took a lot of advice from friends on how to look the part. thankfully it all paid off. that's not my favorite moment. my favorite part was justin surprised me and arranged for the company photographer to come with us to the lincoln memorial [along with other work colleagues] and take nice photos. so sweet and very unlike justin. he hates work events, photos, and even more so, stuffy suits. he's a keeper. i still haven't gotten the fancy pictures back yet but i'll prob. post them on instragram or facebook when i do.

my favorite place: there's so much history and beauty in washington dc and you can't throw a stone without hitting some historical marker. all of the buildings were gorgeous and no doubt, millions have been spent on keeping them that way. i loved seeing all of them but the one building i was in awe of, the one that i was taken back physically, was the capitol building. it was so ginormous! and gorgeous! and that was before i even went inside. i had heard about the tunnels and those were very important to me. i convinced my intern from the state of UT to take me down and it did not disappoint. i know there are even more cool tunnels but these ones did the job. more importantly, the tunnels had a cafeteria and in that cafeteria was a DUNKIN DONUTS! and a BASKIN ROBBINS! can you imagine? it was amazing. i feel a bit crazy town being so excited for that but it was pretty cool. the other parts of the building were pretty amazing too. it was here that i met...

the most famous person i met: vice president mike pence. i was touring the dome when crowds started flocking to the roped off walkway. i'm not big into politics so honestly i didn't even know who that old white guy was until my intern told me. he took his time shaking people's hands, posing for pictures, and saying hi. that was pretty cool of him. he crossed to the other side of the rope when he got near me but thankfully, a soldier was right next to me and drew his attention. it was pretty cool. i also met anthony scaramucci who was the white house communications director for only 10 days. he spoke at the gala and was pretty honest, open, and entertaining. even cooler, he spoke to them for free which is pretty legit for political figures. i also met some state senators but that's not nearly as cool.

the coolest way i travelled: i took my first solo taxi ride and solo uber ride but the best way to travel was the metro. let me tell you, that thing terrifies me and i don't think i would have braved that alone. it was so confusing and crowded but also very downtown and cool. there was a street performer, the old and young, wealthy and poor. i loved it. also terrified me because no doubt, so. many. germs.

the most somber place: so many places featured those who scarified for this country. arlington was pretty cool and massive. so much history and made me feel very patriotic. visiting the holocaust museum was very impactful. people were very respectful and quiet throughout the museum. the pictures were so horrific and stories were heart breaking. i can't wrap my head around how many people were murdered. in so many hateful ways. what breaks my heart the most is the people that have gotten lost in the massacre and the children harmed. i couldn't handle seeing the children harmed. my favorite part of this museum was a wall that featured so many names of people who helped others. it had short stories about their impact and efforts. in almost every case, people said that they didn't think twice about what they were doing, it just seemed like the right thing to do, and that they would do it again without hesitation. i spent the most time here and it was time well spent.

the worst part of the trip: missing my babies came close but i've got to be honest, the bug bites were the worst! i seriously cannot stand them. i hate the itching, the raised and enlarged bumps, the discomfort. i just cannot deal. one night we went on a bike ride and i ate so many bugs and got so many in my eyes. so gross. i love pretty green places but i can't handle bugs. i just can't. also, i didn't have a bathtub so yeah... life was rough. oh, and losing $50 worth of cupcakes. we waited an hour for the georgetown cupcakes only to have to bike back to the hotel in the afternoon heat [DC was hotter then vegas this week. of course]. i think the heat and bike ride was just too much for those fancy cupcakes. i still ate them but they weren't quite as pretty.

coolest artifacts: i loved seeing church history in our nation's capital. brigham young has a statue in the capitol from the state of utah. there's a painting of joseph smith and brigham young at the national portrait gallery. an original book of mormon at the smithsonian of american history. when i was at the holocaust museum, i kept thinking how these poor people were not lost to our Heavenly Father. He loves us all so much and knows us. He's with us through everything and was with these people during their struggles and in the last moments of their lives. that was the biggest comfort to me and i hope they felt that love when they were at their darkest.

we seriously had a blast in DC and i'm so glad justin and i were able to go alone. more then that, i'm grateful my mom was so fantastic to come and watch my kids for a week. they absolutely adored having so much for her attention. i truly am #blessed.
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2 comments:

KinderTeach said...

I hope you got your mother a FANTASTIC thank you gift for watching your hooligans and for saving for favorite little bottom.

Kari said...

I loved following this trip on Instagram, and I'm so happy you got to escape and have such a great time!

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