Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: A Summer in D.C.: August 2012

On Saturday, August 11th at 4:43pm (EDT) I was supposed to be on a plane that would return me to my native California. In June, all I could think about was my return flight...
Now, I extended my stay on the east coast by a week and a half because I needed a vacation. And I needed time to prepare myself to return to the life I once led. It's crazy how much perspective you can gain in two and a half months -- figuring out what you need to get by and what you must lose to thrive.

Last week I celebrated my birthday. I don't do anything big for these occasions, I dislike birthday parties with a passion (although I should explain: I dislike my own birthday party not birthday parties -- I have an aversion to being the center of attention). I was wondering how my birthday would fare on the east coast - and I'll just say it was delightful. I celebrated it a day early with a trip to the zoo, $1 strawberry margaritas, chicken dinner, and a movie. On the day of my actual birthday, I was really happy with all of the text messages and calls - especially since my birthday isn't on Facebook :) thanks to everyone who remembered - you made me the happiest girl :)

My internship ended last Friday. The hardest part wasn't leaving all the people I met - it was cleaning out my desk at the DOT. I didn't realize how normal it had become for me to walk in, chat with my cube mate, and start work. I still have my badge, which I'm returning as I type this. And then my DOT days are over. The last week of the internship was spent exploring, avoiding mindless field trips, and dreaming about DC in the fall. Leaves changing, orange and burgundy hues. Brisk chill air, pumpkins, and more. I would love to see the seasons change...

It's Saturday, August 18th and I have three days before I return to California. I've been listening to a lot of Drake lately ... the common theme that stands out to me is YOLO [you only live once]... I'm dreaming of what YOLO looks like for me, what it would mean to pursue this simplistic acronym.

In this week of vacation, I went to Philadelphia - the home of the Roots and Ms J-I-L-L S-C-O-T-T. It was so refreshingly urban and rich in history that I immediately fell in love. I would move there in a heartbeat. I planned to go to New York but I got sick :( so now I'm going to resting and musing. Sunday & Monday will be fun days - exploring last minute sites before I spend Tuesday packing and Wednesday flying out to California.

So I present a hodge-podge of pictures taken in the last two weeks of my adventures. From crew love to panda fever to Philly, it's documented below: