Washington, D.C. / Rachel / 2
Here's a picture-exploration of my time in our nation's capital. Later tonight I'll post my final D.C. post, which is about ~the amazing~ Rachel + Drew. To tide you over till then, a chronicle of my camera roll.
Here's the newest Smithsonian: the National Museum of African American History and Culture. WOW isn't it pretty! Just so you know, you have to buy tickets ahead of time online. Thankfully, the security guard was sweet and let me in without one. So kind!
Also, the museum had a first-edition pair of Nike Air Jordans. Beautiful. I also had listened to a podcast about the political and racial implications of dunking when it was introduced into the game of basketball in the early 80's (did you know it was banned for a while?), so seeing that shoe in that museum was even more powerful + interesting.
If you'd like, give that episode a listen here. It also taught me the creation story of basketball: a bunch of students were stuck at school in a snowstorm, and a teacher hung peach baskets on opposite walls of the gym and made them compete to toss a ball into the baskets. The episode also touches on the creation of the three-point shot, and lots of other things I hadn't even realized I didn't know about the sport. Even if you aren't a huge basketball fan (I'm not!), I'd recommend the episode. And the podcast 99% Invisible generally. It's a great one.
After Rachel and Drew got off work, the came home and read.
Just read.
Sat on the couch, opened their books, and read them. Didn't even check their phones first. It was magical.
Later that night, we went to a dinner for newcomers to their church, then stopped for ice cream sandwiches at Captain Cookie, then walked around the monuments at night. I hadn't seen MLK before; it's beautiful.
The following low-quality picture is important for two reasons. First, it features my omelette, which Drew made. Here's a fun fact—Drew took enough cooking classes in high school to test out of the first semester of culinary school. Casual. Second, it's important because if you above the omelette in a straight line, you'll see a glass thing and a red thing. The glass thing is a Chem-X, which makes pourover coffee. The red thing is a French Press, which makes a darker roast. And if you squint and look under the cabinet on the left, you'll see their espresso machine. So yes, they're a little bit into coffee.
On Saturday night, we went to a baseball game in Baltimore with two of Rachel's coworkers. I'd just listened to a podcast about the Orioles stadium, Camden Yards, which made it super fun to see in real life! Short version: Camden Yards, when it was built 25 years ago, became the archetypal ballpark that many other parks around the country are based on. The architects chose to shrink the size of the outfield in order to accommodate the historical warehouse nearby (see the brick in the back of our picture!), which allowed the stadium to blend into its urban environment. Here's the long version of the podcast!
We're the same height! Both of us have tiny friends, so that was a nice perk for picture-taking. It's the little things, ya know?
Drew and Rachel had some friends over for brunch on Sunday. Look how fancy-schmancy! (Is that a real phrase?) Anyway, this is basically a picture of all of my favorite foods. Their friends Austin and Katie were sweet and fun and it made me want to host brunch parties every day of my life.
I'll put up the last post soon, which is about their hospitality and kindness. For now, hope you enjoyed this picture-chronicle of my weekend as a sort-of local in our nation's capital!