Washington DC: My First Time Ever Visiting the Capital of the United States
It’s seriously been half a decade since my last blog post, time flies!
Over the past five years, so much has happened, and honestly, it all feels like a big swoosh. The best way I can describe the feeling is this: Thanos snapped half of us away, and then out of nowhere, the Avengers brought us back. But during that time I was snapped? Yeah… I was chilling in the Quantum Realm with Ant-Man. Reality felt real different down there. IYKYK.
Even though I took a long break from writing and blogging, I’ve actually been working hard on staying consistent in other parts of my life. For one, I picked up skateboarding again in the summer of 2024 after a four-year break, not even touching a board that whole time! I’m honestly proud of myself for getting back into a sport I’ve always loved and making it a part of my weekly routine again. Skating once or twice a week has done wonders for my mood and physical health.
I also started a vlog project on YouTube to document my skateboarding progress (and whatever else happens in life). Keeping the vlog going while working a full-time job is pretty tough. But I see it as a learning curve I need to face, and it’s helped me reflect on the importance of “consistency.” Practicing that has even helped me catch up on all my photo editing projects.
Which brings us here, I’m finally finishing the photos from our Washington DC trip that happened over a year ago!
As we were boarding the plane to DC, I suddenly felt the urge to watch Legally Blonde 2 because honestly, one of my earliest memories of DC is from that movie. Elle Woods walking around in pink at the Capitol? Iconic.
But stepping into DC in real life? My first thought was: holy cow, these subway stations are wild! Brutalist architecture, moody lighting, and a whole vibe I can’t quite describe.
We visited in April, right around the cherry blossom festival. I kept hearing that spring is the best time to visit, and people say summers in DC are painfully hot. I haven’t been during other seasons, but spring was honestly perfect. A bit chilly here and there, but totally manageable with a couple of layers.
We stayed near the U.S. National Arboretum, and since we arrived late in the afternoon, we decided to explore it first. Kurtis had read online that there was an “eagle’s nest” on top of the hill, so naturally, our mission was to find the “eagle.”
Halfway up the hill, it started raining but thank goodness we brought umbrellas. Just as we were about to give up, I looked up and saw this beautiful hawk just chilling on a tree branch. Not quite an eagle, but still felt like a major win.
By the time we got back down, the rain had stopped and I was able to run around the open field like a happy bunny. It felt amazing. (I did lose my sunglasses somewhere in the field, though. RIP. Luckily it was overcast most of the trip, so I didn’t really need them, but yeah, kinda bummed about losing them on Day 1.)
Obviously, on our second day, we went full tourist mode. Monument? Check. National Mall? Check. Lincoln Memorial? Double check.
The National Mall is massive. Things don’t look far apart on the map, but trust me, walking from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial turned my legs into boiled spaghetti.
Seeing the Lincoln Memorial in person was such a full-circle moment because of that scene in Legally Blonde 2 where Elle’s coworkers finally have her back. Let’s just say my version wasn’t quite as cinematic, it was more like Instagram vs. Reality, with a sea of tourists (myself included) all trying to get a photo of this legendary statue.
The Washington Monument also felt surreal to see up close. It’s popped up in so many movies: action, comedy, and yes, Legally Blonde again, so standing right there felt oddly nostalgic.
Besides the famous landmarks, we hit up a bunch of museums too, it was super enriching. On our last day, we wandered through the National Zoo and explored a bit of Georgetown. A great way to wind down the trip.
Overall, it was a great trip, and I’m really glad I finally got to see the U.S. capital with my own eyes. As a little cherry on top, I’m leaving the vlog of the trip below. It’s my very first attempt at vlogging, and yes, I find it very cringy, but hey, I’m learning to embrace my cringe.
Thanks for sticking around, and hopefully it won’t take me another five years to post again. 😅