Lessons I'm learning in D.C.

I finished out the school year, set up my new classroom, visited my family in Michigan, and then on Monday I was reunited with my husband after 33 days apart.  Frankly, I don't advise 33 days apart if you can help it. It was hard, but now it's over.

I decided I would spend my first day in D.C. as a proper/improper tourist.  What I mean by that is that I dressed up in dark clothes, including a skirt, so I would look like someone going to work, but then I went and visited tourist attractions.  My ruse worked and as I was on my way to my first tourist attraction, a man and his wife stopped me and asked me a question about transportation.  Thankfully, I knew the answer or I would have had to admit this was my first day back in the city after two years, and even then, I'd only been here for three days.

I visited the Smithsonian Castle (which is where the Moongate Garden is), Freer and Sackler Galleries (in a nutshell: Whistler, Leyland, and Asian art), Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, and Renwick Gallery.

In the Hirshhorn Scupture Garden

The Burghers of Calais by Rodin in the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden

Looking at the fountain in the center of the Freer Gallery

Smithsonian Castle viewed from my bench in the Moongate Garden

The Moongate Garden

Lessons I've already learned so far:
CVS does not have a public bathroom
McDonald's does have a public bathroom and the museums
Most museums and galleries open at 10 but the Castle opens at 9 and has free wi-fi
Traffic lights don't really apply to pedestrians; if the way is clear, you go
Try to get a map of the National Mall before you realize you've almost walked by it completely
Asian art is really cool

My second day in DC was a lot less uneventful in terms of sightseeing.  I did the laundry, bought groceries, vacuumed our apartment (for the sole purpose of passing out on the floor in a nap later in the afternoon), vacuumed the common area on our floor and swept the laundry room (I did those rooms in addition to our apartment because 1)I was the only one around and 2)I like to walk around without shoes on when I'm home and I didn't like continuously getting things stuck to my feet), finished Hunger Games and started Catching Fire, took an hour and a half walk in which I got several awesome blisters on my feet and still didn't find my way to the French Embassy, made dinner, went and got a milkshake with Cody at Johnny Rockets, and watched some Studio C skits.

Now with day three, I'll be working on research in two hours, I'm anticipating reading and possibly writing.  I've contacted a friend who worked at a temp agency last year when she was in DC and hoping maybe I can get some leads for that.  I just don't think I can sit around all day.  I mean, if it doesn't work out, I'll just have to be creative...and that wouldn't hurt too much for me to practice that.