Today is father's day! Like Dad's birthday earlier in the month, this was a day that I was especially aware of feeling homesick. We were able to talk on the phone, which was nice, but it wasn't the same as being home. Welcome to the life of the adult, hm?
Another realization has been germinating in my mind over the past week; now that I've settled into a routine and can nearly "auto-pilot" my way to work (although I'm not sure how advisable that is) I find that I'm recognizing how lovely certain parts of DC are. The trees are putting on a leafy show, the flowers are blossoming, the junipers are full and bright; animals, like squirrels, are bold around humans and rather fat. In the rush of trying to get to work on time and worrying about pleasing my supervisor, I neglected until this point to really take in the beauty around us.
Another realization has been germinating in my mind over the past week; now that I've settled into a routine and can nearly "auto-pilot" my way to work (although I'm not sure how advisable that is) I find that I'm recognizing how lovely certain parts of DC are. The trees are putting on a leafy show, the flowers are blossoming, the junipers are full and bright; animals, like squirrels, are bold around humans and rather fat. In the rush of trying to get to work on time and worrying about pleasing my supervisor, I neglected until this point to really take in the beauty around us.
When we were to church this morning in Arlington, we had more than enough time to grab coffees and bagels at the Metro Cafe (which is really nothing more than a glorified 7-11 with a deli counter and wine aisle) before our ride to church arrived. I think this will become a habit, because their bagels are quite good, and I find the coffee preferable in taste and price to the next-door Starbucks. |
After church, I went across the street from the RAF to TD's Burgers for a late lunch (2:00pm) Roommate #1. I had high expectations going in because of comments that other students had made about the place. It felt a little pricey, but everything in DC does. Ultimately, I felt a bit disappointed in my burger. It wasn't anything special. The pizza that my roommate ordered was all right. I'm not a pizza aficionado, but it was okay. I don't think we'll go here again. Originally, we had wanted to go to the Indian place across the street, but apparently they aren't open on Sundays.
The afternoon was spent finishing my Individual Development Plan, a part of my portfolio which is due tomorrow. When it got towards time to leave for small group, I texted everyone to see if they were going. In the end, I took the metro to Huntington (yellow) by myself.
The ride to Alexandria is quite lovely. Once you're out of central DC the train tracks run above ground, and although the Potomac is filthy and brown, the view can still be nice.
The afternoon was spent finishing my Individual Development Plan, a part of my portfolio which is due tomorrow. When it got towards time to leave for small group, I texted everyone to see if they were going. In the end, I took the metro to Huntington (yellow) by myself.
The ride to Alexandria is quite lovely. Once you're out of central DC the train tracks run above ground, and although the Potomac is filthy and brown, the view can still be nice.
The small group went very well; I ended up being early, which provided a quiet time for conversation before the masses descended on the house (realistically, less than fifteen people--- to an introvert, though, this might be seen along the same lines as a swarm of Egyptian proportions). One of the women offered me a ride to the metro, since the person who had picked me up couldn't take me back, and when she found out where I was living she decided just to drive me home. This was amazing because we spent the next half hour chatting about college (she's an ... ACU (?) grad), about living in DC, and other things. I hadn't talked with her during the evening, but I found that I enjoyed her company a great deal. Not having to pay the metro fare was a nice addendum, but certainly not close to being the best part of the evening.
Blessings,
Clarice
Clarice