Charmed, I'm sure

The travel gods seem to be smiling on our DC adventure this time around.

Not that we're complaining!

We arrived Wednesday afternoon, just as several days of rain decided to leave

Good bye storm clouds...

Miraculously found an on-street parking spot

right on Capitol Hill

^ Love the Library of Congress interior.

When we were walking around there, we ran into the Alder kids, who we were supposed to meet later for dinner.  Nothing like running into people you know to make you feel at home!

Then, an hour later, we ran into my cousin-in-law Jenny, who was running errands in her former neighborhood behind Capitol hill.  What are the chances of that?

Caught up with Nate, Greg's best friend growing up

(They were both proud news carriers for our hometown paper, 

The Herald Journal, which was posted outside the Newseum)

Then to dinner with him and his kids

and a night walk around the monuments.

I love this place.

I'm having to restrain myself from packing us up

and moving back.

{And bracing myself for a dose of bad luck

to compensate for the fabulous first day}

.  .  .

Today Maddy in China rode bicycles on top of the city wall,

attended Middle School for the 5th day,

visited a jade factory, a mosque, and a bazaar.

Yesterday she went to the Great Goose Pagoda, 

then a tea house for a tea ceremony,

then to the Tang Dynasty Museum, and calligraphy lessons.

She had some homesickness early in the week

but we talked to her last night {and on Tuesday night}

and she's feeling much better and still loving her adventure.

She thinks the "squatty potties" are funny,

her host family is nice 

(they wanted to buy her new shoes 

because her {beloved Converse} looked "old"

and have treated her royally)

Comments

[diane]

I love the monuments at night. Beautiful. Enjoy. Is it cherry blossom season?

[calibosmom]

There's nothing like a trip to DC for Spring Break-and don't you dare move! You'd miss it too much!

[Anna]

Annie, have a great time. We are having beautiful weather, don't take it with you when you go home.

[Christie]

Looks like a fabulous trip. And since I am no longer in your same city, I give you permission to pack up and move.

Aren't I a generous friend? :-)

[Lindsay-ann]

Glad you had a great time in DC and enjoying meeting up with friends and family. I loved seeing your pictures.
Thanks for the Maddy update. Jessica is so very interested to hear what she's doing in China. I hope Maddy has her camera with her and takes lots of pictures. I hope the homesickness has now passed. I can totally understand how she is feeling as I suffered with it too as a child (aged 11) and can you believe I was only in England!!
Have a great weekend.
Lindsay

[Bridget]

How fun! Someday I need to take my kids there. It will be more of an effort now that we're on the wrong coast. I love living your travel adventures through your blog.