Photo 130 - A Trip to DC

For a long time now, I've wanted to go to Washington DC. I've wanted to see Arlington Cemetery and the White House, the State Capitol, the war memorials-- I want to see it all. It just so happened that a friend of mine was being deployed there and that she was willing to extend an open invitation to a group of us to come and visit her.

Since she had a paid apartment, and most of the sites in DC are admission free, it would be about the least expensive time I could go-- all I had to do was purchase a plane ticket and figure out how to pay for food and souvenirs. I decided to approach my husband with the request and see what would happen. I figured that he'd say no.

But, he said yes. I agonized over whether I should really spend the money on a plane ticket. Short Person needed shoes, there were bills that needed to be paid, there was a lot to do. I kept asking him if he was sure I should go, only to get the response that "it's a once in a lifetime thing" (secretly, I hope not). Finally, I purchased the plane ticket-- two hours before that two-week in advance deadline kicked in and the fees sky-rocketed.

Then, as though fate were lending a hand, DC got hit with not one, but TWO blizzards. Something that hadn't happened in a really, really, REALLY long time. The airports were closed. And closed. And closed. I figured it was over. My trip, dead in the water-- or snow, as the case is.

24-hours before my flight, they reopened. And Franklin and I boarded a plane in Portland bound for Minnesota and then on to DC.