Today was our day of trains. We began our trip to Washington D.C. today for the National College Dance Festival by arriving at the Columbia, S.C. AMTRAK station at approximately 3:30am. Our train was supposed to arrive around 4:00am. After some delays and a whole lot of waiting around, we finally boarded and left the station just before 5:00am. After the longest 10 hour ride of my life, we finally arrived in Washington D.C.. This was my first journey by AMTRAK, and while I’m not entirely eager to jump back on the train, it was very cool to see the different landscapes chug by. And of course, being a passenger is always less stressful than being a driver. I do wish that I’d had a sleep instead of a nap the night before our epic journey. Because it was basically impossible to find a comfortable sleeping position that didn’t risk paralysis.
Finally, we reached our destination, our nation’s capital. All I wanted to do was lay down, eat
something, and use a real bathroom – not necessarily in that order. But alas, since it was the day of trains, we needed to get on another one. Thus began our Metro experience. We’ll be in town for a good bit, so we realistically needed to purchase enough train rides for 5 days worth of travel back and forth from our hotel’s Metro stop, Foggy Bottom, and any other sites we’d like to see. So – being the college students and grads that we are, we quickly did some math to determine the most cost efficient card purchase. And we all came to different answers. But do not worry, after probably 20+ minutes of navigating Metro pass machines, we all had a pass in hand and were ready to venture underground. Some of the group has traveled by subway before, however, for some of our crew this was a completely new experience. With that in mind, you may now picture ten kids in their 20’s trying to navigate the Metro station with luggage and a general lack of direction. Funny right? By the grace of our impromptu leader Emma, and some shepherding from those of us that had at least minimal subway experience, we all succeeded in getting on the first train we needed – definitely inconveniencing a whole host of travelers who were just trying to get home after a long day of work. Because naturally we were traveling in a group, with all our bags, in the middle of rush hour. After making it onto the first train relatively unscathed, it was time for the next one. This one almost went smoother than the first go-round. Please note the “almost”. Although I’m still unsure how we actually succeeded, we made it off the second train at the right stop, and began the last leg of our journey to the hotel. Fortunately, we are staying only a few minutes away from the Metro stop, so we didn’t have to lug our bags too far.
Of course, the next ordeal has to do with the hotel. Before you worry, our reservation was confirmed ahead of time, and our faculty chaperone was already there to great us. But somehow, we ended up with 2 rooms on the same floor, and 2 more rooms on completely different floors. And not a single room is near another. At least we had 10 hours on a train to bond! All jokes aside, we are very fortunate to be staying in this particular hotel. The hotel is very clean, spacious, has several amenities, and the people are so far very friendly. The location is great, right by a train station and just a short walk away from Georgetown. Which brings us to the adventure of the evening!
Since we’d woken up before the crack of dawn, and had spent the majority of the day on some form of a train, the most sustenance we’d all had were snacks of varying degrees of health. So it was beyond time for a real meal. But as you might’ve guessed, getting 9 “hangry” people to decide on what they wanted to eat is not the simplest of tasks. Tensions were running high, patience running thin, and eyes were getting shifty. It vaguely resembled Congress on the verge of a government shutdown. In the end, we had to split up into groups so that no one lost an eye and no friendships faced the ax. My friend Maria and I ventured off in search of a pasta dish and a nice glass of wine. And we were definitely not let down by Flavio Restaurant on 31st street. The food and wine were absolutely delicious. The decor was an interesting blend of open air design, hanging curtains, exposed brick, and funny sayings scrawled on a chalkboard wall. Overall it felt like a very classy place, infusing a genuine Italian feel with the Georgetown atmosphere. After stuffing myself full of pasta, and feeling the stresses of travel melt away, it was time to venture back onto the Georgetown streets. Which, apparently always have traffic. Next we wandered into the Sugar Lab, an ice cream laboratory that boasts several different flavors of regular ice cream, vegan ice cream, and gelato, varying toppings, and a waffle that was vaguely reminiscent of enlarged bubble wrap. It sounds strange, but man it was so scrumptious! Maria and I went for a waffle bowl with mint chocolate chip ice cream and sprinkles. Despite being an avid ice cream connoisseur, I don’t think I could’ve eaten an entire bowl by myself. Even if I hadn’t just consumed a hefty portion of Fettuccine Alfredo. Thankfully, we walked to dinner, so I got a chance to burn some calories on the trek home. As we walked over the bridge to our hotel, we got a beautiful look at the city from a distance with the Potomac River stretched out beneath us.
I won’t lie to you, today was a LONG day of travel. For me, that meant anxiety in all forms. While I love to travel, sometimes the amount of variables that need to be taken into account can overwhelm me. And when you add 9 more people onto my itinerary, it can feel daunting. Spending 10 hours in the same relatively cramped space is also not necessarily ideal. I know what you’re thinking. “Maia, you’re 5’2”, you had plenty of leg room”. And yes, compared to my much taller travel companions, I did have more room. But even for a small person those AMTRAK chairs don’t exactly feel like little clouds.
I am excited for this conference though. Not only do I get to explore our nation’s capital with some of my dearest friends, I also get a chance to learn from professors I’ve never met before, watch my peers from other schools, and overall hopefully be inspired by what I’ve seen. Life’s a journey. And this part started with a train.
