From the city that never sleeps to the city of red, white, and blue...

Just a quick note before you start reading my posts: I am not as funny as my mother. I was not blessed with her quick wit and sincerely appreciate anytime I come up with a joke. If you want the funny side of everything that happens to us on this trip, see her posts. If you want to know what ACTUALLY happens on our trip, read mine! :)

DAY ONE - EMILY:
Today is our first day in DC, and I arrived via MegaBus - a cheap (my ticket was $5.50) bus service that goes all over the Northeast from NYC. I gathered my bags at 9AM, ventured to the subway with one carry bag full of electronics and makeup and one rolling suitcase containing as many sundresses an sandals as I could fit in it. Many of you have probably never considered traveling on the subway with suitcases. Let me tell you... it's not an easy task! Especially when you're hardheaded like me and refuse to take the elevators. I'm sure I gave a few Europeans some laughs and "stupid Americans" thoughts. Finally, I arrived at the bus with a whole wheat bagel in hand, relaxed in my seat, and ready to read my book - Kurt Vonnegut's "Breakfast of Champions." I counted my eggs before they hatched by thinking I was in the clear and sitting by myself for the entire 5 hour ride. Wrong. A man who didn't quite understand personal space sat by me forcing me to sleep with my head in my lap to avoid awkward shoulder rubs. But it didn't really matter - I was seeing my mom soon and I knew she'd put me in a good mood!

Once I arrived at the hotel, mom and I were going to eat each other if we didn't get food in our bellies ASAP so we went to a local bar and ate a so-so burger. We spent tonight venturing around Georgetown, which I have visited in high school and also have a lot of New York friends who went to school there, and it was just as beautiful as I remember. It has a small-town feel about it with designer stores, restaurants, and Irish pubs lining the main street (M Street). Mom loved the cobblestone side streets - I didn't tell her that I saw a few rats crawling around the cobblestones when she was looking away. You get rats with any big town, especially in the summer. And pigeons. I hate pigeons - they're rats with wings and I hate them. They have no purpose on this earth except to freak me out. EW. This is how mom feels about rats so I did not point them out.

We also ended up seeing the "Exorcist steps" and I climbed them - probably about 60 steeeeeep stairs! Of course Mrs. Cancer Stick Smoker didn't join me on that climb. Instead she retreated to a nearby Exxon Station and what happened there will forever be our secret. Let's just say it involved an outside bathroom with no lock and we're still laughing. We walked across Key Bridge and saw the Washington Monument lit up - very beautiful.

Now we're planning Day Two which will definitely be more eventful than Day One, as it will be our first full day. We'll keep you all posted!!