To D.C. and Home Again

I took a super short trip to D.C. last week. The organization I work for, the Kuwait America Foundation (KAF), is based there and I needed to raid their files.

I was NOT excited about going, even for only 2 days and 1 night. I just don't enjoy leaving my kids. But I was able to spend nearly the entire time with my brother Josh who goes to law school at George Washington University and who I hadn't seen since last Christmas. He spent quite a lot of time helping me make hundreds of photo copies, and fixing my computer so I could actually work on another project for KAF. Then for a couple of hours after the work was done, and before I had to head back to the airport - we went to the Mall and visited a couple of monuments.

I hadn't been back to DC since I was married 8 years ago, so it was more than surreal to be there. I felt like it was an old friend who'd changed a lot but who's soul was mostly the same.

Looking over the tidal basin is the most beautiful place in all of DC. But my favorite spot to sit is now blocked by gates. Darn stupid people who probably messed around there and fell in.




We visited with Tommy J. who I love and adore. I admire him in so many ways, but mostly as a writer. His words always leave tears in my eyes.



The World War II memorial was built after I moved, so I hadn't ever seen it. It's impressive and beautiful but odd to see stuck in between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. It sits in a serious place of honor, and it deserves as much, but still. . . it was hard to see such massive changes.





And then it was back to the airport.

All this time away from DC I wondered if when I did go back how I would feel. Would I feel like I was home again? Turned out I didn't feel that way till I touched ground back in KC and was walking through the airport. I'll always feel a closeness to the east coast, it's a huge part of who I am. But I'm proud to call Missouri my home.