Well, It’s been real and it’s been fun. It’s been real fun most of them time too, but I’m moving back to Austin in a week and a half; almost a year to the day after I got here. There’s a thousand reasons why I’m not staying, but the biggest one is that DC isn’t home. That, and it’s expensive as hell. There’s a lot to love about this town, and here’s some of the things I love the most.
I’m Going to Miss:
- Mi Tierra market on the weekends: God, I love this place. I go at least once a weekend to get my favorite drink, melon agua fresca, from one particular lady. It’s so sweet and when you’re done with the juice you can stick a spoon in your cup and scoop all of the melon bits out of the bottom of your cup. I also am going to miss the little old lady who missed her calling as a used car salesman. She slashes prices on her tamales and elote until I can’t help but walk away with a shopping back full of her wares.
- Not driving: Say what you will about WMATA, and I’ve said plenty, but it’s more than we got in Austin and I love being able to get around without driving.
- My friends in “the program”: Everybody in the MPS Journalism program at Georgetown that I attend calls it “the program” and I love it because it sounds like we’re all in some kind of cult. I guess it’s not that far from the truth because I feel like we’re a pretty close bunch. I’m going to miss everybody I’ve sat through class with.
- Brunch with Mustang: There were two distinct periods for me here during my stay: Pre-Jessica and Post-Jessica. She was my partner in crime and we really tore it up. Couldn’t ask for a better friend and she was always available for bloody marys on the weekend when I needed that hair of the dog the most.
- The Smithsonians: they are truly amazing museums and they’re all free, including the zoo!
- Nighttime at the monuments: If standing on the edge of the Lincoln Memorial and looking out over the National Mall to the Capitol building at night doesn’t get you, then there’s something wrong with you. The Jefferson’s probably my favorite, though. I love how it’s surrounded by water.
- Walking down 19th street: I love all the houses and it’s a shady way to walk almost the entire way from my place to the GUTS bus at 20th and Massachusetts.
- Adam Express: I’ve never been to Korea, but this is the best bibimbap I’ve ever had and the kimchi is to die for. Plus, the couple that runs the joint is adorable and they’re always happy to see you.
- Roasted onions with pine nuts and blue cheese at Jaleo: Never thought onion could be that delicious, but the way it’s cooked makes the onion sweet and almost jelly-like. Doesn’t sound good, but it’s one of the best things I’ve put in my mouth EVER.
- Krav Maga DC: I had such a great time learning there and getting my ass kicked. I’m definitely joining in Austin when I get back.
- The fruit vendors in my neighborhood: These ladies got me HOOKED on mango, pineapple or watermelon with Valentina chile sauce, salt and lime. I’m a woman possessed. I can’t walk past one of those ladies without buying some. Watermelon’s my fave, but I enjoy all of the varieties.
- The shaved ice guy at 17th and Columbia Rd: He HAND SHAVES his ice. He’s doing God’s work over there and he always has one or two of his kids with him handling the money. He makes a MEAN spicy sno cone. I think my favorite is tamarind with chile sauce and an entire fresh squeezed lime.
- Malcolm X/Meridien Hill Park on Sundays: Every Sunday a bunch of people gather in park and play drums together while others dance and lounge around. It’s a real community event and I love going to people watch. The drum circles in Austin just can’t hang because these guys actually know how to drum and they follow a leader that sets the tone. It doesn’t sound like a bunch of smelly hippies “feeling the music.” It sounds like actual music.
The Capitol building: It’s really just a stunning building. There’s something about driving (or sitting in the passenger seat) down North Capitol and seeing it at the end of the road. It’s one of those things that never gets old. T
Chief Ike’s Mambo Room: Ya know, I hate on this place too, but it’s really not a bad bar at all if you know when to go. I am the first to admit that it can be a nightmare on the weekends, but if you go on a quiet weeknight or during the day (not during football season) on the weekends, it’s a nice neighborhood bar. They got Natty Boh for hella cheap and I ain’t mad at that. There’s a dog that hangs out there too, which is always a good sign in a bar. Plus, it’s the site of one of the most memorable first impressions anybody’s made on me in years. Yeah, Robyn happened there one night and it was EPIC. I also paid an obnoxious guy to go away that night, if I remember correctly, or rather I paid a cab driver to take said dude away from me with great haste.- Free events at the National Mall: I saw Taj Mahal play while laying in the grass under the Washington Monument. I saw “On the Waterfront” while laying on a blanket with an over-sized pillow drinking 2 Buck Chuck with friends. There’s a lot to do in DC and I tried to take advantage of as much of it as possible. Many good times were had by all.
- Walking down U Street on the weekends on the way to 9:30 Club: I live close to 18th St., but I don’t ever go there. It smells like vomit and it seems like there’s always something shady going on. I head to U St. instead for drunken people watching. It’s like a classier version of 6th St. in Austin.
- 9:30 Club: Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World, sure, but I’m gonna miss this venue. It’s what I wish Emo’s was. It’s big enough for large shows, it’s inside, it’s got a great bar, food and even a coffee bar and most of all, I don’t have the uncontrollable urge to get a tetanus shot when I use the restroom. I saw some great shows here too: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears and Questlove all threw it down and made me dance until I didn’t smell appropriate for company.
- The Daily Telegraph Washington Bureau: I really got to experience the craziness of the 2008 Presidential Election in a helluva way due to my internship there. They treated me so well there and they took me to National Press Club events and fed me nicer meals than I’ve had in years.
- Sticky Rice: Some of the best sushi I’ve ever had and I had a couple of great nights that began drinking sake there. Also, just general big ups to the H Street Corridor. It’s a fun place to be.
- Marion Barry: Teflon oughtta do some research on what this man’s made of, because DC’s mayor-for-life is so slippery that nothing can stick to him. “Bitch set me up!” Uh huh, that’s right Mr. Barry. And he keeps on getting reelected, bless him.
