So here I am in the Beltway, the heart of politics, the capitol of Government, the hub of everything corrupt and good; and I really miss home. On the drive in, I heard the James Taylor song, "In my mind I'm going to Carolina." I immediately substituted Colorado for Carolina. I really do miss home when I go on long trips and realize how nice it is back home.
Yesterday, I had to deal with parking in the beltway - what a nightmare! I ended up parking at the long term lot at Reagan National and that was a nightmare too! The parking is steep too - it can be when there is so little available across the city. I tried parking first at the Springfield-Franconia metro stop - that turned out to be a mistake and took away 40 minutes from my time and $4.50 because I had to enter to find out whether they even had parking. First, the overnight spots were not marked so I had to park in a regular spot and go talk to the metro folks to find out where the overnight spots even where. Then, to top that off, once I got to the location where the overnight spots were, there were no empty slots. I had heard horror stories that if you park in these spots and you stay overnight or in my case, three nights, you could come back to find your car towed or ticketed. So, I did not want to risk it even though the guard at the metro told me it would “probably be okay.” I was not having much luck thus far in DC and decided not to chance it with a rental vehicle and an unknown area.
So I headed to the airport to park at the long term lot for $10 a night – sheesh! Talk about steep considering the lots are a free-for-all and then they load the shuttle down so much that one guy was holding his suitcase over his head. I kid you not. So, I got dropped off and took the metro straight to the hotel where the conference is being held but talk about a nightmare. Fortunately, I ended up in a very nice room at the Omni with a balcony overlooking the Washington Monument- sure, it is 20 degrees with a wind chill of 0 degrees and I cannot sit out on the nice balcony to enjoy the breathtaking view of Rock Creek and the monuments but who’s complaining? Seriously, I am not complaining. I am only making the point that I miss home and the hassels here are not really found in other cities. You would not need a Garmin in Denver but here, I do not think it is wise to leave home without one. You really appreciate all the conveniences you do have when you come to a city where it takes an hour to travel 9 miles and while the metro really does rock, it really is a dreary place too - with people so disconnected with society, it is tough to find someone you can ask a question to without being ignored. All in all, I am thankful to visit DC but am very happy to be returning home and "going to Colorado" in more than just my mind.
