Roadtrip, Day 2

Day 2: Monday

Big Meadows, Va 10:07 am

We rose at about 7:30 and got a run in. It was probably a bit over two miles. I went out way too fast and was in excruciating pain as I walked back to the tent. Probably would have yacked if I had had the mental toughness to continue running. Fortunately, I didn't.

The sleep last night was horrible. I maybe got about four hours. It was hot, wet, and darker than anything I have ever experienced. It felt like sleeping in the rainforest. I was very glad for the morning to come. 

We charged our phones for a bit and then bounced out of Big Meadows. Overall, the visit had its ups and downs, but it was definitely good for us. I think Preston and I realized how sheltered we have been up to this point in our lives as we tossed and turned out in the wilderness. But it was an excellent realization.

Now, we're headed to the D.C. area, where we will finally get to spend the night in a bed. Thank god. After that, it's back to a campsite, but that's up in New York. Hopefully it will be cooler up there and my sleeping bag, which was seemingly built for cold winter nights and not miserably humid July evenings, should be more effective. I hope.

Washington, DC 3:21 pm

We've arrived at our second destination of Rockville, Maryland. We got there and then took the Metro Train into D.C. It was a pretty sweet ride. The lights went off temporarily and these two women who were apparently "regulars" got off saying "That doesn't usually happen. We're gettin outta here!" Their words got the best of Preston and he quickly rose, saying "Dude, let's go, that doesn't usually happen they said." A guy sitting next to us just laughed and shook his head so I told Preston to chill out, and we stayed. We were fine.

Got into D.C. and started bouncing around the usual sights. We walked by the White House and noticed a small grassy park across the street from it. In other words, a perfect place to toss the disc. We had a solid disc session for about 20 minutes, and at the end Preston had a discussion with a Spanish man about how much our frisbee cost.

Then we made our way down to the Washington Monument. We were walking and walking, and my shins were killing me (I think I've picked up shin splints from all my recent running) and so we just decided to turn around. We'd seen it all anyway. 

We were stopped by a young guy from Belgium who was looking for a "I<3ny">

At a drink cart, Preston began chatting with a girl from the previous young guy's group who was from Germany. His trilingual skills were quite impressive, I have to admit, but not impressive enough for me to get motivated about taking Spanish next year.

Now I'm sitting in a giant Border's bookstore in the middle of the city. I have no idea where Preston is; guess I better go find him. I am going to get up now.

Rockville, Va 11:24

Day Two is coming to a close, and I must say that it was by far the best day we have had so far. I realize not much to compare it to, but it is surprisingly very true.

We are chillin at Preston's cousin's apartment that she shares with her husband. For dinner we had burgers and dogs on the grill, and all the brews we could drink. But, perhaps most importantly, even higher on the list than the low-calorie pilsner, is the fact that tonight we will have a real roof over our heads. This is quite refreshing.

The battery on the MacBook is about to die, and I am pretty buzzed. What's more, I have a Zyrtec swimming through my system (cats) so I am feeling extra tired. I think I am going to go watch "Gone In 60 Seconds" (a Cage classic) and hit the sack. Day Two in the books.