New Adventures: One Step At A Time (54/90)

It's 3:45 p.m and I'm home. Sitting at my desk where I've been all day. The panic of not being able get to campus after the car issue spilled over into today has settled a bit.

I  missed my 12:30 test and my 3:30 class. But, I'm doing what I can here. And today, that will have to be enough.

My stomach is growling, and has been since 1:00. We get to the store sporadically and buy only what we need when we do, because we don't spend much time at home.  There is chicken breast in the freezer and vegetables that I could have made for lunch, but I didn't want the spend time in the kitchen and lose the productive spurt that is happening at my desk.

I feel the pressure to be extra diligent since I'm not on campus. I don't want to get comfortable here and let the day slip away from me.

Yet, it's a nice day out and I keep finding my eyes wandering toward the window. I would love to walk to a cafe where I could sit outside, have lunch and work there for a bit. But there is nothing that close around here. .

I've always wanted to live in a city where that wasn't such a long stretch; to wake up on a Saturday morning, walk to the bookstore and then to the coffee shop and stop by the market on the way home. I can't wait to be in Chicago this weekend, walking the city and discovering my favorite little spots.

 I've decided when the time is right, I want to sell my car and move to a walking city. This has always been a dream of mine. I'm a wanderer and I'm invigorated by city living.  First I thought about New York, then Boston, and then D.C.  But, I don't have to make any decisions just yet.

For now, I'll take some time just exploring the options. I spent a few minutes looking at the 25 Best Walking Cities in America during a study break. And I was immediately enticed by the idea of Denver, Tucson, Portland and San Jose.

 I want to explore them all and rank them myself.  But maybe the city I'm after isn't on the list, or even in the states.

And that's the beauty of adventure.

In-Flight (45/90)

I am on my way back to the IND now, literally. I am 32,000 feet up in the air, sitting uncomfortably cramped in seat 25A, beside the window (although the shade is down now to block the glare of the sunshine on my screen). The arm hairs of the man next to keep brushing my arm and we’ve bumped elbows a few times now.  

 It is an overfull flight, as we were told over and over, first from the gate and then when there was no space in the overhead bins for carry-on bags.  I gladly checked the extra bag that I borrowed and brought along today; full of my Spring Break purchases, since all of the sudden AirTran was so willing to check it for free (and allow me to board the plane early for doing so).

It’s been a day full of these sorts of accommodations, though as I experienced my first travel SNAFU.

***

After a day spent shopping in Orlando, we got home around 1a.m. I had a 7a.m. flight to Atlanta, a one-hour layover and then finally a flight back to Indianapolis that would land at 11 a.m.

First, we lost an hour with Daylight Saving’s Time today, which meant I lost one of my precious three hours of sleep. I woke up around 4:00 a.m., which is when, on a typical day in my life is I would be going to sleep, and finished packing. My Mom and I sleepily headed to the airport around 5:30 a.m. We were stressed and somehow, made the 30-minute trip in 15 minutes.

When I arrived at the airport and tried to check my bag outside, I was told that the flight had been delayed until 10 a.m. Now, I am normally very collected, but at that point I unintentionally sighed aloud before I thanked the uniformed lady and headed inside.

When I got inside I was jolted by the incredibly long line, one that you’d typically see during the holiday rush. I stood in line for two hours behind an entire military troop, and in front of a fanatically religious trio, which made for some entertaining eavesdropping.

 I was probably a little entertaining near the end of the two hours also, as I had already taken my Dramamine to prevent motion sickness on the flight and chugged an entire bottle of water. I was already sleepy and add to that the drowsiness of the Dramamine and the pee-pee dance and three bags to manage and I probably looked pretty silly.

When I got to the front of the line I was told there was no more room on the 10 a.m. flight and that I would be moved to the afternoon flight instead. At this point, I was just too tired to be upset, at all.

I had walked away from the counter with all of my bags still in hand as it was too early to check them, and called my Mom hoping that she could pick me back up.

While I was still on the phone with my Mom, the representative at the counter called me back over. She had forgotten to give me the free round trip, she told me. She handed me a white card, with a confirmation number written on the bottom, with which I can redeem a free round trip to anywhere that Air Tran flies.

***

When my Mom reached the airport again to pick me up she seemed as tired as I felt. She didn’t get much sleep either because she spent the wee hours of the morning helping me to get my laundry finished and packed.

I told her about my free round trip as an afterthought, kind of the way that that lady at the counter had offered it to me.

And she immediately perked up and suggested a trip to Hawaii, and I think that could be nice.

I’ve been flying alone since I was 14, shuffling back and forth between Tampa and Indianapolis and this is the first time that I’ve ever had a notable issue. And I’m not even sure that this is notable.

This is the best of SNAFU’s in my opinion. One that leaves you with less trouble on the ground and provides more airtime, for free. 

Hide and Seek

The wind is cold and without mercy in DC today.

Since my arrival on Saturday, we've been spoiled with warmer than usual days, but not today.

I decided to brave the cold anyways though, for a while at least. I went out with a friend to explore Adams Morgan, a neighborhood known for its culture and diversity, and only a 12-minute walk from our hotel.

We stumbled upon one of the coolest things I've seen on this trip. The "Airing of Grievances", which I was unfamiliar with up until now. The grievances were posted on a busy street corner, for all to see and participate. That was my first feel of the city's character. And I loved it.

(Now, let's  be clear,  this is my second trip to DC and on the first I explored and took in the history that is this place. But on this trip, I wanted to witness the street culture and city life. So, this was a bit of that.)

We walked a little further before we decided we should probably walk with our backs to the wind. As we changed directions, we ran into a quaint little cafe that serves New Orleans style cuisine.

I fell in love with this spot as soon as we sat down. It's small, but cozy. Its walls are painted in warm inviting colors; deep reds and browns. We were served by the owner himself, Bardia. He's a small man with a thick accent (which I couldn't identify) and a sweet spirit. He's the kind of person that in just a short time makes you want to be a little sweeter and kinder.

My friend and I shared a plate of beignets, my favorites. I also had a cafe au lait with real chicory (much better than Starbucks' cafe au lait which I settle for at home) and a cup of gumbo. All were delicious. We lingered there for a while and chatted. I told my friend:

"If I lived in this city, this is where I'd spend all of my mornings, eating too many beignets and sipping cafe au laits."

When it was time to face the wind again, we thanked Bardia and headed for a bookstore I spotted on the way in. This place, also quaint, was a used bookstore. Upon opening the door we were flooded with that used book smell. It was warm, and a great hiding place from the wind.

                                                                                      

I could have spent hours there. I left with two books that will help fill my free time for  the remainder of the break.

I've got tonight and tomorrow left here in DC. These are the types of places I can be found, when I'm hiding from the wind.