Our Trip to Washington DC

4/29/2010

I arrived at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in D.C. before everyone else because I took the train instead of flying. The hotel was gorgeous. The foyer was entirely marble with door men all over the place to carry your bag and help you check in. The reception area was lined with huge, comfy couches, arrangements of roses in large colorful planters, and lovely orientals gracing the marble floors. Huge crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Checking in was a breeze, everyone working at this hotel was very friendly and I was quickly up into my room to change. What a suprise...my room was actually a suite of rooms with a gigantic walk in closet, a dressing room and a sitting room...it also had a stately granite bathroom. My room overlooked the pool and the hot tubs...The beds were the most comfortable thing I have ever slept in. I plugged in my computer and started organizing all the pictures I took on the train trip out. I was trying to find my land legs because I still felt like I was on the train...and any time I got up to move around I felt like I was lurching back and forth. Quite unnerving. After about 30 minutes I decided to go back downstairs to scout around in the hotel for a bit and wait for the Dean and my students. So, I started poking around the shops, scoping out the dining room, and checking out where to get some Starbucks in the morning. Once the students got there, we were to go over to the Capitol to have dinner with some alumni. The Dean showed up followed by a group of students who had been on a plane, a bus and the Metro...quite the transportation buffet. They hurried to change their clothes and we were off to the alumni dinner. We all walked a few blocks to get back onto the Metro and I had to get a Metro card so that I could ride that nite. Luckily, we had the Dean, his wife and daughter who knew the Metro system or I would have wound up in Cleveland. The first thing I notice right away about the Metro was how clean it was...and how people were so willing to help me out when I was getting boloxed up in different places. Getting onto the Metro was easier said than done...once our train showed up and the doors opened it was clear there wasn't going to be enough room for everyone to get on. The Dean's wife, Mary, just grabbed me and pulled me onto the car while the Dean blocked the door from closing on my head. Thank you Dean. The metro ride took me all the way back to the days I was growing up in Chicago and all the rides I took on the El. Squishing in and hanging onto the rails to make sure you remained on your feet when the car started lurching. I also spent a good amount of time watching all the people coming and going. People sure look different out in Washington...everyone is in a hurry...and lots of them dress more formally than we do here...you will see people running to catch a train in a suit and a pair of sneakers... We got to the building near the Capitol and were greeted by one of our alumni


Posted at 2:31 PM by Judy Abbott