We’ve always wanted to be able to celebrate America’s birthday in our nation’s capitol. Nothing compares to setting foot on the same ground as our founding fathers and being able to look out at all they have accomplished on the day we became the greatest country this world has ever seen. We were overcome with a sense of pride, reverence and respect. Gathering on the steps on the Lincoln Memorial to watch the fireworks show was an amazing moment neither one of us will soon forget.
Oh yeah, and, also, it was HOT. Really hot. Sweat in places you wish you never knew about hot. The kind of hot that makes you wish for a house made of ice, or a pet polar bear, or a dip in the White Witch’s swimming pool. The hottest day DC has seen in over eighty years. Eighty. That means we Americans made it through the Great Depression, found victory during WWII, wore poodle skirts to the sock hop, sent a man to the moon, survived disco, permed our hair, screamed for boy bands and learned how to tweet before a day in DC was as hot as the one we just went through.
And did I mention the POWER WENT OUT?! Not just in the humble abode of the great friends we were staying with, but everywhere. Over 400,000 people lost their electricity during the worst heat wave the city has ever seen. No air conditioning. No refrigeration. And if you think you’re buying ice at the grocery store, you’re wrong! They lost power too. And the ones that had it couldn’t keep their shelves stocked. We found out later that our situation was making headlines all over the country. And in fact, it was reported it would take seven days to restore power to the masses. We wouldn’t have known this since everybody had dead cell phone batteries, no internet access, and trying to find a place to sit near an outlet at Barnes and Noble was harder than trying to secure front row Super Bowl tickets. So needless to say, we spent our trip dripping in sweat, moving from place to place like refugees, and still enjoying a little American history along the way. We kept in good spirits, made a lot of shadow puppets at night, and inhaled the perspiration-filled air on the metro at our own risk. It certainly was a 4th of July we will never forget. It was an adventure. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
