the ship of fools

A few weekends ago, Zan and I didn't get up and moving until 1:30pm. What can I say? Pajamas, naps, homemade breakfast, and the call of the TV (ahem, House of Cards) have all been so tantalizing this winter. We haven't resisted the urge to nest. Anyway, we finally swapped out pajama pants for socially acceptable ones and hopped in Zan's truck.

With no real plans and it being a little too late in the afternoon to head out to wineries (our typical go-to on Saturdays with no plans), I suggested we check out a few lesser known tourist spots that neither of us had seen - a pretty incredible feat given that Zan grew up here!

I recently wrote a feature for Viator.com on 30 Unique Things To Do in DC. It turned out to be shockingly easy to write - it took me a mere 10-15 minutes to come up with the list of 30 things. Most of them I'd done, but there were a handful that I'd only heard rumors of... and it was time to change that.

So we headed across town to the Southwest Waterfront to see the Titanic Memorial. This statue, dedicated to the brave men who lost their lives so that women and children could be saved (because of too few life rafts, if you haven't seen the movie.... er, know the history!), depicts a women with her arms outstretched into the wind. It looks exactly like the iconic scene in the movie Titanic with Jack and Rose at the helm of the ship.

And here's where I have a giant, nerdy confession to make: I saw the movie five times in theaters. Five! I saw it so many times that my mom started to think that maybe I was pulling one over on her and was up to all kinds of teenage rebellion. Years later, she admitted that the 5th time I went, she followed me to the theater and poked her head in to see if I was really there. And there I was, sipping on a soda and mouthing the words because at that point I could quote the whole damn thing. I have an inkling she was hopeful I really was up to some old fashioned trouble making and not really seeing a movie for the fifth time... (Can we also talk about how I would not have used the same excuse 5 times in a row if I were really sneaking out and making out with boys?!)

With all that embarrassment on the table, I probably don't need to say that I loved it. It was cheesy, fun, and honestly? A beautiful monument. The sun was shining just right. The water was iced over - and that was kind of perfect when you're visiting a Titanic memorial... if not a bit morbid and sad.

I definitely quoted a monologue, downloaded "My Heart Will Go On" and had Zander film the whole scene. I know. I really thought about posting it here, but some things... Let's just say Zan and my mom have enough teasing fodder to last a lifetime.

Then we drove all the way up to Georgetown to play on the giant green Adirondack chair on the lawn of Duke Ellington School of the Arts. If I ever have kids in the city, that's where I'm taking them for play time. Who needs a jungle gym when there's an oversize chair?!

I get so caught up in being a local, and redefining that for myself with every new trend, restaurant, and up-and-coming neighborhood, that I sometimes forget how great it is to be a tourist. Especially when the attractions are little hidden gems in the nooks and crannies of this beloved city of mine.