Life in Ink and Footsteps

Continuing the madness of my last few days in America, I have to talk about two important experiences I shared with my best friend, Nordic Beauty. During one of our Saturday trips to Roslyn for YOLO, we chatted and complained about not really seeing all that much—the audacity of that is still staggering to me. Washington, D.C., for example. It’s not like it was all that far away, so why hadn’t we traveled there yet? You know those moments when you just look at your best friend, and you’re both thinking the same thing? Yeah, that’s the magic of a special friendship.

So, to D.C. we went the very next morning. We woke up around 5 a.m., packed, jumped into a car, and drove all the way down. Neither of us knew what we were doing or if we needed some highway sticker thingy or something. We each had about 50 bucks and giddy excitement pushing us forward. We made pee breaks at gas stations, bought crappy food, and got gallons of chocolate milk at Wawa. Not really a gallon, but a lot. I love it. Thank you, Mr. FoodAdventure, for showing me this magic!

We got there around 10 a.m. and started exploring, not knowing if we parked legally or if we’d find the car there in the evening, just hoping for the best. The whole day, we were walking, exploring, and laughing. We made pictures and videos, did goofy faces, drank Starbucks—there was always money for cold brew—and just enjoyed the wonderful weather and the excitement of our little adventure. We felt like nothing could bring us down. We felt like we were on top of the world! We still get this feeling when we travel together, no matter where or how far. She became my other half, my best friend—the person I was so worried I’d lose after going back home. It turned out I was wrong. I can’t get rid of her, and vice versa. She still lives in Denmark, I spent years in Africa and Japan before settling back in Czechia, and we are still as close as before. We try to meet up at least once a year when possible. Some connections are just like that. No matter how far you are from each other, nothing can break you apart.

But back to the magnificent Washington. We stopped at the White House, said some stuff about the president—who won again. Seriously, what is wrong with you, America?? It’s like getting back with your abusive ex. WTF would you do that? All the love and strength to the people affected by this terrible situation. I apologize for this rant. But while I’m writing this, my emotions are still fresh and raw. The election was two days ago.

Once again, back to the trip. We did all the tourist things—the classic route to the Lincoln Memorial, where we reenacted the scene from Forrest Gump, then to the Washington Monument, where we had a quick nap in the grass since we were both dead tired. We continued to the Museum of Natural History, which we both loved, and ended the day at the Capitol, which, for some reason, was kind of disappointing. I don’t know—we weren’t all that impressed by it. As the evening approached, we decided to get back on the road. And what a road it was. Traffic. Traffic. Traffic. Almost out of gas. And Nordic Beauty had to pee so bad she was getting nauseous. Then I got lost somewhere in Jersey City while looking for a gas station with toilets. It was a long night. Still absofuckinglutely worth it. 10/10, would do it again. Oh, look, that rhymed. Kind of.

The second experience was a Broadway musical. I got Phantom of the Opera tickets from the family for my birthday, and let me tell you—it was pure magic. It was at the Majestic Theatre, and I loved it! We met up in the City since my bestie was already there with her hot boyfriend. We grabbed a beer at a pub right next door to the theatre and caught up on everything. We laughed and were full of excitement. She had already seen The Lion King, but for me, it was a Broadway premiere, and I could barely wait. The show itself was awesome. There is no more to say. Just phenomenal. I did miss Gerard Butler there, though. He would’ve made it top-notch. I know, I know… I need to stop simping for talented men. Sue me. I wish I had gone to more shows. That was definitely a missed opportunity, but that’s how it often is in life, especially if you live somewhere temporarily. You have so many plans and dreams, then you get overwhelmed by the move and change. By the time you settle down, you find things that feel more pressing, and since you still have “so much time left,” you just go with it. Until one day, you wake up and realize you didn’t do nearly as much as you wanted and your time is almost gone. Trust me, I’ve been through it three times already. Even though I’ve gotten better with each of the country changes, I always miss out on some things. And that’s okay. Life doesn’t follow exact rules and plans. And there’s a beauty in that.

Muse – Feeling Good