Why I Still Act Like a Tourist in DC.

As a life-long Maryland resident (except for those 3 years in Tennessee and those two years in Texas), I've visited DC so many times, I've lost count. While most of my excursions have taken place in or around the National Mall, I could probably drive my way to the Tidal Basin blindfolded at this point in my life. I've gone during the summer in the scorching heat, in the winter with the bitter cold, and during spring nights when the air is fresh and alive. I've visited for field trips, dates, personal fulfillment and even now as a faculty member chaperoning students.


But every time I visit, I almost always make sure to still act like a tourist. Why? Because I've realized something during my travels that has always made me sit back and scratch my head.

Locals act indifferent. Joggers run on the National Mall only paying attention to their breathing and the path in front of them, but I rarely see any of them looking around them at where they are, the architecture of the buildings, the groups of people they pass by. Drivers - well, they're a whole different breed. I understand you can't always take in the sights while dealing with DC traffic, but that doesn't necessarily dictate the attitude in which you handle it. Businessmen and women jet in and out of passersby, head down, walking to lunch or back to the office.

I find myself doing it too, but at home. How often have I gone up and down those roads to and from work without actually noticing what's going on in my periphery? I'm sure someone could be standing on a cow riding right beside the road some mornings and I would never even take a passing glance.

DC has always held this sense of wonder for me. It holds knowledge, resonates power, and gives off a vibe of not caring about anyone else. It's a memorial to great leaders, the men and women who have fought and died for our nation, and a promise of democracy and protection. So yes, every time I see the Capitol Building, rain or shine, scaffolding or not, you will see me with my camera in hand preparing to take a picture. I have 100 other pictures exactly like it, but those were from 100 different trips that I took. And I know, I know. Thomas Jefferson's face never changes as he looks out over the Tidal Basin, but that doesn't mean I don't want another snapshot of it.

I've become comfortable with the concept of looking like a tourist wherever I go (but travel safe - don't make yourself a huge target) because that means that I'm attempting to take in all of the beautiful things around me. It's a challenge to see the positives, to look at the same things from a different perspective or angle, and to avoid indifference. I visited DC a week ago today, and even though I could tell all the students where to go to find what they were looking for, no one else would have known by the way I was walking around - stopping to take pictures left and right, gawking at the way the buildings looked against the cool winter sky.

So, if anything, I want to challenge you, fellow travelers, to still act like a tourist. Whether it's in your hometown, any time you visit somewhere new, or even on your drive to work. Try to find something slightly different in your day-to-day. As a student once challenged me, "find the art in everyday." So, what are you doing to find the art today?

Happy adventuring! xoxo

P.S. These pictures are from my phone, sooo that explains the quality.