Day 9 - 10:36 AM
Silver Spring, MD

Yesterday was a completely full day, to say the least.

So we woke up at about 7:30, because the church we were performing at had an opening from 9-10am where we could drop our stuff off - otherwise we would have to carry it around DC all day with us. Our host mom, Tammy, rode the metro with us into DC and then let us loose. We dropped off our things at the church, and then waited around for some other people to show up. After a bit, we've got a sizable group going, and we decide that we're gonna head to the national mall.

We get there at about the halfway point between the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument, and decide we're going to head to the Lincoln Memorial (about a mile and a half away). We stop at the Vietnam Memorial along the way, which is always a somber and powerful experience, and then head up to see Lincoln. When we're there, looking out over the reflecting pool, theres a French school touring right next to us. I was trying to understand them (hint: I didn't) but then one girl sneezed and immediately I said "a vous souhaits", and panicked because I couldn't remember whether or not that actually meant bless you. Much to my relief, it did and I didn't look like a total fool.

After that, we head towards the capitol building (a solid 2 mile walk) because some people are going on tours. We drop some guys off, and then head out to get something to eat. We wander looking for a restaurant that isn't there anymore for about 15 minutes, then settle on an Irish pub. Cool note: It's police week in DC, where police forces from all over the country come to remember the fallen and participate in competitions, so there were a load of officers at the pub. After walking for miles, Corned beef and cabbage never tasted so good.

We head back to the capitol building as more people go on tours, but I stay outside because my feet are hurting and I'm not really in a touring mood. I was also carrying my friends small pocketknife for him (because you can't take it into any of the buildings), and then I realized I had to go to the bathroom. My options are: lose my friends leatherman, or walk a mile to the nearest bathroom. I end up doing the sketchiest thing (it's a wonder I wasn't tackled by secret service or something), which is dropping the pocketknife in a book by the library of congress, go in, use the restroom, and then run back out to pick up the knife out of the bush. Mission accomplished.

I wait outside, reading my book, for a while until one of the tours end, and then we walk back to the church for the rehearsal hall. The rehearsal goes fine, and we were singing with Duke Ellington HS of the Arts that night, and the high school guys were great and a lot of fun to be around. In between rehearsal and the concert, a bunch of us run to Au Bon Pain and stuff ourselves. It was glorious.

The concert goes off without too big of a hitch (DR accidentally skipped a song), and then it's over. A bunch of the glee club alumni and current clubbers all head to a restaurant/bar and we hang out there for the next two hours, chatting away and trading stories. We sang some songs too, and the other people in the bar loved it.

At around 11:45, I head out back to Metro Center to catch the train back to Tammy's town, and I get on the train, but get off the wrong stop, just one short. I ask around and find out that another train is running, but little do I know it takes 45 minutes to get there, leaving me sitting along at a station for the better part of an hour. Finally, I get to the right stop, and it now being 1:00AM, decide that a slow walk isn't the best of ideas, so in khaki's, a sweatshirt, and wearing a backpack, I run a mile back to Tammy's house where I finally call it a night.

Now I'm about to get ready to head to DC for our actual free day. Hopefully this'll be a lot of fun!