Dear Anne Frank,

At quitting time, I had to rush home from work because, like usual, I had not packed yet and we were leaving before 6pm for DC. I threw in as many different outfits as I could fit in the duffel bag, even though we only needed clothes for three days. If there were ever a need to be exact, I  wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said I had enough clothes packed for two weeks.

The drive wasn’t so bad. On the way there, I was reading an old notebook that I had written all of the news down for media class in 2003. I was puzzled by this note that was left in there “Hey Blueberry: Stay cool & sing loud.” I have no Earthly idea who left it or why I hadn’t seen it before. After I read through that notebook, I got into my Native American Literature notebook and looked around at my notes.

After about two hours, we stopped for dinner and by that time it was dark so I played on my phone, totally consumed in those full-blown Twitter conversations about – oh – the general: #bedclothes.

Your friend,
Karen-Maeby 

Dear Anne Frank,

At around 11pm, we pulled in to the Hilton Garden Inn parking lot. After checking in and finding out where our room was on the 4^th floor, we went downstairs and out through a lobby where a garden is presented. We went back through the security door, to the lobby, and I was just caught off guard by what was in front of the elevators.

Right where the perfectly carpeted stairs were, there was a huge American flag hanging. It was beautiful. I stopped to stare at it for a few minutes because, at that moment, I was reminded again why I love America. In my mind, I immediately flashed back to my Philadelphia trip in 2003 where we had viewed the Betsy Ross house.

There was also an area with slots for a phone booth. That was awesome considering the fact that almost everyone has cell phones nowadays. My mind instantly flashed into a scene where someone was standing beside the phones, waiting for a very important call. This person would be nervously impatient.

When the elevator opened, we hopped on and went to our room.

Basically, walking in the hotel room was also amazing. Our room had the most awesome green curtains with white in the middle where the blinds are. Placed in front of the window, on either sides, was a small wooden desk and a green single seat with foot recliner, which was also green.

We crawled into bed around midnight and that was it….The bed took us into its comforting arms and we were out.  

Your Friend,
Karen-Maeby 

Dear Anne Frank,

It was 7am on Saturday, when the sun started shining through our window in the hotel room. I embraced the sheer fact that I was waking up in Washington, DC once again.

DC, America’s capital, comes in second for being a favorite city of mine. The first being Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, and also the city of which I laid my heart. I often call Philly my heart city because if I had to choose, that’d be the perfect city for me due to the arts, sculptures around the city and history that place has, as well as the laid back environment of which sets on Market Street.

There’s just something with me and the city. A big something. It’s the city life, it’s the tourism, it’s the history. You go to these places to learn the birthing of the US and physically SEE so many other historical beginnings. I have such an attachment to older things – the tall old buildings, plantation houses, history of way back when. I think it’s the feeling of knowing and the happiness that we know.

Your Friend,
Karen-Maeby

"How noble and good everyone could be if, every evening before falling asleep, they were to recall to their minds the events of the whole day and consider exactly what has been good and bad. Then without realizing it, you try to improve yourself at the start of each new day." 
— Anne Frank 

Dear Anne Frank,

We had to be out of our hotel room at 10am to meet the hotel shuttle at the front doors to be carried to the metro. While on the metro, I thought of Arwen as the voice over the intercom says “step back, doors closing.” I remembered that she wrote an answer to a Formspring question that she’d like to be that voice.

So, we got off the metro at the zoo stop and rode an escalator that took 2.5 minutes to go up. Once we got half way, I couldn’t look down. Someone was wanting me to move over so they could get through and I told them to find their way to the center because I my hand and body was NOT leaving the side rail, since I am afraid of heights.

As soon as we got there we followed the signs and went in the direction to the Panda Station. We ate lunch there and it was actually not too expensive for it being in Washington, DC and the zoo. 

After resting a while after eating our food, we went to walk around the zoo for a bit. The most we got to look at in the zoo was a panda eating bamboo, the back end of a zebra, an elephant, a few random birds on the bird trail and flamingo fights of a flock of flamingos.

After walking there and back around, we passed an exhibit that’s being worked on from ground up. It completely looked like they were not projecting it as an exhibition for animals but an area for my #bedclothes, #fajb and Pitchmen group to have one amazing ball pit party. I thought of all of my Twitter friends while there, at the zoo, passing by that area. I would have tweeted that, hadn’t my cell phone completely junked out and died….like it purposely did the entire trip.

The most interesting part about the zoo, for me, was seeing the flamingos. However, my whole childhood has been masked a lie. Why, you ask? I found out that flamingos are not pink – they are actually bright orange. Whoever said they were pink (other than the feet and very back tail feathers) were colored blind and/or seriously deranged. Orange is NOT the new pink!

I must say I have never seen animals carry on like they did. The whole group, at one point, was standing on one leg trying to bite and fight with one another. Also, the song De Animals a-Comin’ was going through my head the entire time of this zoo visit. It was a song that the guys group sang in choir. 

Oh, and to end this note… One funny thing did happen, though, while at the zoo. There was this woman that wore a shirt saying  “You’ll never get lucky with me.” Yes, indeed; you wouldn’t have wanted to. Just.. saying.

Your Friend,
Karen-Maeby 

Dear Anne Frank,

I love riding the metro. I have no idea where it comes from, but I just enjoy it. Rode my first train in Chicago in year 2007 and it’s been love ever since, I think. It’s a big part of “the city life” because it’s a main way to have access to everywhere, easily avoiding the horrible traffic that has become of the cities.

There’s also something about thinking back to the days of travel where mainly did by train. Again, I wasn’t “in” those days but I think back on them like I was. It’s sometimes like I pause my life and daydream about being on a train, reading and writing with twelve more hours to go until reach the destination. It’s jus t something else I feel.

In addition: It’s kind of ironic that the beginning/ending main stop for us was the Vienna metro stop. Every time I hear “Vienna” I think Austria, Mozart AND the 1700s. Why else is this ironic? Because I often think about being in one of the big cities (Philly or DC) when it’s snowing and riding throughout the city in a horse and carriage. Of which, the horse and carriage ALSO reminds me of Vienna. I know this has nothing to do with metro trains – but, since we were already on the subject of a form of travel…

Your friend,
Karen-Maeby 

Dear Anne Frank,

After the zoo, we headed to the Postal Museum. It was awesome!! As soon as we opened the doors, got checked in with security, my memory was jogged. I remembered being there in year 2000, when my 8^th grade class went. I even remembered how excited I was then about this experience.

The best part of the Postal Museum was The Pony Express. I knew about the Pony Express from a cassette collection of stories that my aunt had given me many years back. Even though I had already seen that exhibit before, I was more than excited to go back and refresh my memory.

What’s so interesting was that of the photo directly above. “Romance VS Reality.”  I know that they were talking about the Pony Express, but instantly, as soon as I saw this, I thought about daily life. So, what IS romance vs. reality?

But then again, let me ask you what exactly IS “what is”? What is definitely is reality. Reality is what you have your hands on right now, romance the loveliness of dreams, what may come when and if it is supposed to. I could go on forever about this subject, but I think you get the point.

Another part I loved was seeing the hand written letters hanging in picture frames along the wall. O- my heart!!!! I loved seeing the lettering written from a feather pen. I’ve owned quite a few “fake” ones in my life and I would actually love to have a real “feather” pen one day.  And, if I ever did, I would write with that pen in all of the Christmas cards I send out. Sentimental value.

I was actually pretty excited to see some of the stamp collections in there, considering I see some of that at my work place and it means more to me now than it ever did. It’s like, ‘hey – I just got to touch (or see) some of this stuff from ages ago seeing this old stuff is amazing.’ A few weeks prior to this trip, my boss had let me see a Mark Twain fold up letter where you wrote in the middle of it and folded that same paper into an envelope to send it out. I found some samples of that on a wall inside one of the stamp exhibits. I was quite the excited one when I knew what it was!

Your friend,
Karen-Maeby 

Dear Anne Frank,

We concluded our night by going to Generous Georges, an Italian pizza joint, near our hotel. This was recommended to us from a friend.

The place was amazing. Not only was the food, but the interior design would’ve been everything I’d want in my very own house.

You walk in the door – it’s like WAM-BAM - the colorful décor just pops out at you.

The back wall has a pizza design. The walls shared a hot pink, lime green and other colors and the chairs were glittery with all kinds of color seats.  Betty Boop and a horse sat on the center wall. It was amazing – it was just like a colorful disco ball had exploded, sending greatness of color everywhere.

Your friend,
Karen-Maeby 

Dear Anne Frank,

Today was the second morning we woke up in DC, this time at 10am so we could be on the shuttle by noon. The metro was so empty that time of the day.

Our first stop was the Chili Bowl, another suggestion from our friend, of where to eat. When we walked into the Chili Bowl, it was absolutely nuts – swarming with people in a line that never seemed to end. I was waiting on one side of the counter when Dan went to the other side to hold seats. Neither one of us knew what was going on but we ended up getting perfect seats RIGHT at the bar so we could see over top of everything.

While waiting for the actual meal, we had chili cheese fries. They were really good but the true test was when the real food came out. I had a turkey burger, Dan had a Chili Half Smoke. My meal was excellent; the turkey burger literally melted inside my mouth, it was that good.

The most amazing thing about eating there was knowing this was one of the places that was featured on Man vs. Food and one of the most favorite-known places to eat in DC. Not only that, but, we were there… right in the middle of it all the madness.

The line never really died down in the time we were there, behind the counter was just as nuts as what was going on behind us with people finding seats to sit down.

Over in the corner, there was a huge photo of Obama on the wall. I took pictures of the main parts where the signs were. I didn’t get to take a picture of who eats there for free – which would be the Obama family and Bill Cosby.

After we finished eating and paid our bill, we walked out the door. I took pictures of the outside of the building and when I turned to the left I saw a building with graffiti on it. The picture drawn in graffiti was awesome. Graffiti and tattoos are about in the same area for me, I don’t draw it, wouldn’t do it and probably wouldn’t ink myself… but love the stories and art that comes out of it afterwards.

Your friend,
Karen-Maeby 

Dear Anne Frank,

We weren’t originally planning on going to the Native American Museum, it was just on the other side of the Air & Space Museum where we were going next.

As soon as I walked in and we started walking thru the exhibits, some things started making more sense. There were more moments of “wow –that is why I have such a connection there.”

Let me back up here, though, I must mention that both sides of my family have Indian ancestors. So, it’s apparent Indian-nature is thickly embedded in my blood.

I had taken a Native American Literature class in fall 2004, my first semester of college. When I was in that class not only did all of the stories, literature, poems and lectures make sense to a point where in connected with my soul *BUT* I also was able to look so deep within myself to create deep soul poetry, writings and thoughts. It did me wonders. But after a while of being out of that class, I stopped having deep-soul conversations with myself that would help my heart heal of whatever was needed.

Now that I’ve gone on forever yapping about how that very class changed my thoughts, it’s time to relate to the museum.

Here are a few quotes (a few in pictures) that struck me and made me think a little.

“Water is life….”

“The beginning of life lies in the south. Yellow is the color of the south, the color of seeds, water, maternity, and birth. Just as air comes from the north, so it blows to the south. The south also symbolizes the beginning of people’s connections to nature and to one another.” – Community Curators

“Our lives revolve around the seasons…”

(The photo directly above) Guess what folks? That’s me!!!! I find comfort in the arms of large bodies of water. I go to the lake to think and write. My thoughts feel free when writing in the sun with water around me.

After seeing majority of those quotes, we walked past this grave picture (above). I sometimes, as creepy as this sounds, find comfort in going to graves  and walking around, taking pictures. The older the graveyard, the better. I even did that sort of thing when I spent Thanksgiving alone when Dan was at work.

I’m beginning to think this is indeed my Indian “journey” to finding me. But, then again, everyone lives life and they have to figure out the same thing. But more so, others than some.

Your friend,
Karen-Maeby

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles." 
— Anne Frank (Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl) 

Dear Anne Frank,

As soon as I stepped into the Air & Space Museum, I remembered being there in 8^th grade. I ALSO remembered how much I didn’t care for science at that moment, either, and that feeling kind of still remains. Must mention how strange it was being there almost 10 years later and remembering that not much had changed.

When I think about the stars, I’d rather be wishing on them, living life and following/changing my stars instead of looking and studying them. I do highly respect those who do and who have traveled to space to keep the NASA alive. However, science just isn’t my thing.

I will just leave photos.

This photo reminds me of @covermyscript because she always posts of old type writers. I know this isn't an old typewriter but it did remind me of her! 

I also find it super duper cool that there’s currency from EVERYWHERE dropped into that donation box. It’s that diversity thing again.

By 5pm, we still had one hour to burn before we had a long metro ride back to the main station. There was an awesome McDonald’s through one set of doors, so we went and sat over there for a while. I got coffee to drink! Yum!

Your friend,
Karen-Maeby