10. Eastern Forests
(pictured above one of the sites of my off the trail nets at Jug Bay, this was an especially nice spot because there were lots of frogs in the pools of water)From skinny dipping in the Eno in North Carolina the weekend of my sister's wedding to my magical day at Jug Bay when I caught the pileated woodpecker, Eastern forests definitely have a hold on my heart unlike any others since I grew up in them.
9. Swimming at the Takoma Park public swimming pool
What can I say, I get attached to the places I swim. It's a fidelity to place I exhibit. This pool was one of the nicest I have ever swum in, its only drawback being that it is indoor only. It is clean and open all day and evening. I almost always had a lane to myself except in the late evening. If I could make just a few requests of the universe, one of them would be that I always live within ten minutes of a good place to swim, be it a public swimming pool or open saltwater (like in CA).
Swimming in DC turned out to be a lifesaver once it got really hot. Plus I ran so much my toenails were starting to fall off and my toes still have blood blisters from my long run on the beach at Hull the weekend of July 4th. So a change was needed. I'm very, very thankful for this pool.
8. Running in Rock Creek park
Running in Rock Creek park made the transition to DC much, much easier. I was so worried about finding someplace nice to run, and Rock Creek was so beautiful and just over a mile from the first house I lived in.
Later in the summer it was one of the cooler places to run when the weather got hot and its many trails provided endless options for new places to explore both running and hiking.
7. Thunderstorms
We don't get many thunderstorms in Silicon Valley, maybe one a year at most. I love everything about them-- the raw intensity, powerfulness, the smell, the sound, the many colors of lightning. I enjoyed every single one this summer, and whenever possible went out on the screened-in porch during them to get the full experience.
6. Mulberries
Free fruit all around the city! I put mulberries in everything this summer, including my daily breakfast of oatmeal. They are imbued with a special value for me because they are a native plant, which means they evolved in this ecosystem and so were an important food source for the people and animals living here for thousands of years.
I kept asking at the farmer's market why no one sells mulberry jam and was at first told they are too messy, and then when I asked for more explanation, was informed it takes too much time to remove the stems from them. That I believe. If you can't tell, the stems are still on the mulberries in my oatmeal. Tasted fine to me, though NY and Eagle Eyes both complained about the stems making my mulberry smoothies not so tasty. I guess I'm not picky when it comes to mulberries.
5. Ethiopian grocery stores and restaurants
However am I going to adjust to going back to San Jose, where there is only one good Ethiopian restaurant and no corner Ethiopian grocery stores to buy injera and my new favorite honey wine, Axumit, at? It was such a treat to live in a city where my favorite food was so readily available in so many different places.
4. Takoma Park farmer's market
Some people go to church Sunday morning; I went to the farmer's market with perhaps just as much zeal. I've never enjoyed salads as much as the ones I made from the mixed spicy greens and many varieties of tomatoes I purchased here. The endless assortment of specialty jams kept my lunches of nut butter and jelly lively. There was always something new and tasty to check out, and it fits my ethics perfectly to buy locally, so this was a marriage of my taste buds and ethics made in heaven.
3. Reconnecting with my family and friends
There are a lot of people that I love on the East coast that I have barely seen since moving to CA in 2001 following my college graduation. I have gotten to see more of my parents, my sister, my aunts and my best college friends, E&D than I have since I was 22. I'm very grateful for the time with them and I've realized I need to come back and visit more often!
2. Dating
Yes, I stole the sign. It was through this group that I met many of the women that made my summer so fantastic. I ended up dating NY, but had just as much fun going out with others from the group as friends-- for dinner or canoeing. My last weekend in DC I went out to dinner both Saturday and Sunday with two woman ages 25 and 48 respectively (age has never mattered much to me though if I have a preference older is definitely better in my book). The wide variety of ages, nationalities, ethnicities, races, professions etc in this Meetup group really appealed to me. And finally, the experience of getting hit on by multiple women did wonders to boost my confidence! I wish there was a setting like this back in San Jose, full of diverse, hot, single lesbians without the noise and drama of a typical bar.
1. Eagle Eyes
What could I value more than dating and relationships? My deep friendships. True friends who will stick by me in thick and thin. Eagle Eyes knows the importance of friends and wouldn't ditch me even in the throes of romantic love.
I honestly don't know how I would have made it through the summer without her. She was my constant companion, my partner in crime, ally, co-conspirator and best supporter. She was my best friend this summer. Roommate sharing the same bedroom, work partner, running partner, swimming partner, confidante, cooking mentor. We did practically everything together and rarely got tired of it.
She's taught me a thing or two about what it means to be part of a team of two, about loyalty and letting go of grudges big and small.
She's amazing, she can herd robins into a net like a border collie herds sheep. Smart as a whip, I wouldn't want to ever be on her bad side for long.
I could go on and on. Suffice to say I will miss her a lot and as much as I look forward to having a room all to myself again, it will feel a bit empty without her the first few days.
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