we drove to New Jersey first; a ride that was supposed to take about four hours took over seven, as the fucking hell that is route 95 engulfed us and showed us what traffic can really do.
on the plus side, i found 14 state license plates during the madness.
we got to jersey city and stayed with two of our oldest and dearest friends. walked in to a beautiful home and the smell of roasted tomatoes and garlic, which almost made me weep. had a lovely dinner, played quick catch-up in between children running around wielding fake swords, being chased by a four-year old in a stormtrooper mask.
alex stayed up and talked to them until 3 am. i took the bed with the two kids and spent the night alternately pushing them away, finding air with my feet under the covers, and listening to the sounds of the city.
so grateful for old friends who still love us, despite miles and years apart. words cannot explain.
yesterday we woke up and drove to maryland. found a whole foods in philly, admired countless murals in the beautiful sun. took to the bridges and the smaller roads, hoping to escape tolls, then realizing later that they do it electronically around these parts.
last night we found sticky fingers and had vegan food without worry. sweet everything that is holy, that boston creme cupcake made me swoon. nicely done. and the owner has a pit bull, and works for pit bull rehabilitation and awareness. more nicely done.
we trekked into DC to see the sights at night, with Milo as our guide, since he had just done the trip in the spring. saw the White House and the capitol building and all of these huge places where good deeds and bad shit go down every single day. oh look, it's the justice department! and over there is the Supreme Court, thank you very much. and in front of the White House sits the anti-nukes vigil that has been peopled since 1981. no war, no war. the latest sign says, "we should attach the Declaration of Independence to all of our emails. that way we know the government will be reading it."
Milo got in trouble with the police for climbing trees in the park in front of the White House, and Selkie got reprimanded by a cop for sliding down the side of the stairs at the Lincoln Memorial.
so proud of my children. if they are gonna cause trouble, let it be by finding new ways to explore buildings and climb trees that are meant to be climbed.
we stood where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his "I Have A Dream" speech, and Milo talked about how it gave him shivers. he showed us the sculptor's face in the back of Lincoln's hair at the memorial, and i teared up reading the speeches on the wall. all men are created equal. thought about trayvon, thought about the men in guantanamo. thought about the poverty we saw driving though DC. thought about the majesty of being in the capitol, and what it means to be proud of this country we live in.
hard to reconcile it all. but then again, maybe we're not supposed to.
drove home through the maryland night air, both kids sleepy in the back seat. when we got to the hotel milo offered to carry selkie in, since she was so tired. the generosity of my son overwhelms me at times.
we're gonna do a bit of DC today, then drive to virginia tonight. making our way across. heading home.
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