Of the dream vacations that I've got swimming around in my noggin, the most easily obtainable is a trip to Washington D.C. I've described this up-coming trip as a "dream vacation" to a few people and have been met with confused or incredulous looks. A dream vacation, it seems, should be exotic or foreign or sensational. My dream of going to D.C. seems unimpressively prosaic and mundane when compared to others' dreams of London, or Beijing, or Cairo.
And yet, Washington D.C. is a dream vacation for me. Those who know me well know how much this trip means to me. Those who know me extremely well know why this trip means so much. This blog post is an attempt to put that "why" into words. That why covers a lot of territory, from the sacred to the profane, from high culture to pop culture.
First, and probably most obvious, is my love of politics and D.C. is the nerve center of American politics. Although I'm unlikely to witness any great policy debates, or to go to lunch with any lobbyists intent on swaying my opinion, just being in the same place where it all happens is an intoxicating idea.
Second, and related to my first point, is the number of books, movies, and TV shows that have taken me to D.C. Because of my love of politics, my favorite pop culture selections are often those that take place in our nation's capitol. I've read Tom Clancy and Vince Flynn for years and my favorite TV show is the West Wing. Some of my favorite movies have iconic scenes in D.C., including "A Few Good Men," "Clear and Present Danger," and "National Treasure."
Through these books, movies, and TV shows, I have often seen the sights of our nation's capitol. There are multitudes of scenes of people meeting on the pathways around the tidal basin, or in front of the memorial to Ulysses S. Grant, or on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. It'll be thrilling to be in the same place as these fictional events.
Third is my love of history and learning and museums. Perhaps in no other place on earth, is there such a concentration of museums, most of them free. These museums cover a wide range of human experience, from the American History Museum, to the Air and Space Museum, from the Museum of the American Indian, to the National Portrait Gallery. I'm looking forward to lingering and pondering and learning as I mosey through each of these museums.
Finally, there is my love of American History, a love which borders on reverence. Underneath the grit and grime of modern politics, the American ideal still resides unblemished and untarnished. My trip to D.C. is almost a pilgrimage, as I look forward to quietly sitting on the steps of the Supreme Court, bowing my head in reverence at the Vietnam Memorial, and kneeling at the grave of Private First Class Ira Hayes.
More than anything, it's this last reason that drives me to D.C. this week. I've communed with the divine at precious times in my past: in the wilds of Colorado, on a hill overlooking the city of Tampico, Mexico, and in a quiet, shaded plaza in the ruins of an ancient city in the Peten jungle. Now, as I walk where Lincoln walked, as I stand where dreams were shared, and as I honor those who went before, I hope to once more feel the divine spirit that has guided not only my own life, but so much of our nation's history. Underneath the raucous and boisterous politicking at the heart of Washington, there is still a common creed that unites us as a nation, and a divine hand that upholds us as a people. A visit to Washington D.C. is a chance for me to touch that history, to feel the tangible artifacts of our common creed, and to give thanks for the freedoms and liberties that are ours.
So, yes, Washington D.C. is a dream vacation, and one that will very soon be a reality.
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