& we are at the last day of her USA trip.
We arrived quite late last night and our host was gracious enough to let us check in during the wee hours of the night. The apartment was in an absolutely gorgeous building with access to swimming pool and play room. It was super neat apartment and the host was kind enough to put some food and water supplies for us since we were arriving late at night.
The plan was to spend the night in the apartment, check out in the morning, explore DC for the whole day and then head Hartford in the evening and spend the last couple days together before she heads back.
It was a solid plan and we loved the way everything that was planned worked out.
In the morning, we freshen up a little, checked out the game room and other wonderful things the apartment building had to offer. After we relaxed a little bit, we headed out to grab a bite before we start our day. Back then, I didn’t know about Panera Bread. That was the spot we stopped at for our breakfast. We wanted to take this day slowly to relax a little bit and put the pace of NYC behind us. I was glad we started the day correctly on that note – taking a leisure walk around the neighborhood where we staying and looking for a good spot for breakfast and that’s when she suggested Panera Bread. This was the first time I was hearing about it, so was a new experience for me and didn’t know what to expect. Once we ordered what we wanted to, I was relieved to find out I liked the food and it was quite fulfilling. It was just the kind of food I needed to start the morning and enjoy the beautiful day in D.C. with her.
After the breakfast, we went back to our Airbnb, grabbed our belongings and headed for the last day of exploration together. The first spot we checked out was the White House. It was a dream come true for a small kid from Patansaongi. Growing up, White House was one of the must visit places for me. I had promised myself that one day, I would go to the US and see White House myself in person. Today, that dream was realized and it brought plethora of emotions which is hard to see through the photos. I was giggling on the inside and also making sure she was having good time too.
After experiencing a flurry of emotions at the White House, we went to the nearby souvenir shop to buy some more stuff for friends and family back home. She bought a few more items which we found attractive and funny enough to share it with everyone! By the time we were done with our “little shopping”, it was almost afternoon and we really needed to grab a bite.
When we were at our Airbnb, we were looking for some delicious Indian food places to check out before our holiday ends. Upon Google searches and reviews, we zeroed in on “Rasika West End” & I would say this was the best decision we made that day. The food, ambiance, and people were so good, it was a perfect way to have one more meal before, you know, she leaves. We ubered to the restaurant and once we were inside, the host graciously helped us with our bags. When we actually sat inside, I felt like so out of place. The place was super sexy and attractive, same were the people. It was a high end restaurant and it was the first time I was experiencing such a fine dining experience, at least in the US and I was glad that I was sharing it with her.
We ordered her favorite food and we devoured it in no time. The highlight for was the Gulab Jamun. They were so good looking and so delicious, every once in a while, I still crave for them. Just writing about the experience made me aware about how delicious those were. Check out the picture below.
After experiencing such a fine dining experience, it was time to cover all the spots in our itinerary. We walked to the Lincoln Memorial as the first spot in National Mall. When I watched the movie “night at the museum” , I really wanted to check out this memorial of the former President of the United States of America (POTUS). I knew I would need to research to find some cool things about this statue and found out that there were some spelling mistakes on the President’s Second Inaugural Address. It was cool to witness those spell mistakes and checking out some cool spots near the memorial. The pictures from this spot turned out to be way cooler than I expected.
We took a walk from Lincoln Memorial to the World War II Memorial. I found it a cool spot to hang out and click photos with the columns from the state of Connecticut as I was staying at CT during that time.
The third spot in the list was the Washington Monument. The building, though looks simple, is astounding to see how tall it is. This spot worked the best as a resting spot, with enough space for us to rest and appreciate the beauty surrounding us. This is where I fell in love with the city. This was the first time I was visiting Washington D.C. and I couldn’t help but appreciate the beauty that this city had to offer and countless leisure and picnic spots around the city.
After relaxing a little bit, it was time to get going to Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. This museum was shown in the movie and I really wanted to check it out from the inside. We waited in line for only a few minutes as it was not a rush hour and was a couple days after the Christmas Day. We (again) rested a little bit inside the museum and spent most of our time exploring things that we liked to see. She seems not that much amused with the museum energy, and for valid reasons, but still participated as I really wanted to check it out. She was disappointed to know that we couldn’t see a Panda in person, which would have been really cool.
As it was getting dark and almost time for our bus to Hartford, we decided to exit the museum and head to the bus station for our late night bus. I still remember when we were catching the bus from Museum to the Bus station, the driver was so kind and humble, he helped us settle in nicely for the ride as we were the only ones in the bus and he didn’t even charge us for the trip. That was such a small gesture from him, but has remained with me all these years and will be with me in future.
As soon as we reached the bus station, we had our dinner, relaxed a bit before it was time to board the bus to New York and from New York to Hartford. I knew it would be a long ride back home, so wanted to nail the timing of the buses so that we get enough sleep during the bus ride and enjoy the last couple days together.
It was a long bus ride
It was a hard bus ride
With her hands in mine
Dozed off in no time!
Check out the pictures from that day!
& that brought the end of her US tour.
Please stand by for more!
stochasticity 
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