cultural jealousy?

Bonjour again from DC. What happened today?

I declined to go crabbing with Dad, Chey, and Grampa this morning. I just was not feeling the mood for it, I suppose. After showering and eating some cereal, I spent a good chunk of time getting my scholarship application completed to the tribe, with all these faxes, phone calls, and whatnot. It was about 1230 pm by time I headed out, and I was on bike again towards Alexandria to the metro station. I parked my bike there, hopped on the next car, and got somewhat lost with the routes and finally ended up around downtown to go check out some museums. I stopped by a local Au Bon Pain to grab a portabello/goat cheese sandwich, and then I spent the afternoon in the National Art Museum. There was a wonderful collection of German drawings, some Picassos, Monets, and Renoirs, some works by Digas, and all sorts of other incredible sculptures and works from the colonial era. Pretty much for a good number of hours my mind was perplexed by the overwhelmingly intricate and mastered works of art all over that place, just absolutely mindblowing and beautiful. I didn't have much time afterwards, so I got an ice cream sandwich, hopped back on the metro during rush hour, took the line back to Alexandria, and hopped on my bike back to Grampa and Grandma's house. The ride back seemed shorter, but I definitely think I got dehydrated during the trip. By time I arrived, the whole family was grilling burgers and hot dogs with all the other food set out for dinner. I had two veggie burgers, a couple of Yuengling lagers, some chips, and tons of fruit, and I also rocked some bocce ball with Jake in the backyard. Everyone else had all the crabs steamed up and served, but I never really got hungry for any of them today. We watched the end of the Nationals game on TV, and since then I've been slowly beginning some French exercises in a workbook I purchased yesterday. One step at a time, right?

I really should remember that and remember not to be jealous of anybody else's life. In this age of technology, it still wears me down to see where all these people I know go throughout the world, but I have to know and have to imagine that I have that same access to all these possibilites, too, and that I have things in my life that nobody else will ever have in her/his life either. And that's a good thing! I swear.

Beach soon. Stoked!

-c