An Unusual Gift

I'm not too proud to admit that this whole Principal of the Year thing has started to weigh on me a bit. Maybe it's the added responsibilities and expectations, the nights away from home, or the guilt I feel being away from my real job and knowing that others are having to pick up the slack. Maybe it's all of that combined that's kept me running full speed and feeling like I'm always behind. Last Sunday morning I woke up at 5:00 am, made breakfast, did a few things around the house, and packed a bag to go to Washington, DC for a conference. I didn't want to go. I even tried to cancel the plane ticket the night before, but it was too late. Halfway to Raleigh, I debated turning around and just losing the cost of the ticket. At the time $450 seemed like a fair trade for some sanity. Perhaps I should explain why I didn't want to go. This was a national advocacy conference and when I agreed to go and meet with our state's legislators in DC, I didn't know that I was the only one from North Carolina attending. Every other state had teams of people and I just wasn't feeling like taking on another thing. 

Nonetheless, I got on the plane and landed in DC. It was lunch and breakfast was a long time ago, so PF Chang's in the airport sounded great at the time. The fortune cookie at the end of the meal read, "You will soon receive an unusual gift that you will greatly appreciate." It made me laugh and so I took a picture of it just in case something strange came my way. I made it to the hotel, checked in, and decided that I wasn't going to waste the day so I got an Uber to take me to the Smithsonian American History Museum. It should have been a 19-minute ride, but apparently, all traffic in DC locked up the exact moment I entered the car, and my driver, Mohamed, and I were stuck together for 1 hour and 20 minutes before arriving. I literally jumped out of the car in the middle of the street versus making him fight for a place to park. The moment my feet hit the street I heard someone yell my name. It was Susan Harrison. So much for not knowing anyone on this trip I thought to myself. After a quick chat, I made my way through the American History Museum and the Natural History Museum. I've been to both several times, but I see something new each time. 

So now, how to get back to the hotel? The streets were just as packed as before and the previous $16 Uber

ride was now $55 and an extensive wait to get to you. My thought was to start walking toward the hotel and when I got to a less crowded place, reassess the Uber. 4.6 miles to the hotel and Google Maps said it would take 90 minutes. I passed the Washington Monument and through the cherry blossoms in full bloom at the Jefferson Memorial. I've never seen them in person this time of year and it was incredible. There was also a kite festival and hundreds of kites could be seen throughout the National Mall. With the streets still packed I made it to the Potomac River and crossed it with 2.5 miles to go. Might as well keep going since the Uber can't get me on a bridge. The walkway led me to the airport and along a park trail that I had run with a college friend over a decade ago. In jeans and a hoodie, I wasn't quite prepared for a run, but it was a great memory. When I reached a less crowded street in Arlington, Virginia there was only a mile and a half left. Why not just finish it. I arrived at the hotel in exactly 1 hour and 20 minutes. The same time that the Uber ride there had taken. 

I'm not sure if that fortune cookie had spiritual powers or if I was looking for some type of modern transcendental moment (my English teacher would love that I remember that) but I got that unusual gift that the cookie told me I would get. I got an afternoon where I was absolutely forced to slow down. It was great. So great that I highly recommend it to you. We talked a lot about wellness during COVID due to stress in education, but stress happens all of the time to everyone. So with Spring Break on the horizon, I urge you to please, take a moment and appreciate it. In the words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it."