The Washington DC of my childhood wishes
My love for Washington DC in America came into existence when a series called Designated Survivor was released in Netflix. And since, it surrounded the Capitol building. When I saw this series on Netflix, my interest in visiting Capitol Building grew.
So this time, when my New York tour was finalised, I planned to see Washington DC. If I am being honest, I have been to Washinton DC before in 2018 but that was only for 2 days so I couldn’t explore the place well. And I couldn’t see the Capitol building. And thus I decided, this time I will explore the Capitol Building with my ignited passion.
I started looking for places to stay. I booked an Airbnb nearby Capitol building ñj. my Airbnb was located in such a place where public transportation was accessible. Thus, I used public transportation to see all around Washington DC. The whole point of my journey was a budget stay in this place. And not just stay, I meant food too. If we talk honestly, being a traveller from India, it costs quite a good deal to buy a proper meal in these cities due to currency conversion rates. Since the whole point of my vlog is budget stay, I also focus on budget food. If you notice, there will be 7/11 food shops all around. In Washington DC, I found a 7/11 right beside my Airbnb. The food is affordable there and quite good. For the rest of the part, your job is to explore the city on public transportation. I have been to many cities and travelled through public transportation but I felt, compared to those cities, Washington DC’s train tickets were more pricey. This is something you can’t avoid because booking a cab would cost you much more. So here is how I travelled swiftly from one place to another.
I took a Megabus from New York City to Washington DC in hopes that it will show me around the place. Since it was a double-decker bus, I booked a front seat on the top floor because I wanted to vlog through the whole journey. And it cost me a little more than the usual seat booking price.
I took the bus in the morning at 11.30 a.m. Without stopping at any intervals, the bus got us into Washington DC around 3-3.30 noon. I would say that solo travelling isn’t at all lonely. You get to know more people and the best part is you can explore yourself well. On my way to Washington DC, on the bus, I met a Bangladeshi couple who were also going to Washington DC. They were very sweet and friendly and we three engaged in a conversation all through the bus ride. I really felt comfortable all through and it was like I was being accompanied by my neighbours.
This part can be a little confusing to understand. So it's better for you to learn the map of Washington DC’s train lines. I got down from the bus and took a train from Union Station to Gallery Place. This was on the red line. I had to change from the red line to the green line and thus I took a train from Gallery Place to L'enfant Plaza. From there, I changed the green to the blue line and then took a train from L'enfant Plaza to Potomac avenue. Basically, I was hopping from one train to another to just get to my Airbnb. After getting off the train, I took another bus to my Airbnb. After reaching there, I got refreshed and took some rest. I noticed that besides my room, a girl named Sofia was staying. We both chatted in the evening and shared some fun travelling experiences with each other. We exchanged stories of our culture. The thing that I like a lot about abroad travelling is I get to know a lot of people. And through people, come the stories.
The next morning, I went out to see Washington DC. I believe that even 7 days are less for hopping around this marvellous city. I visited National Library, Indo- American Museum, Capital Building, and the Pentagon. I visited these places on the first day of my trip. Later, in the evening, I went to see the White House and then saw the Washington Monument. The next day I took a train from downtown and went to see Arlington. Arlington is a very pretty city, surrounded by memorials. One of the best things I found in Arlington is the Arlington memorial Bridge. Not just do these memorials hint at the rich history this place upholds but the museums in Arlington show a great deal of the rich heritage and culture.
All through the trip, I went to different places, but Arlington still runs in my head. Though I didn’t get much time to completely explore Arlington, I still felt like it was the best part of the Washington DC trip. Next time when I get a chance to visit these places, I would strike off things from my Arlington Bucket list surely.
With time never stopping for a second, I tried to explore every inch possible. Though I can’t say for sure that I explored everything, this destination remains somewhat of a favourite to me. I would again like to do a budget stay in Washinton DC next time I am here.
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