My Weekend in Washington

This past weekend I headed down to Washington D.C. for Georgetown University’s homecoming.  I am a very active alumni and I was bit surprised when I realized it had been almost a year and a half since I had been on campus, my last visit in May 2014 for my brother’s graduation and even though I was in D.C. during August of last year but did not go to the actual campus. 

This Hoya Homecoming was one of my favorite on record and I happily jumped on a train when friends and former teammates from Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami all said they would be flying in. The best part about this weekend was that I was able to stay with my old roommate from New York City  who now lives in Washington DC with her boyfriend.  Not only was it a great home base for the weekend they also have a brand-new puppy and she is just the cutest. I am not a huge dog person but that their goldendoodle is on the 12 weeks old and was just about the most adorable thing ever.

The next morning I woke up early and I do not do early on Saturday mornings. I do not know the last time I arrived at a 9 AM brunch – that is just not something I do in my adult life. But I guess it was fitting, I was back in D.C. for homecoming, and when I was a student we would have started even earlier. Two hours enjoying cold brew coffee, fresh bagels, cheap champagne, and good orange juice made for the perfect pre-tailgate breakfast.

After breakfast we took the 30 minute walk to the front gates of campus and as we got closer and closer the 37th and O Street the more excited I got. Every time I get to that intersection my heart becomes a little bit fuller. It was so great to be back and to be reminded what a beautiful school I went to.  My friends and I all pregistered for the tailgate and thus were able to zip through the alumni line to enjoy the festivities.  

The location had moved since I went two years ago and I think it has become even better.  To sum up the next few hours a friend’s girlfriend who was experiencing it for the first time said, “I feel like Simba, everything you touch is yours. Except here it is free!” It is true, once you buy the ticket, all of the food and drinks are yours.  The one thing, they only have beer, so I enjoyed Diet Cokes and a much of the free food. 

After the tailgate we all skipped the football game – in four years at Georgetown I never went to one for more than a quarter – and had a true Georgetown day going to a Village A rooftop party.  The party was hosted by current swimmers and I officially felt very, very old when I realized I knew nobody on the team. I did not stay long and instead went back to Tombs for a drink with a different group of old classmates and wandered around the streets of Georgetown before heading back to my friend’s apartment for a few hours of playing with Nutella.  

This dog, seriously, she is just the cutest.  A constant ball of energy and tremendous amounts of love. I do not think I have ever been okay with a dog licking my face but with Ella, I could not resist.  So much happiness in a little seven pound creature. 

Saturday nigh was the party I was most looking forward to and it certainly lived up to my expectations.  With this blog I am much more show than tell but I was having too much fun to take many pictures so I guess there will be a bit of telling.  I had a great dinner with my fellow swimmers at a Mexican restaurant where we chowed down on tacos and drank pitchers of margaritas before heading to our class party.  One of the best bars in Georgetown had a two hour open-bar for our class and we enjoyed it thoroughly.  

Sunday we slept in and went to brunch on the D.C. waterfront.  I had originally thought we were going to Fishers Farmers Bakers but instead we went to a new spot called Fiola Mare.  I ordered coffee, a Bellini, and Eggs Benedict with prosciutto which certainly are not on my diet but definitely helped soak up all of the alcohol from the night before.  The waterfront is definitely one of my favorite spots in all of D.C. and while I could have wandered around for hours we headed back up to U Street shortly after brunch for some more quality time playing with the puppy and a long walk in the neighborhood before I had to head back to New York. 

A truly wonderful weekend in Washington!