Top 10 Things Learned in DC my First Day

1) Washingtonians are to snow, as Los Angelians are to rain (but with a bonus)
They respond to the weather as though it's a new phenomenon -- they speed up, honk more, cause more accidents.... but have the benefit of hoping for a snow day! (Too bad LA)

2) Washingtonians enjoy a good cold story
Commuters in Washington have the added joy of being cramped in small spaces (e.g., subway), while talking about 'the worst cold of their life' & sneezing and spreading their germs to others. Thank you for sharing what my symptons should feel like in two to three days.

3) A Smart Card is the same as a Fare Card
... for the metro rail, except a smart card must be purchased at a metro counter. Oh, and it's plastic and replaceable. And also, it costs $5 for that convenience. But, if you don't want to pay for it, you will soon find yourself disappointed that you didn't because the buses won't accept a fare card. Doh!

4) People LOVE acronyms
Despite this worldwide fact, no one has figured out how to make sure that their abbreviation isn't re-used or mis-used by other people. Therefore, these acronyms that are meant to make conversations easier, actually just make them longer to explain your position.

5) Smithsonian is actually composed of multiple museums, and they're all free
Guess where I'll be this weekend!

6) Washingtonians are delighted with Trader Joe's
At least 3 people, who do not live near me, mentioned that there is a Trader Joe's around the corner from my complex. This is surprising because I haven't the foggiest idea where the nearest Trader Joe's is to my current residence, or where I lived for 4 years.

7) All People Hate Their Public Transit Systems, no matter how good it is
There are two, count them, two metro stations within 0.5 miles from where I am staying. PLUS, there are numerous buses that travel through the neighborhood. If I had this many options in LA, I would have sold my car five years ago. Yet somehow, Washingtonians manage to believe that their transit is somehow inadequate -- wtf?!?

8) Loads to See
My nation's capital has a lot of cool things to go to see. Why did it take a third trip to my nation's capital to find this out?

9) Yummy Goodness of the South, With the "Elegance" of the North
I've been seeing newsletters that talk about good places to eat around town. There is all of that down-home, smoothered yummy goodness in the foods; combined with the quaintness of the mid-west/mid-central states; with the style of a Manhattan eatery all combined in one restaurant. Goodness gracious -- these places better be half as good as the menus show!!

10) People are Hairless Monkeys
Seeing all of the contraptions people use to try to stay warm in the winter makes me chuckle. Big Russian fur hats, fluffy mink coats, down (aka goose feathers) jackets -- we are stealing the fur, hair, and feathers of every animal we possibly can to stay warm.

All-in-all, it was a great first day in DC. I had quite a few chuckles to pass the day, and look forward to new lessons to come!