Free Concerts, Opera, and Yoga - Oh My!

Last week started melancholy-ly cuz I was cleaning out my inbox and ran into lots of emails from old boyfriends. Wow was not ready for THAT emotional memory lane! But my dear friend, Kaeling, came to my rescue by suggesting that I re-read Jeffrey R. Holland's compelling 2012 devotional address - "The Best is Yet to Be". It gave me the inspiration I needed to have a whole new outlook and approach to life.

"I plead with you not to dwell on days now gone nor to yearn vainly for yesterdays, however good those yesterdays may have been. The past is to be learned from but not lived in...look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives."

Yessir!

Monday & Tuesday was gloomy & rainy, but I don't mind those days so much because it gives me a chance to practice piano during my lunch breaks. So grateful for access to GW music practice rooms! Currently working on The Definitive Jazz Collection and the "Singin' in the Rain" piano score. Also practiced everyday this week to sing an a capella vocal solo for a missionary fireside this Sunday.

Reason #6 I moved to DC - the Waterfront! The weather turned gorgeous on Wed & Thur, so I went exploring! I'll call it my Lunch Break Excursions. Even though I live and work here now (and can go to amazing places everyday), I think it's way more fun to live life with an enthusiastic 1st timer, tourist mentality :)

Passed by the Watergate building. I've only known the negative connotation associated with this place, so I was really taken by how beautiful it is!

A small town activity in the big city

My dad would love this

Apparently, rowing is a big high school sport here. How fun!

Ducks are everywhere in DC! I love that they're always in male/female pairs :)

Further up the trail, it turned into a gorgeous boardwalk. I miss you, Redondo!

I realized I've never seen a yacht up close - they really are quite impressive and makes you want to be a rich celebrity.

A humbler version :) Watergate & the Kennedy Center in the background

Swanky little riverside eatery

There was a cool terrace right next to the water, a great "chill" spot

I came to this AWESOME fountain before I had to starting heading back. Pardon the midriff, I have a long torso.

Thursday: didn't get enough sleep due to late night salsa dancing and late buses, so I was craving sugary carbs - a great excuse to try a local bakery during lunch break!

I was so excited to try my sweets - lemon bar and red velvet whoopee pie!

I love anything red velvet with cream cheese frosting

Sadly, the lemon bar was soggy and the whoopee pie was dry. Glad there's so many other bakeries nearby cuz I won't be frequenting that place again!

After work, I rushed to the Kennedy Performing Arts Center - a behemoth of a building dedicated to world-quality music, dance, and theatre - to meet a ward friend for the free jazz concert (Washington Performing Arts Society).

I got there late and barely missed the cute kiddie jazz bands :( I decided I'm not such a big fan of jazz organ or jazz guitars playing the melody. I really missed the brass instruments...go ahead, call me a traditionalist.

The Kennedy Center actually has free concerts EVERYDAY and even broadcasts them online! What an amazing country we live in where benefactors are willing to provide free, wide access to the arts.

Afterwards, Britt accompanied me while I excitedly explored the building like a giddy tourist (I'm really good at that).

Striking a pose in one of the many huge mirrors along the back hall

The whole west side of the building is one long gorgeous balcony overlooking the Potomac

Another cute duck couple

Breathtakingly beautiful

I love fountains

I have a newfound respect for JFK - for his advocacy of arts and culture in the American civilization

Had fun in the gift shop - this is how I'd sing if someone bought me a fake microphone stand hahaa

These are the kinds of books my kids will read!

So many cool and cute and tempting items. I was proud of myself for not buying anything!

THEN, lo and behold, God smiled down on us and said "You will attend a beautiful French opera tonight at no cost to you" (not literally, but practically). A random man in the gift shop asked Britt if she wanted 2 tickets to an opera starting RIGHT NOW that he couldn't use or sell. 7th row seats that originally cost $77.50 each. We looked at each other w/ wide-eyed excitement, thanked the man, and ran to the Opera Hall just as it was starting!

Opera is such an interesting art form, so drastically different from any modern ones. I highly recommend going to one when you have the chance. I praised the Lord over and over again that night for a rich cultural experience I would never have sought out on my own or been able to afford!

Friday: I walked to Trader Joe's during my lunch break - been going there every other week (between Costco weeks) so I finally invested in a canvas grocery bag. I feel like such a city girl, lugging around frozen shrimp and fresh peaces :D

After work, I attend a Gala hosted by GW's Graduate School of Education and Human Development (which I will be attending in the fall) on the roof of the Elliott School.

The dean thanked various people and congratulated the graduates

I went to network...and stayed for the food haha. Jk. But seriously...

Super good jazz band outside the Metro, which I've found to be cultural hotspots! Read on...

By Friday night, I was ready to crash, which I kind of did at a girls' movie night at Britt's house watching Thor.

Slept in on Saturday (my body told me to) tho I wanted to go volunteer at Civil War Days. Sad I missed it.

By late afternoon, I was ready to go to an epic free event called "Yoga on the [National] Mall".

But first (Reason #4 I moved to DC: Cultural Richness) I ran into another super cool free event celebrating the 50th anniversary of Washington D.C. and Bangkok, Thailand's relationship as sister cities (who knew?!). They had an interesting puppet show

And mindblowing fusion band that played Latin, jazz, blues, and even rap!

So. Good. On to yoga...

I don't even like yoga (I'm a diehard Pilates devotee myself) but thought it'd be SO COOL to exercise w/ hundreds of other people in such a location. And it was.
900 yogis in the shadow of the Washington Monument!

Instructors took turns calling out positions on stage

Accompanied by a live folksy yoga band

A million downward facing dogs (that's what it felt like in the hot sun)

I thought it was appropriate to wear my empowering women shirt from BYU's Women's Services & Resources campaign

I was really surprised I could do the tree pose

Thanks for coming with me, Jamie!!

I still like gymnastics and dance and pilates more

Went home for 3 hours, then got to go ballroom social dancing at Chevy Chase Ballroom with David! (I prayed super hard for him to find his car keys). BYU Ballroom Dance Company alums gotta stick together. This is how excited I was :)

The crowd was mostly competitive college age dancers. The dancing was so different from any social dancing I've experienced. It was almost all international style dances, danced socially - quickstep, tango, waltz, Viennese waltz, rumba, samba, cha cha, jive. They played some West Coast swings and hustles but w/ different styling than I'm used to. David and I tried to throw some American styling in there. Guess what dance we're doing here...

Thanks David!!

Sunday: Ward Conference was wonderful. Didn't choke during my solo at the missionary fireside. Went to a crepe party in Alexandria at a beautiful townhouse. Apparently we were so loud that cops came to quiet us down. Wow. There wasn't even any music playing, just a bunch of Mormon YSAs talking, trying to make new friends. I ran into several people from Provo I did not expect to see out here! DC's amazing, I told them, live it up.