How a 1-night visit became a 6-day adventure

Me: I'm about to start a post about our New Year's trip!

Chris: I wouldn't be able to describe it - best of luck to you.

I didn't realize how right he'd be; I'm definitely at a loss as to where I should even begin.

I was suffering extreme jet lag returning to an empty apartment after Israel (post still to come!), and became a total hermit, making absolutely no plans. Chris called me up on the 28th just to say hello and I jokingly told him to drive two hours out of his way to come visit - and he did!

Naturally the first thing we did upon his arrival was go grocery shopping and start cooking together.

That first night we kept it simple:

"It's BYOB! Build Your Own Burritos! Get it?"

Check out the new "EAT" tab at the top of this page for cheap and simple recipes like this one!

Chris was only supposed to stay one night, so when he decided to stay a second we really celebrated (the only way he and I know how) - with Italian food!

     

We actually had a little fun that night with a cooking competition.

Above are some shots of Chris prepping his bruschetta pizza.

I stuck to what I know - onions.

Just kidding - I went with my usual tomato-based pasta sauce. 

       

The big moment: the taste test.

As per usual, I may have been a little heavy handed with the cayenne pepper...

       

Best thing about a cooking competition? Everyone wins.

I joked to Chris over dinner about him staying another couple nights to celebrate New Year's Eve in New York with me and our friend Korrinne, and when (to my very happy surprise) he said yes, we started thinking about what the three of us might enjoy doing.

I don't remember how or when D.C. was suggested, but I remember the look Chris and I exchanged after Chris told me he was willing to drive and we both realized that it was a very definite possibility.

I started calling friends from the summer to see who was around, not knowing if we'd be able to throw a trip together that fast. My friend Emilie came to the rescue and offered us her apartment, even though she'd gone home to Connecticut for the holidays.

THE DRIVE

Twelve hours later we were packed and ready to go, planning to swing through Bethlehem, PA to pick up Korrinne before driving the rest of the way down to D.C. where we were meeting another friend from school who already happened to be down there visiting his sister.

Normally to get down to D.C. from up north, most drivers take I-95, but Chris knew of an amazing highway that runs through Delaware too. If you want to make your drive a road trip, I definitely recommend opting for a more scenic route, even if it adds a little time like this one does. (The bridges and views were definitely worth the extra half an hour!)

THE (FIRST) DINNER

Because the only expenses for our trip were gas and food (some of which we brought from home), we didn't feel too bad splurging on a nicer dinner once we got into town. And besides, if you can get a last minute reservation at Founding Farmers, you take it.

Besides, there are definitely some affordable options on the menu, including their amazing $5 popcorn which is more than enough for a table of four. We even had extra to bring home for our movie after our midnight adventures on the National Mall.

The handsome guys waiting for their food at Founding Farmers.

MIDNIGHT MONUMENTS

You can't do D.C. without seeing the Mall at night. (Just be sure if you're heading down in the winter you bundle up! After spending a summer there I kept joking that I was experiencing climate shock because I'd never experienced feeling cold in D.C. before.)

 
Above: A few shots of us with the Washington Monument.
Below: In front of the National WWII Memorial.

NEW YEAR'S EVE
My friends were awesome sports as I dragged them all over the city visiting summer friends and coworkers. 

On NYE, a friend invited us to brunch at her place in the true D.C. fashion. I again experienced my main trouble with food photography: pausing long enough to get more than an iPhone pic of whatever I'm about to dive into. No photo could ever do Anna's pancakes justice anyway! 
After breakfast, Chris suggested we check out the National Cathedral which was nearby.

        

Admittance isn't necessarily cheap if you're an adult, but with a Student ID it's a very affordable $6 to explore the beautiful cathedral and gardens!

      

Above: Chris takes a moment to light a candle.

     

After exploring the Cathedral on our own, we met back up to wander the gardens together.

      

I wasn't the best at keeping my camera by my side for most of the trip, but here's a fun shot of Korrinne at our last dinner of 2014:

When District Taco, one of my summer faves, was closed, we decided to wander DuPont to see what was open. We ended up at an awesome place called BGR The Burger Joint. They completely won my heart when the guys working gave me a free vanilla milkshake!

After visiting a few friends at a hotel near Adams Morgan, we walked back and rang in the new year in the apartment together.

NEW YEAR'S DAY

Whereas Joe and I took it easy at home New Year's morning, Chris and Korrinne greeted me when I woke up by telling me they hadn't slept - the two had decided to watch sunrise on the National Mall. Here are some of the pictures they snapped at the Lincoln Memorial:

When the whole gang got together, we ventured over to the GW area to hit up Tonic for my favorite: totchos! 

I knew this group couldn't leave D.C. without experiencing Kramerbooks, one of the absolute jewels DuPont - we ended up getting lost in there for over an hour.

I'd been wanting to read this since I saw it at Kramer in the summer. Joe knew I still couldn't afford it and, being the amazing guy he is, tried to buy it for me without me noticing. I caught him holding it before he got to the register, but he still bought it for me. Started it yesterday and I'm absolutely loving it. (:

We were planning on driving home New Year's Day, but we were having too much fun so we pushed it back and spent another night before heading home. To save on money, Joe and I ran to the store and bought ingredients to make everyone dinner (my pasta again, hahah).

To Chris' delight there was no cayenne pepper in the spice cabinet this time...

    

Here's a picture of the whole gang!

 HOMEWARD BOUND

 How do you make a long drive go super quick?

 With a lot of selfies!

Maybe we didn't get to everything on my tentative To Do/See List, but these were definitely four of the best days of my life.

We had absolutely no schedule, which ended up being perfect for our travel style. 

(I'll get to the Botanic Gardens someday...)

If 2015 is as anywhere near as amazing as this trip was, then I can't wait for what's to come. 

Happy New Year, everyone!