Washington, DC

No sooner did I arrive home in Virginia that I dumped my suitcase, repacked, and headed out (on the road this time) to Arlington for dance competition weekend!

What a whirlwind and super fun adventure! When we think of our nation's capital, we typically think of the historic and important government landmarks, monuments, and of course cherry blossoms. Ironically enough, I didn't set out to see any of those on this adventure. Living here in VA, I have had the amazing privilege to make that journey before. I even got to load up a bus and go to DC for a school field trip in 5th grade! I have been back since, and I'll round up some pictures to share those sights and memories at another time, for sure.

Ya'll, another amazing things about Washington, DC is the SHOPPING! Woah. In small town VA, we don't have the luxuries of Nordstrom Rack, 4 story malls, and Marshalls. We have a mall with like 7 stores and TJ Maxx. This trip was mostly a girls trip, so my mom, youngest sister, and I had some good fun with retail therapy!

We stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Arlington and it was outstanding. I will just put a plug in that parking is a bit of a bear and quite a bit confusing so take an extra patience pill if you're the one chauffeuring on the adventure. They did have fresh cookies and our rooms were clean and tidy. My sister and I were roommates this trip and we had so much fun! From TikTok hair tutorials, to boomerangs, movies, and even a little dose of homework, I will cherish the memories forever!

We woke up on Saturday, grabbed breakfast from the lobby, a big cup of coffee, and decided to venture out to shop. For mom and Amelia, it was round 2 at Nordstrom Rack and the mall, but round 1 at Marshalls. For me, it was round 1 at it all, since I arrived much later Friday and didn't get to shop that evening. We hit it big at Marshalls and found some amazing items. My sister is getting married next month, so we snagged a few cake stands that were on clearance for her. Additionally, we found a linen jumpsuit for my sweet Mormor (mother's mother in Finnish) to wear for the wedding. I found a Rae Dunn hoodie for $12, hair clips, and some Spyder under shirts for Parker. I love it when I find high quality goods for bargain prices. I truly could've spent my entire paycheck in there, because there was that much good! I resisted the urge and have a happy wallet and hubby as a result. ;) From there we journeyed to Nordstrom Rack and they had gobs of goodies too! Birkenstocks marked way down, sunglasses for $15, drying brushes, and designer brand clothes for less. Win, win, win for sure.

We had Chick-Fil-A for lunch, for free. That is a fun story that deserves it's own post, entirely, so I promise I'll fill you in on that one soon.

Then, it was SHOW TIME. There was hair to be bunned, makeup to be applied, and costumes to wear. The competition was held inside of our hotel, which made it so nice for getting ready. Our dancers did such an amazing job! I was a proud dance teacher, a proud daughter, a proud sister, and a proud friend! Wow. We had three dancers receive scholarships, one of those being Amelia! They did an outstanding job and received many compliments. The overall awards have not been announced yet, so I can't fill you in on those just yet. There were other teachers that complimented our dancers' joy and passion when they danced and that meant the world. Mom and I always tell them to share their story. Share their joy.

We went to Epic Smokehouse for dinner. Phenomenal food and fun atmosphere for sure. I had the Pulled Pork Platter that came with pulled pork, french fries, and their house made slaw. I was pleasantly surprised by the slaw, as it was vinegar based, but so yummy. The fries were crunchy, fried goodness, and I loved my pork. They have yummy sauce with just enough heat. My stepdad ordered the Burnt Ends Ap and woah. Worth it.

We rounded the mall once more before heading home and it's a good thing we did. Mom and I went into Altr'd State and found some amazing items on Clearance! I bought a cute, teal tank for spring and summer for under $6, a set of 3 bracelets for $7, and a belt for under $10. Mom snagged a belt as well, in addition to a cute tie die sweatshirt type shirt for Amelia under $10. We had a great time. Like I've said before, I get all of my bargain, clearance shopping skills from my mom! She is the master of finding deals.

Amelia and I drove home Saturday night, so that mom and my step dad, Barry, could make their stay extra special and stay a night by themselves since it was their anniversary. We arrived home just before midnight and flopped into bed, asleep as we hit the pillow just about. We woke up Sunday, pumped from a super fun adventure!

The next time you go to DC, make the journey to Epic Smokehouse for a meal and pay for someone else's at Chick-Fil-A, just because.