Wednesday , December 11 2024

Stumble until you find something

The first step is admitting you have a problem. I, Savanah Dickinson, suffer from a chronic fear of eating alone. Yes, I said it. I absolutely despise eating by myself in public places.

 

Since I’ve moved to D.C., I’ve been faced with the predicament of being hungry while wandering the city. In my three weeks here, I can count the number of times I’ve eaten out on one hand. While I may hate to eat alone in public, I have no qualms with traveling alone. I actually prefer it. Is that logical? Probably not.

Don’t be afraid to get up one day, hop on the metro and explore your city. Resist using your phone’s map app as much as possible. Allow yourself to get lost. You’re never really lost if you don’t know what you’re looking for. There’s a beauty to being so free. 

During my short time here, I have stumbled upon history being made, festivals and fabulous food. As someone who enjoys living according to her agenda, I’ve tried to loosen up a bit recently. I still make a daily to-do list but I don’t schedule my day around the items on my to-do list as I normally would. Because I have allowed myself this freedom, I’ve taken significant detours and come across events I would have otherwise missed.

One day as I was walking back to my apartment from the metro stop, I was overwhelmed by a sea of people that stretched as far as the eye could see. Vendors lined the streets selling a variety of food and knickknacks. Every few blocks, locals performed on stages including your typical karaoke screechers and up-and-coming talents. While I didn’t stop to buy anything as I made my two mile trek down the street and back, I happily watched a whole community enjoy itself. I got a better sense of the community in which I am living. Later that day, I discovered this cornucopia of culture is an annual street festival. If I had decided to stick to a strict schedule that day, I would have missed this priceless opportunity to observe my community at its best.

I like to start my weekend mornings off with a jog on the National Mall. Not only does it get the blood pumping, but it also makes for great people watching. On Sat., Sept. 24, I made my way towards the Washington Monument where the festivities for the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture were well underway. I figured I would peruse the activities and check out the food tents. I soon popped a squat in the grass with a sweet tea and shrimp poboy in hand. My morning jog was completly negated once I devoured that po-boy (one of the best I’ve ever had). As I sat there among thousands of Washingtonians and visitors from across the country, Will Smith and Oprah read poetry to me. Stevie Wonder and Patti LaBelle serenaded me. And the words of George W. Bush and President Obama inspired me. I witnessed history by chance…all because I stumbled until I found something.

This post was originally published by the author 2 October 2016: http://www.yoproprobs.com/single-post/2016/10/02/Stumble-until-you-find-something

About Savanah Dickinson

Savanah is a 21-year-old university student and young professional. She is organised, optimistic and aiming to make a difference. She guides her fellow yopro’s with her blog, Trials & Tribulations of a Young Professional, providing her own tips and tricks to making it in the adult world. Savanah has been published in numerous publications including American Airlines's in-flight magazine, American Way, and by her university's newspaper, The Daily Reveille.

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