Weekend in Washington D.C.

This past weekend I was in Washington D.C. for a friend’s birthday. I used to travel to DC often years ago for work, and for a few years I lived in Reston, which is not far away in northern Virginia.

My friend had been planning his event for months, and kept the guest list small so he could gather some of his closest friends and family (many of us had gone to Notre Dame together, but there were people from all phases of his life). The invitation said black tie and we were excited to celebrate him and see what he had curated for the evening experience.

I enjoy DC—the scaled down architecture lets you see the sky, the multitude of ethnic groups, the Kennedy Center, its walkability—I could go on and on. It has a number of independent bookstores and I found a new one for me, Second Story Books near Dupont Circle. The Art Deco hotel where we stayed was built in 1940, a period I find so elegant from a design standpoint, and I could imagine the bar, dining room, and lobby filled with nattily dressed men and elegant women.

The party was at an iconic DC location—the National Cathedral, on a perfect summer evening. As the doors opened to the seventh floor, I was taken in by the views, the small hallways and airy spaces, carved columns and places to sit, and spent the first several minutes just walking around and peering out windows.

One of the best parts of getting older is seeing how far we have all come in life and appreciating those who have been with us for the journey. I guess there were a few things to lament, but we had far more things to be grateful for, such as friendship, health, and a sense of humor. I met new people who had come together for a common purpose, so everyone was happy to be part of a magical evening.

The cocktail hour was fun, the food was delicious, especially my vegetarian dish, and the throwback playlist selected for after dinner had us dancing until the women kicked off their heels and went barefoot or slipped on flats.

Here are some of the the photos. Summer has just started and it opened with a party. I am looking forward to the entire season; it is my favorite.