Visados.

The updated version of our trip to DC: Renee, Meghan (a good friend of ours along for the road trip) went to Washington, DC one weekend just to turn in paperwork for our visas. We arrived Saturday evening, after a super long drive. However, we did get to see our first McCafe, which is a McDonald's with couches and a bigscreen TV. I was excited! Family friends of mine, the Brasch's, booked our hotel in Maryland, just outside of DC, but it didn't end up taking my father's "usual way" of payment. So we went hotel-hopping, finally settled into one, after many long talks between my father and the managers, and went to sleep. Waking up Sunday, we left for the city. Let me just tell you that DC is on my top 5 places in America.... I absolutely loved it. We visited sooo many places in one day, that I am still baffled at how productive we were. (The most touching place for me was the Holocaust Museum; I could've stayed there all day...) Although it was freezing and we definitely stood out with our colorful garb and cameras, peppermint mochas and friendly people kept us warm. We did every touristy thing you can do, and I can't wait to visit once more with a native, who can show me all the cool, local things to do. That night, on our way back from the metro station, I get a call from Graham Davis, my best friend's (then) boyfriend who lives in the area, and he wants to meet up. So, we meet him at Wendy's, after a lot of confusion and misdirection, and talk. We have to cut it short, because Renee and Megs are falling asleep on us. It was a great end to the day, though.
Monday morning, Renee and I get up early, walk around looking for this Spanish embassy. And, after much delay, we find it, fill out a bunch of paperwork, and turn in our pictures, forms, and passports. What a relief! Then, we take a little pit stop in the Starbuck's at the hospital, devouring some coffee and the best bran muffins we've ever had in our lives. If you ever find a Starbuck's with those muffins, please let me know!! By the way, I think that Renee and I set a record for Starbuck's trips in a 24-hour time span. We had to have gone at least 6 times! :)