Seven Mile Walk

Why would anyone want to walk seven miles along the Washington mall? There are plenty of logical reasons why. There is no parking. You are some kind of walking guru. Or in my case you want to see the MLK Jr. 50 year anniversary speech. Maybe you could compare this short walk to the March on Washington. When you think about that, it makes the seven mile walk seem like a leisurely stroll.

There are many ways to tour the city. You can rent a Segway (which I might say is rather funny because they look like a herd of native lions in the wild prowling their territory……maybe it’s just me). You can rent bikes or take bike cab. Lovebirds can even take a horse and carriage. However, walking in my view is the best way to take in the city. I can go at my own pace and stop at any time to take a picture.

While I am walking, I see beautiful marble buildings from the most beautiful angles. When I walk, I see things that my eye wouldn’t catch if I were driving. Looking at the sculptures, I can stop and admire them. Instead of catching a flash of silver and which then disappears behind a tree, I can admire the outdoor sculpture garden with a metal tree reaching for the baby blue sky. I can hear the banter between the construction workers as I walk past. I can hear the city: the sound of the birds, people, vehicles, bikes, shoes. When I walk, I get the essence of the city.

There is no better way to explore a city than to walk it. And at the very end, you can sit down and enjoy a nice cup of coffee from one of the coffee shops. Or stop by any of the diverse food trucks and pick up some grub. My personal favorite after a long walk is ice cream. Feeling the coolness slide down my throat makes the whole thing all the better.

 

This was written for the Wandering Educators Teen Travel Blogging course online.

 

 Where there is tea there is hope

Arthur Wing Pinero

Postcard from Assateague

There is a soft aroma of burnt wood and sea salt swirling around me like the ocean itself. I smell sunscreen faintly, probably from the hours we spent on the white sand beach. In this moment I thought we were in a complete state of happiness. The sound of crashing waves softly wafts from over the dunes. The crackle of the fire mixes in there, and the sound of wild ponies chomping on grass made me believe this place is to perfect to be real. 

I never wanted to leave this state of relaxation, but alas the fire has to be put out. With a loud hiss and steam surrounding everything like a cloud, the warmth I so love was gone. Luckily this feeling of perfect bliss is not a once in a lifetime experience. I still have a couple more days of bliss.

Along comes the day I have to leave my personal paradise, but I have no need to fret. I will be back. I can continue to replay my memories without sadness knowing I will soon be in my paradise once again.

 

 

Where there is tea there is hope

Arthur Wing Pinero 

I Have a Dream

I have a dream. Those four words are iconic, everyone in America knows who they came from and what they symbolize. Yesterday my mother and I had the privilege of going to the Lincoln Memorial to hear President Obama give a speech for the 50th anniversary. His speech was perfect for the day. Here is the full speech from President Obama:

And here is MLK Jr.'s speech:

Unfortunately, when we got there we discovered that our vision was impaired with some rose-colored glasses. It was 2:45 PM when we got there and the speech started at 3:05 (don't ask me why :05). When we got there we could not see or hear anything. We stayed long enough to take a few pictures, then GTFO.

After walking SEVEN MILES we decided siting a while would be a great idea. I wanted to see Jobs, the biography of Steve Jobs, and my mum wanted to see The Butler. Whatever movie was playing first we would see.

When Jobs was over I was pleasantly surprised. I thought the movie showed he was an a-hole (which he was), but it also showed he was a brilliant man with an amazing idea.

Last week we were in Baltimore, hon. It was amazing. I love Baltimore. The bustle of the market. Being able to walk everywhere. The friendliness of everyone. The weather. The sense of home. All of this is just calling out my name, telling me to call this place home. I wish. I am just so torn; I love the people back in Georgia, but over the past couple years the social prejudice that people always hold is hard to deal with.

Ah, decisions, decisions. One thing that is for certain is we are staying in GA for at least one more year thanks to my one year softball contract. For a year we get to think about our options and assess the situation. After that who knows?

 

Where there is tea there is hope

Arthur Wing Pinero 



What Is Your Story?

What is your story? Can you describe it in words? Now let's narrow that down to six words. Can you rise to the challenge? I can.

My words are:

• Color
• Hidden
• Wonder
• Lost
• Rebellion
• Motion

Those are the words that describe me; they capture my story in consonants and vowels. Color. The most obvious reason for this word is my hair. Once a bright purple, is now a cotton candy pink. I always thought brown and pink went well together. Color is in my day-to-day life. It surrounds me, swirls around like a tornado, constant and fast, but unlike a tornado color doesn't damage. Color simply enlightens.

Hidden. My thoughts. I hide my thoughts about my dad. I miss him so much, but I give off the impression that I am happy, and I accept the fact he should still be alive. When I just want him back.

Wonder. I wonder at the world. This amazing ball of mush, with living beings moving and creating what we now know as the world. I wonder how I will survive when the real world comes. I think this video describes my worries perfectly.

Rhett and Link's Graduation Song

Lost. I don't know what to do. After my father died, I lost my self confidence. I am lost on how to help myself, but I don't know what others can do for me.

Rebellion. Not in the traditional way. I have not rebelled from my mother. I don't drink, or sneak out, or lie. I rebel by going against what the old south has taught me. I highlight my hair with pink/purple not blonde. I wear dark skinny jeans and black shirts; not pastel shirts and white pants. I wear black eyeliner not foundation...gasp! I am not a Southern Belle, and I don't care. I don't go to public school. I am taught by my mum. I don't do loads of homework each night; I am building a house to live in. I am nothing like the rest of my friends.

Motion. Moving forward. Moving backwards. Moving nowhere. Where do I move? Forward is the obvious answer, but moving forward means leaving behind those I love. Moving backwards means I am one step farther from achieving happiness (isn't that what we all want?). Moving nowhere is just as bad. You stay still while those around you continue forward. Which one is the least devastating? I don't know yet, but I think it's a bit above my age. I don't have to know yet, but it always helps to think of  the future.

What is your story? That was mine. A bit sad, but the truth. I don't want to end on a sad note though, so I will leave you with a video that tickles my mum, and one that tickles me as well.

My mum's video

 

My video.

 

 

Where there is tea there is hope

Arthur Wing Pinero 

 



Wandering Room

What is your beverage of choice in the morning? Is it tea, coffee, water, maybe a protein drink, maybe a smoothie? This week my beverage has been coffee. Coffee is a necessity when the average time I wake up is 10 AM and my grandmother is up and ready to run around at 5 AM.

Yesterday started off with a large cup of coffee with cream and sugar and then we (my mother, myself and my grandmother) were off. We toured the food truck fair that was going on and of course had some grub that consisted of hand cut french-fries with sea salt and a vegan falafel before setting off to the Barnes art museum; which I must say, traditional paintings are not my cuppa tea. I have total appreciation for the work, but it doesn't interest me. I have more interest looking at sculptures and abstract art. I am not sure why. In the Barnes there were rooms filled with paintings, but they seemed to mesh together in a blob of dull portraits of naked women and fruit; this artwork didn't light my spark of imagination.  Abstract art and sculptures on the other hand make my mind wander. They are left open for interpretation by the viewer instead of traditional paintings being very straightforward. Maybe I just like the endless reasons of abstract art. Here are a few examples of abstract art:







Today as usual I was up at 10, but instead of taking a few hours to get up and ready I was ready at 11(wow what an achievement). This afternoon we were going to the fine city of Philadelphia! It took about an hour to get there after a few errands, so we arrived around 1. Today's mission was to go to some museums starting with the Betsy Ross House (which ended up being the only museum we went to, the rest were closed on Mondays) which was amazing. There was an actual person pretending to be Betsy and explaining her life. Quite entertaining. I even got at tutorial on how to make a star out of paper with one cut.

Tomorrow we(my mother and I) plan to go back to Philly and got to the Constitution Center where the constitution was signed and the Liberty Bell.

On Wednesday we are going to high tea! I have a little secret; I am kind of obsessed with the Victorian time period, but you can't tell any one. If you are not quite sure what high tea is; high tea was held around 3 or 4 as a 'snack' before dinner, but it is actually quite heavy. Here is a menu.

With that small bite of info about tea I say au revoir, vaarwel, elveda, and goodbye!

 

Where there is tea there is hope

Arthur Wing Pinero 

 

 

Tea and Hope

The morning started off with unwillingly getting out of bed and throwing on a pair of shorts and a tank top. Just like any other day, but this one had a totally different ending than any of the other ones. This particular overcast and hot day marked the beginning of an adventurous adventure.

For a little background information, my name is Sicily, I live in Georgia, I am 13 years old and I play competitive travel softball. I live with my mom, two dogs, and cat. My father passed away in a car accident in February, and to try and clear our heads my mother and I are going on a five-week trip to the Northeast to visit family and learn some history. We have already gone to West Virginia for two days to see an old family friend on his farm. Now we are currently at my grandmother's house in Pennsylvania and will be staying here for a week, then off to Northern Virginia and for a week, going to and from Washington DC. Our final stop is camping in Assateague for a week, then driving back home along the coast.

Going to West Virginia takes eight hours from where I live, therefore plenty of opportunities to see strange sights. The first of many was a 60-something-year-old-man with a rainbow tie-die shirt, greying head of hair and beard driving an old beat up  truck (brand unknown) Eating peanut butter from a jar with a spoon. Just an odd combination. Unfortunately I was not able to get a picture of this, but I was able to get a picture of a dancing pickle in Pennsylvania:

 

And with this I bid you adieu.  

 

 

 

Where there's tea there's hope.

Arthur Wing Pinero