One place where I feel a definite vibe is in Washington, DC. Maybe it's because I have a fair amount of history here. When I wander the streets, it can often feel as if I might run into that 21 year-old version of myself as I turn the corner. If I did, I wonder what I would tell myself. I think those formative experiences were so strong that it really helped propel me into the person I am today.
Life is funny that way. I often think about all of the decisions that have led me to today. Change a few here or there and my life is completely different.
When I was growing up, I thought that winters on the East Coast were brutal. There would be crazy levels of snow and we would be crawling out of second story windows to get out of the house. (Side note: that might have been true in Boston last winter!) My senior year of high school, I won a trip to DC with the US Senate Youth Program. Sponsored by the Hearst Foundation, it led us on a whirlwind tour that started out at Mount Vernon (George Washington's boyhood home) on a brilliant February day that was in the 70s. I got to meet famous senators like Alan Simpson of Wyoming and ask a question of Senator Al Gore of Tennessee. I had lunch in the Senate dining room with our home state Senator Matsunaga. We even got to meet President Ronald Reagan. I was standing so close to him that I could see the stage makeup he was wearing!
That momentous decision led me to Georgetown. Last year, the whole family was here for my reunion. It is hard to believe that it was so long ago. There are times when I feel like I am still there. Of course, more often I feel as if it was a different life. And it was.
I think if I ran into that younger version of myself, I'd try to tell him not to worry. I don't think I would spoil it by advising him one way or another. The mystery of not knowing what will happen in the future is part of the experience.
I'm already looking forward to my next visit here.
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