The Bar Belle’s New Year’s resolutions
I think there are 11 seniors from my hometown at GW.?So, on New Year’s Eve, at a random bar in the middle of America, I was shocked to see six other GW seniors, coincidentally. But it made me think: why is it that if I’m not at TomToms on Thursday night or McFaddens on Tuesday, I never see another GW soul? Admittedly, I don’t know everyone on campus, but I like to think that we are a creative bunch, willing to use the city as a part of the college experience.
New Year’s resolutions don’t always have to be about losing weight or quitting smoking. We live in the nation’s capital and one of the most fabulous places in the world to be a university student. So, for the final semester of my college career, I plan to make good use of this resource. And frankly, you should too.
Last semester, as I spent every weekend finding at least one new bar in and around the District, my list of new bars to check out always grew longer, not shorter. So this semester, my list of bars to attend includes: Mantis (Adam’s Morgan), Park Bench (Cleveland Park), DC9 (U Street), The Evening Star (Alexandria, Va.), The Harp and Fiddle (Bethesda, Md.) and Five (Dupont Circle). I especially look forward to a night at Five because I haven’t been clubbing in D.C. since before I turned the ripe old age of 21. And it’s no secret that dancing is the vertical expression of horizontal desire -?so to see what my male counterparts have in mind, a night at Five should be nothing short of fabulous.
Plus, let’s not forget a return to my favorite bars from last semester: The Pour House (playoff football anyone?) and The Russia House (hello parents coming for graduation).
Aside from bars, there are still a handful of Smithsonian museums I have yet to set foot in, not to mention the resources right outside the city. GW TRAILS offers excursions outside of the District every weekend, and I cannot imagine a better way to appreciate the city than to leave for a few days of outdoor experiences.
I also look forward to seeing my two favorite D.C. bands playing again (the Bear Mountain Pickers and Exit Clov, respectively), and I hope to find a third favorite D.C. band to replace the lovely Meghan Hayes (who recently moved to Nashville, Tenn.).
Other “sober” options I look forward to in the spring: the Cherry Blossom Festival, riding the elevator up the Washington Monument, Bhangra Blowout, paddle boats around the Tidal Basin, GW basketball games, Spring Fling and of course, there’s that whole “planning the rest of my life” thing that I’m supposed to have figured out by May 21.
Until then, here’s to one more semester in the nation’s capital. Here’s to friends visiting, spring break, parties in my beloved apartment and exploring the District, one bar at a time. Cheers.
