Zoo Day...sort of
This week my kids were on spring break and we didn't have much planned except a day up in D.C. at the National Zoo. We were going to meet my friend there because it is in the middle of our two houses. I thought it was lucky that it was a nice day after a very rainy week as we packed up our picnic lunch and drove the 90 minutes to get there.
Unfortunately, many other people seemed to think it was a good day to go the zoo as well and by the time we got there at 10:30, the parking lots were full. I decided to drive around a bit but couldn't find another parking garage close by or any street parking down by the entrance where luckily Carrie had gotten one of the last parking spots. After 30 minutes I finally did find a spot on the street but only for two hours. Then we got out of the car and saw this long line of people. Since there is no admission fee I figured they must be waiting for a special event. So the kids and I walked to the entrance only to be told we would have to go back and wait in the line that went for four city blocks to get into the zoo; it was the line to go through security.
I thought I had done a pretty good job of keeping my cool while my little kids kept asking why we weren't parking and weren't we going to the zoo and where was Carrie and were we almost there. When I found a spot I congratulated us on making the best of a tough situation. Then came the line of a million people just to get into a free zoo that I can go to any day of the week I choose. I just couldn't do it. I felt terrible bailing on my friend but just couldn't fathom waiting in line to then follow this huge crowd of people around as we all try to see the animals only to rush back to the car to find another parking spot. My stress button got stuck and I had to get out of there.
Luckily, the kids were pretty easy going about the change in plan. My daughter was sad not to see our friends, as was I, but again we tried to make the best of it and went to have our picnic down by the Tidal Basin. Unfortunately, it was pretty crowded down there so no street parking was available and my usual parking lot was closed because they were setting up for the Cherry Blossom Festival. D.C. is a tough city to drive around in and without another adult to navigate for me I decided to just get out of there.
Again, we changed plans and headed to National Harbor, which thankfully was not crowded and we were able to find a parking spot. We had our picnic lunch and the kids played in the sand and we enjoyed the views of the river and D.C. in the distance. After just over an hour we were done and ready to head home.
The day ended up being nice but a disappointment from what we had originally planned. I had to consciously choose many times not to be frustrated with the way things were working out. I suppose we could have waited in line and stuck it out at the zoo but I'm not sure that would have been a very fun way to spend our time, although at least we would have gotten to see our friends. In the end, my kids were happy and enjoyed the day so I suppose it was a successful outing, even if it was not what we had hoped it would be. I was proud of how my kids responded to the many changes and though it
would have been so easy for me to be upset (I really don't like it when things don't go as planned) I was proud of myself too for staying calm and positive.
I feel that life can be a lot like our zoo day. We have great ideas and then a million people get in our way and we have to adapt and drive around and try to figure out a new plan. Even then sometimes that plan doesn't work out either and we have to try something else. We may end up somewhere very different and it may take real effort to be happy to be there instead of where you had planned to go, but it is possible. I did love sitting in the sun and watching my kids play. We also had a moment when I was passing out hand sanitizer to the kids and my youngest said, "What is that stink?" I told him it was the new tropical-smelling hand sanitizer I had just bought and he said (with quite a grimace on his sweet little face and he says his "k" like he's German) "I don't like it." Then he waved his hands around trying to get it off. All of us started laughing and in that moment I felt pure joy. It was just one of those moments in life where suddenly you realize that life is good, no matter the detours.
Unfortunately, many other people seemed to think it was a good day to go the zoo as well and by the time we got there at 10:30, the parking lots were full. I decided to drive around a bit but couldn't find another parking garage close by or any street parking down by the entrance where luckily Carrie had gotten one of the last parking spots. After 30 minutes I finally did find a spot on the street but only for two hours. Then we got out of the car and saw this long line of people. Since there is no admission fee I figured they must be waiting for a special event. So the kids and I walked to the entrance only to be told we would have to go back and wait in the line that went for four city blocks to get into the zoo; it was the line to go through security.
I thought I had done a pretty good job of keeping my cool while my little kids kept asking why we weren't parking and weren't we going to the zoo and where was Carrie and were we almost there. When I found a spot I congratulated us on making the best of a tough situation. Then came the line of a million people just to get into a free zoo that I can go to any day of the week I choose. I just couldn't do it. I felt terrible bailing on my friend but just couldn't fathom waiting in line to then follow this huge crowd of people around as we all try to see the animals only to rush back to the car to find another parking spot. My stress button got stuck and I had to get out of there.
Luckily, the kids were pretty easy going about the change in plan. My daughter was sad not to see our friends, as was I, but again we tried to make the best of it and went to have our picnic down by the Tidal Basin. Unfortunately, it was pretty crowded down there so no street parking was available and my usual parking lot was closed because they were setting up for the Cherry Blossom Festival. D.C. is a tough city to drive around in and without another adult to navigate for me I decided to just get out of there.
Again, we changed plans and headed to National Harbor, which thankfully was not crowded and we were able to find a parking spot. We had our picnic lunch and the kids played in the sand and we enjoyed the views of the river and D.C. in the distance. After just over an hour we were done and ready to head home.
The day ended up being nice but a disappointment from what we had originally planned. I had to consciously choose many times not to be frustrated with the way things were working out. I suppose we could have waited in line and stuck it out at the zoo but I'm not sure that would have been a very fun way to spend our time, although at least we would have gotten to see our friends. In the end, my kids were happy and enjoyed the day so I suppose it was a successful outing, even if it was not what we had hoped it would be. I was proud of how my kids responded to the many changes and though itwould have been so easy for me to be upset (I really don't like it when things don't go as planned) I was proud of myself too for staying calm and positive.
I feel that life can be a lot like our zoo day. We have great ideas and then a million people get in our way and we have to adapt and drive around and try to figure out a new plan. Even then sometimes that plan doesn't work out either and we have to try something else. We may end up somewhere very different and it may take real effort to be happy to be there instead of where you had planned to go, but it is possible. I did love sitting in the sun and watching my kids play. We also had a moment when I was passing out hand sanitizer to the kids and my youngest said, "What is that stink?" I told him it was the new tropical-smelling hand sanitizer I had just bought and he said (with quite a grimace on his sweet little face and he says his "k" like he's German) "I don't like it." Then he waved his hands around trying to get it off. All of us started laughing and in that moment I felt pure joy. It was just one of those moments in life where suddenly you realize that life is good, no matter the detours.
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