This past weekend I ate at one of the most amazing places I’ve found in Washington, D.C., thus far.

I am not really sure how I found, it simply because I refused to take the Metro; the train seems to smell worse with every ride. So I opted for the bus that picks up right in front of our building.

As I passed through the streets of D.C., ones I hadn’t seen because I am usually underground, I came across a weird sculpture.

I got off the bus and walked toward the yellow object. As I got closer, I saw the ground around it was filled with some of the prettiest graffiti I have ever seen. Then I looked up and saw a sign that read “Busboys and Poets.”

Since the name was so strange, I decided to find the entrance and see what it was about, soon learning it is a restaurant that caters to D.C.’s brunch obsession.

I asked for a table because I needed a cup of coffee. It was cold. The walls were covered with beautiful art, some local and some famous. When I got my seat, I looked at the menu and I read that the name was actually inspired by one of my favorite poets, Langston Hughes (parts of his “Dreams” poem are plastered all over my walls in my apartment).

I decided I should eat while I was there, so I opted for something that reminded me of home: sweet potato pancakes.

I loved the atmosphere and how in touch it was with black history, because you really don’t see that much in Tenn. unless you’re in Memphis.

I also visited one of the newer monuments in D.C.: the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. It was so inspiring and encouraging. When you walked through the entrance, quotes from his speeches from various states lined the walls.

As you came around to seeing the actual monument itself, there was a quote that inspired the actual idea for the monument: “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” Then you saw a statue of King coming “out of the mountain.”

Clever, right?

I tried to recreate the monument’s pose, and this awesome picture came out that makes me look super important with my natural fro and all. I am pretty proud of it.

I am beginning to warm up to the city even though it is still cold, but overall, my experience here is going well. I still miss Tennessee, but I feel like the reassurance of my favorite poet and the amazing statue of one the most inspiring people of all time were things I needed to see.

They give me the courage to push on and chase my dreams. Because in the words of Langston Hughes, “For if dreams die, life is like a broken winged bird.”

Much Love,

Celeste