today,
a(roommate) and i headed off to the zoo for a little animal viewing. i love having a zoo right here in dc. apparently there was one in boston, but in all my time there i was never able to find it. its probably not actually in boston. so much there is actually outside the city limits. however, the national zoo is such a great opportunity, so long as you don't mind being swarmed by children intent on screaming at the poor animals.
being at the zoo always makes me think about it from a museum perspective. because, zoos are technially museums (you may not be aware of that fact). however, there are clearly some fundamental differences. from a collections standpoint, because i am always thinking of objects and how to care for them, the "objects" in a zoo aren't your normal, run-of-the-mill wood/metal/bone/plastic objects. they live, they breathe, they feel, they get sick. therefore extra care needs to be taken care of them. not only do they need to be treated like objects, but one has to remember that as living animals, they need certain fundamental things like food, as well as being cared for to preserve them for visitors. its so interesting and not something that was covered all that well in my classes at school. all we talked about were butterflies and they are short-lived and i feel like caring for them is not as intensive as caring for, say, an elephant.
i wish the zoo would do more to promote how it cares for its animals. they are building a new elephant habitat that seems, from what the very few signs at the zoo, to be one of the only of its kind. however, i know absolutely nothing about it! i wish they'd tell us more.
after the zoo, a and i walked around and then got dinner at lauriol plaza (if you're ever in dc, you should probably go there). while there we got into a giant discussion about being single, living in the city, and exploring and expanding our horizons. it got me to thinking about the changes i want to make in my life. i've gotten much better about some things. i've begun to live under the mentality of "own it." even if i have insecurities, i am going to make it look like i don't. its working, so far. it also helps when very nice individuals at the next table at dinner tell me that "damn girl, you look good!"
i need to explore dc more, however, especially because i have no more excuses (like homework). i'm making that my slightly early new year's resolution. i am going to explore, push my boundaries, expand my comfort zones. i want it to manifest itself in all aspects of my life, from fashion, to lifestyle to activities. hopefully it works! i feel like i need a plan of attack or a list. something. but lord knows i'm not good at following lists. or making them. or planning anything. i used to be so anal. and now i've taken a more fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants mentality. i'm not sure if its a good thing, but i'm trying to be less stressed about my life!
and now, since it is sunday night and i have to head into work tomorrow (boo real world), i will say good night!
