Ice-Skating at The Sculpture Garden

In an attempt to make the most of the winter season here in D.C., three of us decided to walk to the Sculpture Garden for an afternoon of ice-skating. The Sculpture Garden belongs to the National Gallery of Art and features a collection of statues throughout the garden. The day was chilly, so we bundled up in excessive layers, ready to confront the Washingtonian cold. After arriving at the Sculpture Garden, we rented ice skates for a reasonable price (and I say this because most things in D.C. are expensive). At this point, it is important for me to mention that the last time I went ice-skating, I was a fearless nine-year-old. Since then, things have changed quite a bit. The other two students, Erika and Tim, gracefully skated ahead of me, often passing me twice, as I struggled to just stand in my ice skates. Strangers could sense my fear as I skated by them, desperately grabbing onto the bar with a terrified look on my face. Needless to say, I fell twice that afternoon, incurring some painful bruises and embarrassing stories to tell my future grandchildren. By the end, I could at least make it around the ice rink a couple of times without frantically holding onto the bar. After ice-skating, we grabbed some hot chocolate by the ice rink and walked back to the Congressional in what locals would consider a snowstorm around here. In other words, it was lightly snowing. Overall, I found the experience very entertaining, and I am sure that others who witnessed me pathetically struggle that afternoon would agree, too.

--Samanta