Charting my progress: a nod to HIMYM

As of this weekend, I have officially been living in D.C., in the same apartment, for five months. This is quite a feat for me. I usually move apartments, cities, or countries at this point.

However, accolades aside, I thought I should see how I am doing on my Living like a Tourist-DC list. And the total to date is: 102 things-to-do crossed off...

I have been inspired by one of the best "How I Met Your Mother" (HIMYM) episodes:

"This circle represents people who are breaking my heart. And this circle represents people who are shaking my confidence daily. And where do they overlap? Cecilia."

So let me demonstrate, in chart format, my projected number of activities accomplished against my actual activities accomplished :

I am not doing as well as I had hoped. Hmmm.... with renewed fervor, I move forward nonetheless.

P.S. I still need more suggestions!

Karen's Official Living like a Tourist list- D.C. Edition

For Pity’s Sake (you’re in D.C.!)

1. White House (inside)
2. Washington Monument (top)
3. The Capitol (inside)
4. Library of Congress
5. National Archives- Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Magna Carta Originals
6. Natural History Museum
7. Air and Space Museum
8. National Portrait Gallery
9. National Art Gallery- West Building
10. National Art Gallery- East Building
11. Botanical Gardens
12. National Arboretum
13. Cherry Blossoms
14. International Spy Museum 
15. Crime and Punishment Museum
16. National Building Museum Lego Exhibit
17. National Zoo
18. National Aquarium
19. Lincoln Memorial
20. Jefferson Memorial
21. World War II Memorial
22. Monument Cruise on the Potomac
23. Holocaust Museum
24. Smithsonian Castle
25. Native American Museum
26. Woodrow Wilson Exhibit
27. Old Post Office Building
28. D.C. Acropolis- Columns that belonged to the Capital
29. Newseum
30. John F. Kennedy Center
31. Ford’s Theater
32. Dumbarton House
33. Supreme Court
34. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
35. Watergate (inside)
36. Georgetown’s M Street
37. FDR Memorial 
38. Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial
39. National Archives- Civil War Exhibit

For Food
40. Sorriso- Italian-Cleveland Park
41. Sette- Italian- Dupont
42. Thaiphoon- Thai- Dupont
43. Leopold’s- Cafe- Georgetown
44. Bistro du Coin- French- Dupont
45. Café du Parc- French ?- Penn Ave
46. La Forchette- French - 18th St.
47. Rosemary and Thyme- 18th St.
48. The Diner- American- 18th St.
49. Dukem- Ethiopian- U St.
50. Meskerem- Ethiopian - 18th St.
51. Falafel Shop- Old City Café- Columbia St.
52. Grill from Ipanema- Adams Morgan
53. Napoleon- French- Adams Morgan
54. Open city- Woodley Park
55. Front page- Dupot
56. Lauriol Plaza- Mexican- 18th St.
57. Straits of Malay- Malaysian- 18th St.
58. Mandu Korean Restaurant-18th St.
59. Mie N Yu
60. Perry’s Rooftop
61. Rosa Mexicano
62. Pete’s New Haven Style Pizza
63. Pizza Paradiso 
64. Café DuPont- French
65. Circa
66. Zorba’s-Greek
67. Indique- Indian- Cleveland Park
68. Mate- K Street- Sushi
69. Il Canale- Italian 
70. Alero- Mexican- Cleveland Park
71. New Heights
72. Mama Ayesha- Calvert St.
73. Café Oaxaca 
74. Aria - Italian
75. Wasabi- Sushi 
76. Penang Malaysian Restaurant
77. James Hobans
78. Meze- Lebanese
79. Falafel at Amsterdam shop
80. Russia House
81. Sticky Balls & Godzirra rolls at Sticky Rice- Sushi- H & 12.5 St
82. Cafe Green- Raw food
83. Malaysian Kopitiam
84. Camille's
85. Madhatter
86. Jaleo- Tapas
87. Cashion's- Adams Morgan
88. Marrakesh
89. Two Amy's- Pizza
90. Cuba Libre- after it opens in Sept.
91. Agora Turkish Restaurant to try the Raki
92. Brunch (savory crepes) at Napoleon
93. Haydees- Mexican Food and Live music- Mt. Pleasant
94. Nam Viet- Vietnamese- Cleveland Park
95. Crepe Amour- Savory Bachan Crepe- Georgetown
96. Lavandou- Provencal- Cleveland Park
97. Jyoti- Indian- 18th St.
98. Bus Boys & Poets- U Street
99. Grillfish-Seafood
100. Firehook Bakery
101. Hot Potato Cafe
102. Chopt- a DC craze
103. El Tamarindo- El Salvadorean & Mexican- Adams Morgan-Florida Ave.
104. Pasta Mia- Italian- Adams Morgan

For a Night out
105. Buddha Bar
106. 9:30 Club
107. Madam’s Organ
108. Bossa
109. Foreign Language Cinema on E Street
110. Habana Village- Salsa
111. Screen on the green
112. Champagne Bar @ Napoleon
113. Verizon Center
114. Red Derby- Board Games & beer
115. Rocket Bar- skeeball machines & games

For the spirit
116. St. Matthews Cathedral
117. National Cathedral
118. Washington Mormon Temple
119. Franciscan Monastery- DC
120. Santa Rosaria (Holy Rosary) Italian Church
121. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception- Basilica

For Sport
122. Nationals Game @ Nats Stadium
123. Orioles vs. Nationals Game (I can cheer for both, can't I?)
124. D.C. United Game
125. Capitals Hockey Game
126. D.C. RollerGirls
127. Bowie Baysox Game
128. Frederick Keys Game
129. Richmond Flying Squirrels Game (because I have to watch a team with flying squirrels as the mascot!!)
130. Support Runners- Marine Corps Marathon

For Dessert
131. Cake love
132. Georgetown Cupcake's Secret Cupcake
133. Georgetown Cupake's Saturdays Mint Cookies & Creme Cupcake
134. Georgetown Cupake's Mondays Chocolate Mint Cupcake
135. Red Velvet's Red Velvet cupcake (duh)
136. Pitango- Cardammom flavor
137. Pitango- Spicy Chocolate flavor 
138. Larry’s Homemade Ice Cream
139. Café Dolcezza 
140. Dolci Gelati
141. Yogenfruz 
142. Tangy Sweet 
143. Schokolade 
144. Hook- lingonberry linzertorte 
145. Co Co Sala- Chocolate Onyx 
146. Boccato Gelato- Cake Batter flavor- Arlington 
147. Boccato Gelato- Chocolate Guinness flavor
148. Boccato Gelato- Elvis flavor (Peanut butter & jelly)
149. Island Style Ice Cream
150. The Dairy Godmother
151. Crepe Amour- Steve's Job crepe- Apples, almost, cinnamon & caramel

For a Drink
152. Tryst
153. Café du Parc
154. Le Bar
155. Potenza
156. Rooftop bar- JandG
157. Estadio- frozen alcoholic slushies 
158. Dickson Wine Bar- U Street
159. Veritas Wine Bar
160. Brickskeller Saloon
161. Urbana- P Street
162. Bar DuPont
163. Nanny O'briens
164. Try DC Brau’s Porter
165. Black Squirrel Pub- Beer
166. R.F.D. Washington- Beer
167. Dark and Stormy drink- Islander Caribbean Restaurant
168. Four Corners Pub- Cleveland Park
169. Biergarten Haus- Capitol Hill
170. Brasserie Beck- Belgian Beer
171. Meridian Pint- Pour your own pint- Columbia Heights
172. Adams Mill- Adams Morgan
173. Breadsoda-Beer & ping pong- Wisconsin Ave.

For Caffe
174. Illy café on M and New Hampshire
175. Caffe Affogato (drowned coffee) at Pitango
176. Ebenezers Coffeehouse
177. Java Green Café
178. Chinatown Coffee Company
179. M.E. Swing Co.
180. Mayorga Coffee
181. Mocha Hut Coffeehouse
182. Quartermaine Coffee Roasters
183. Sparky's Espresso Café 
184. St. Elmo's Coffee Pub

For Me
185. Mimosa salon- manicure
186. Imago-Eyebrow threading
187. Dhoonya Dance- Bhangra classes
188. Fired Up- Paint your own ceramics- Cleveland Park 

For Happy Hour
189. L’Enfant Belgian Beer Happy hour 
190. Lima outdoor terrace
191. Zenten Rooftop bar- Donovan House- Canton Ginger Liquor
192. Art & Soul- SnoCone Happy hour
193. Vapiano 
194. Ceiba
195. Vinoteca
196. Chocolate & Bubbles Happy hour- Co Co Sala
197. ONE Lounge- potato pancakes
198. Medaterra- Woodley Park

For Hookah
199. Soussi
200. Chi Cha Lounge

For Culture
201. Chinatown
202. Passport D.C. Days
203. Italian Festival
204. Free Friday concerts- Kennedy Center
205. Concert- Wolf trapp
206. Freer Gallery
207. Phillips Collection
208. Alliance Francaise Event
209. Goethe Instituit
210. Pope John Paul II Cultural Center
211. DaVinci the Genius Exhibit- National Geographic Museum
212. Allen Ginsberg's Photography "Beat Memories"- National Gallery
213. Gallery at the Canadian Embassy
214. Italian Embassy
215. Washington National Opera
216. Shakespeare Theater
217. Hand Dance Club- DC's national dance

For Being Outside
218. Rock Creek Trail
219. Kayaking on the Potomac
220. Paddle Boat- Tidal Basin
221. Eastern Market
222. Bike along C&O Canal
223. Tubing on the Potomac
224. Photograph DC's interesting murals

For getting out of the city
225. Port City Brewery- Alexandria
226. Old town Alexandria
227. Oasis Winery
228. National Harbor
229. Arlington Cemetery
230. Mount Vernon
231. Annandale- Korean restuarant

I don’t know what for…
232. Ollie’s trolley
233. O Line at National Zoo- Orangutan’s crossing
234. Drag Queen brunch at Perry’s
235. Post Office Museum
236. Againn- Beer Floats
237. Cereal Bowl
238. Funxion
239. Albert Einstein Memorial
240. Spotting Black Squirrels
241. Find a D.C. geocache
242. The Big Chair- world’s largest chair, in Anacostia 
243. The Big Adirondack Chair
244. Participate in a D.C. Dance Mob
245. Homeade Root Beer marshmallows (what are these??) at Buzz Bakery
246. A DuFrein (Guinness with a shot of espresso) at Tryst

For helping round off this list
247. Union Station 
248. Ronald Reagan Airport 
249. Dulles Airport 
250. BWI Airport 
251. Freedom Plaza 
252. Ronald Reagan Building
253. The Circulator
254. The D.C. Metro System