Our D.C. Road Trip Recap: Part 2

*I’m partnering with LIFEWTR to bring you this arts adventure story

I’m back with Part 2 of my adventure to D.C. with my sister in partnership with LIFEWTR and 7-Eleven! This was a trip to remember, and one that I can’t wait to repeat in the coming months. If you’re just tuning in, my little sis and I hit the road for a whirlwind trip to the capital to catch our favorite composer in concert at the Kennedy Center. You can see our weekend in action here, but I’m sharing even more about our artistic adventure, inspired by LIFEWTR, below.

(A peek at what I wore to the concert is above)

As I mentioned, this was the first time I had seen anything at the Kennedy Center, so I didn’t really know what to expect. My sister had been before, but not since high school, so she was excited to relive those memories now as a 20-something. We left the hotel with plenty of time to see the sights along the way, but the evening turned out to be a frigid one, so we were relieved to find out that we were only a 10-minute walk to the front doors of the Kennedy Center.

Despite the head-to-toe shivers, we somehow managed to appreciate the brass and concrete structure of the massive building itself. Even if you’re not able to catch a show, it’s worth making the trek over to the Kennedy Center to appreciate the stunning architecture. I’m anxious to go back now that the weather here on the east coast is finally all warmed up.

Since we had a little extra time on our hands, my sister and I were able to wander the gift shops and take in the cool event posters lining the opulent (there’s no other word for it!) lobby. I saw so many scheduled events that I want to buy tickets for later this season—from ballets and galas, to plays and other piano concerts, like the one we were set to see that night. I think, without realizing it, I’ve decided that 2018 is the year I make art a priority in my life again.

The concert we saw featured our favorite composer playing through his own piano etudes alongside four other musicians. My favorite part about the concert was hearing how each of the musicians put their own spin on the main composer’s work—some attacked the piano with enthusiasm, while others gave more pulled-back performances. I kept thinking how intimidating it must be to play music by a legendary composer who was right off stage listening in.

It was also such a unique experience to see a single musician play one instrument on stage. There was no big symphony to add sound to the background and nothing else to see or take in during the event, which made every note extra powerful. Even though I was one of hundreds in the audience, the set-up gave the concert a really intimate tone. I actually go to the symphony pretty regularly here in town, but this concert was unlike anything I had ever seen or experienced before.

The following day, my sister and I were so inspired by the music and art we had experienced the night before that (after a lazy breakfast in bed, of course!) we grabbed our extra LIFEWTR bottles and hit the streets to explore the National Mall.

*Find more ways to get inspired with LIFEWTR and 7-Eleven here.