In a stunned silence we sat on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial looking out over Capitol Hill, we were amazed at what we saw.
I find great joy in sharing, especially sharing an experience.
To be good at this, you must constantly try new things. This is a skill, it is against human nature, so you must develop it, but I strongly believe trying new things is important, it broadens your scope of the world and (more importantly) you can share the good things you find with others.
Giving someone a great experience
I’ve done this in several circumstances, the first time it occurred to me how important this is was during my time working in Washington D.C. I worked the day shift from 13:30 – 2:00 with 10 or so other team members. We would return late at night but still have energy because our sleep schedules were pushed back about 5 hours.
What do you do with time, energy and curiosity? Explore.
At 3 am while everyone else in the city slept, we took to the streets and began our tour of the Capitol. When I first joined the team in DC, they took me out and we explored the city at night. I had spent a week in DC on an 8th grade field trip once before, but now in the desolate hours of the early morning when no one else is awake, you see the city through a completely new lens.
After this first night, I was hooked. Streets were deserted, the National Mall was our playground, famous government buildings and monuments were collected like Pokémon. We greedily speed through the night on rented scooters rolling from the White house to Lincoln.
Lit up with powerful yellow beams of light, a limestone tower shines golden against the velvet black night. I find the Washington Monument an exceptionally beautiful sight.
My first night tour of DC was special, I knew I wanted to keep this tradition when new members replaced the old. I gave this experience to every person that wanted to join us, and every night was new for me too. Even though there were the same few hotspots we’d frequent, I could never guess what new adventure we’d have together, and I wouldn’t expect how beautiful it was on my last.
Try new things
Although our experiences are novel, this practice isn’t new, but I do think it’s worth reflection. When a distant friend comes to visit you in a new city, you show them around. You show them the highlight reel of experiences you’ve collected from living there. They’ve entrusted you with their time and you prove to them it’s worth it. Acquire a unique taste by trying lots of new things and finding the best for yourself and those you share it with.
On my last night trip exploring the city, we stayed out extra late. No one in our group had ever stayed out this late before touring DC. It was 8am by the time we made it back to our hotel, but it was worth it. After touring our regular spots, we stopped at the National Mall.
For over an hour we sat on the steps leading into the Reflecting Pool watching the morning dawn. As the sunrise began, we all grew quiet, mesmerized by the ever changing picture the sun painted against the sky. What makes this sunrise so exquisite is the orange glow on the obelisk and the water reflecting everything double against the sky. To this day it was one of the most beautiful sunrises I’ve ever seen.
When someone asks to recommend something for their trip to DC I always include watching the sunrise here. I’m jealous that Lincoln gets to see it every morning.
Giving someone an experience is a gift in itself, what experience can you give someone?
I’m writing this in Lisbon, I love this city, it’s my most frequent stop in Europe. Some friends met up with us during this trip and I had a great time showing them around to my favorite places and food. While creating a tour for them I thought about the first time I did this in DC and was inspired to write this. How I found my necklace is another story of sharing an experience if you want to check out more from me.