Now that more things have opened up as the pandemic wanes (but still continues...), I can actually pack my weekends like I did in the "before times"! Here were the highlights of my busy weekend:
1. Goat yoga
I had heard of goat yoga a while back, and I knew Beth Wolfe had organized goat yoga events for some time. But I had never gone until Saturday! It's hosted inside a church, which I think is funny; I guess we were inside since the church doesn't have a fenced-in area for the animals to be outside but not run away. This event was special because there were six baby goats there who were only a few weeks old! They weren't quite used to people yet, so this was a chance for them to be around humans and see that we aren't going to hurt them. They are so adorable! I'd say in the hour I was there, five minutes were spent on yoga, and the rest of the time was watching/petting/taking pictures of goats. You can see how the goats would be distracting:
I had previously done kangaroo yoga with the same instructor. While I can't say these kinds of events are the most strenuous yoga classes, they are definitely the most fun! I want to try kitten or puppy yoga next!
 |
| Image found here |
2. Van Gogh Exhibition: The Immersive Experience
My boyfriend bought tickets for this, and I was certainly curious what it was, especially since I love art by the impressionists. We were out near Ivy City, and it was this huge space that had been converted into an interactive museum for this exhibition. I really enjoyed learning more about Van Gogh; I didn't know much about his real life beforehand. I think my favorite part was when you entered a huge room where his art was projected all over the walls and even on the floor! The paintings had been digitized and then moved and morphed like animations. We were cuddled up on pillows on the floor just watching the art dance around us. If you've been to ARTECHOUSE before, then it's kind of like that. The tickets are a little expensive, so had I not been invited by someone else, I'm not sure I would have paid to see a famous artists' works be projected on walls (I'd rather see the real thing!). But it was a fun, different experience. But bring a sweater: it's cold in there (even though they aren't protecting real art...). OR you could get a taste of it from YouTube:
 |
| Image found here |
3. Drinks and Dinner after Van Gogh
After the art exhibit, my boyfriend and I wanted to go out for cocktails. Right down the street from the exhibit, we found Metrobar (which he had read about). It was a fun outdoor space with lots of picnic tables (and cute dogs!) to enjoy your drinks al fresco. All of the cocktails use spirits from local distilleries, like Republic Restoratives, One Eight, and Cotton & Reed; I love all of those places, so I think that's a great idea. They also had hard seltzers from DC Brau, which I didn't try but want to at some point! It's a cool spot in an up-and-coming area of the city.
 |
| Image found here |
4. Dinner at Via Ghibellina
After looking at the art and having a drink at Metrobar, we went into the heart of Ivy City and had dinner at. I had never been there before, but that's because they opened during the pandemic. It was packed, so clearly it's a popular spot! Their cocktails are also good (and actually cheaper than a glass of wine?). They handmake the pasta there, and the pizza is delicious! I don't think of myself as a pizza snob by any means, but after having their pizza, I realized I hadn't had real, authentic pizza for a long time. I highly recommend checking out this place! After dinner, we briefly walked around the area. Now I want to go back there to visit Gravitas, City Winery, and a new brewery, Other Half; they all have great rooftop spaces!
 |
| Our other friend Emily took the picture. Her finger is there to represent. |
5. Polo Match with the DC Polo Society
I went to this event two years ago before the pandemic, and it was so much fun! So when I heard it was coming back, I had to go. Four of my girlfriends and I piled into my car and drove up to Poolesville to watching the horses. The set-up was different from last time. Previously, they had this outdoor area with picnic tables and such where you could sit and enjoy food and drinks. But this time, we had to drive to the other side of the fields, where there is no structure; you had to be prepared to tailgate. I did not realize this ahead of time, but we lucked out: someone had paid for three private tents, but we got there early, so we took over one of those and acted like we owned the place (we figured we'd move if someone asked us to). Luckily we were able to sit in the shade there in chairs (not in the grass in our lovely outfits) the entire time we were there. And each party got a free bottle of wine, so that was a nice surprise! We had so much fun enjoying the beautiful weather, chit-chatting, and watching the horses run back and forth. Anytime I get to eat and/or drink outside, I'm happy!
 |
| Image found here |
Although there were technically two polo matches, one is certainly enough. So we left early and drove just a little bit aways to Windridge Vineyards, a new winery that opened up during the pandemic. I was there a few weeks ago with my boyfriend for the first time, so I had already discovered it and had made reservations for my girlfriends after the polo. Thank goodness I did: the place was packed! We had a nice picnic table all to ourselves looking out over the vineyard and enjoying the sun sinking lower into the sky. I helped myself to a glass of their bubbly rose, and we had dinner from the food truck there from Bangin BBQ (very good, btw). It was the perfect way to end such a lovely girls day!
I packed a lot in this past weekend, and next weekend will be no different!
