Discovery

This week was a much needed trip to the National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center, west of Washington, DC.

Even though I used to work close by, and though colleagues and I would talk about seeing it – we never did.  I regret not going earlier, but yesterday I certainly appreciated the beauty and craftsmanship of the planes – and of the object I most wanted to see – the Discovery Space Shuttle.

It was far more impressive, and beautiful, and inspiring than I had expected.  It made me proud to be part of a mindset that had created this spaceship and its sisters.  However, I was with someone, someone who will never read this blog, who didn’t seem to really care – someone who was like “oh, yeah, that’s neat,” but no more – even though it was his first time to the museum.  I wanted to shake him, just like I sometimes want to shake people who want to and have cut NASA’s budget.  The shuttle represents people’s dreams that are beyond owning a second flat screen TV or a huge SUV.   Luckily, other people there were very thrilled to see it.

It was also much larger – and more powerful than it had ever looked on television.

and more cocooned…

The nose, with its heat-shield, reminded me of a whale with its blowhole.  Similarly endangered.

Sorry for my maudlin’ here – overall, I was quite the happy tourist.

The other vehicles in the museum were also quite fascinating.  I was drawn to the experimental planes, not the military ones.  And apparently, flipping through my photos now, I was drawn to the more colorful.

And I was also drawn towards speed…

It was a great day.  My adventure resolution means that I am doing many things that I’ve wanted to do, but have put off way too long.  So what if my house isn’t as vacuumed as regularly – I’m looking forward to next week.  The plan is for snowtubing, but we’ll see if the weather holds!