October 13, 2006

The Key Bridge

Thursday morning I had an appointment so afterwards I drove my old route to work. The thing I really miss about my old route is the Key Bridge, which connects Georgetown and Rosslyn.

The thing about the Key Bridge, which is not to be mistaken with Baltimore’s Key Bridge, is its beauty. Driving towards Rosslyn or Georgetown no matter what time of day or in any weather it’s a beautiful sight. Sitting in traffic on the Key Bridge bearable because as I sit there I can look up or down the river and enjoy the view.

I was sitting on the Key Bridge a few months after 9/11 when a plane flew over towards National Airport. This terrified me because National was shut down and there was a ban on any air traffic in the DC area. I immediately turned on the radio and was relieved to find out they lifted the ban on aircraft and opened the airport. Phew.

I miss walking over the bridge too. A good friend used to live in Rosslyn and we would walk over to Georgetown. I nearly ran back over it one evening when I left the party early. I ran because it was dark and chilly but the view was spectacular at night. Another time some friends and I took the Metro to Rosslyn, we separated and I showed a new friend the piece of the Berlin Wall, we walked over the Key Bridge, checked out the exorcist stairs and we all met up again. It was the beginning of a great day as well as a new relationship. The relationship fizzled but not for lack of an awesome first date that ended up lasting about twelve hours.

I had been over the Key Bridge several times when I was in High School. The Fall after graduation I bought a Jeep Wrangler. I will never forget driving around town with the Jeep’s top down and feeling the change in temperature in different areas. The city was so much warmer than the suburbs but what I found incredible that night was when I drove over this bridge. I looked up into the night sky illuminated by the bridge's classic street lights. The air was crisp and the sight was amazingly beautiful. I think this was when I first fell in love with the Key Bridge.