Asking for Directions

It can be hard to find your destination in DC. The Capitol building is dead center and everything branches out from there in to four quadrants. So it’s really important to know what quadrant the address is in - NE, SE, NW, SW - because the same named street can be found in more than one quadrant. Ironically we had two people ask us for directions this morning while we were taking our usual promenade. One person was heading south towards us on First Avenue right by Capitol South Metro. He asked if we could help him find fourth street - but it was NW - in the opposite direction he was heading. For whatever reason he didn’t have a phone with google maps so I looked it up. Rather than explain, we told him we were walking in that direction anyway. So we chatted and learned he just came in town yesterday from Miami and needed to do some business at this address. When we got to Union Station we parted ways with four blocks more for him to go heading west. On our way home we were stopped by a car asking if we could help another person find Oklahoma Avenue NE. This person had a phone but it wasn’t working. So I looked up her address and she had a ways to go but needed only to make two right turns. I hope they both made it to their final destinations. When I worked at the Library of Congress I would take walks in the hallways in the afternoon to stretch my legs. It was not uncommon for people to ask me for directions. My husband and I must look like locals, or maybe approachable. Either way, we were glad to help.