What Will October Bring?
Don’t worry! I’ll be back before you know it. Credit: Unsplash
As many of you know, I am taking a break for the entire month of October. I know that’s a long time, but believe me, it is much needed. Ya girl has been overworking herself! While I am relaxing and recharging, I do plan to spend time with family and friends, catch up on a few hobbies, and explore a bit. And honestly, the exploration is the part that I’m most excited about.
I want to go to DC to revisit the National Museum of African American History and Culture because I feel like I didn’t get to see everything. I also want to return to that amazing restaurant to stuff my face. The food was so good that I bought their cookbook. In general, I need to experience this place again, so I can get a better sense of it.
There are also a few art exhibits that open later this month, so I’m excited about that. Tawny Chatmon’s exhibition has caught my eye, and I plan to go to the National Museum of Women in the Arts to see it. There are several others, but I am not sure which ones I’ll see. I can’t do everything. I’m just one person after all.
However, out of all of the places that I plan to visit, I’m most excited about the gay bars. I already have a couple of places in mind, and in case you are wondering, yes, I will take pictures, notes, and share my experiences with you once I’ve returned. I promise!
A few weeks ago, I went to my favorite restaurant to have my usual drink, a cosmopolitan, and eat a little something. Sometime after sipping on my drink, a man came inside and sat at the bar a few seats away from me. Many people, including staff, said their hellos and asked how he was doing, so I could tell he was a regular, at the very least. Then, he started talking to a woman next to him about how well operations were going at one of the gay bars in the area.
Now, you know me. I was totally eavesdropping. I had to know which place he was talking about.
He often gives regulars free drinks, which upsets the owner, but he absolutely doesn’t care. He just wants to show his appreciation and make sure people keep coming back. Then, he talked about an end-of-month event that’ll supposedly have a good turnout and how much he was looking forward to it.
This is when I told myself, “Hmm! I should ask him about that,” because I need to get out more, and what’s a better way to get out than going to a bar full of gays? So, I asked him which bar he was talking about because I wanted to find a place where I could meet other queer people.
Thankfully for me, he was more than willing to divulge that information, along with the best times to go, the kinds of people there, events, and more. He truly piqued my interest, especially when he said that Monday through Wednesday is best for introverts. So, I am definitely going to check out this bar, and not just Monday through Wednesday. I’m going to be a brave girl and go on the weekend as well.
Just last week, I was picking up some food and passed by a gay bar that I thought was exclusively for men, only to find that there were women there, too. The place was packed! Unfortunately, I don’t remember if this was during the week or on the weekend, but either way, this bar is popular. I want to check this one out as well while I’m on hiatus.
So yeah, I have some things I want to do and some places I want to go. I won’t be sitting at home the entire time. I’m keeping the promise I made to myself at the beginning of this journey: get out more and meet Black queer people. Wish me luck, and I’ll see you guys in November. Peace, love, and happiness!
