This weekend, I went to the Drake concert in Washington D.C. with my boyfriend.
It almost didn’t happen. Friday afternoon, on the way to D.C. my car broke down in Ashland, Virginia.
It’s funny because my boyfriend and I actually opted to use my car for the drive down instead of his because we were worried about his car giving us troubles.
Funny how life goes.
Anyways, the Drake concert wasn’t the only reason we came down.
My best friend’s boyfriend proposed!
leading up to the drake concert
A few weeks prior I received a text from my best friend’s now fiancé.
He told me his plans and I let him know I’d be there when he popped the question.
Fast forward the night before our drive down and I get a call from Miracle (my bestie), she had just gotten her hair done and hated it.
Surely, I thought, she was just exaggerating. But unfortunately, she wasn’t….
Thankfully she was able to get an appointment somewhere else the next day, and the stylist who did her hair originally agreed to redo it a few days later.
the day before the drake concert
It’s finally the Friday before the show.
My boyfriend and I had both taken off and were excited to hit the road.
After picking him up from the train station, filling up the car and grabbing a quick bite to eat we began our drive to D.C.
I’m playing passenger princess, blasting Drake of course and doing my makeup feeling good knowing that I’m in for a lit weekend.
We were making good time; Miracle was still at the salon which meant we both had a minute to decompress at the hotel before her boyfriend popped the question.
Then the car broke down
We make it to Ashland around 3:30 and traffic was stop and go.
A few moments earlier, my boyfriend Jeremy mentions something about the car lagging, but I don’t really listen. I’m just ready to get out and stretch my legs.
Traffic starts to move a bit but when he taps his foot on the gas, the car doesn’t move.
We’re both slightly panicked because we’re sitting in the middle lane and the car isn’t going anywhere.
I take the risk and lean over to turn the car off then on again.
It worked! We inch towards the shoulder, turn the car off and call roadside assistance.
help is on the way
I call my aunt who was only about 30 minutes away in Richmond.
She arrives before the tow truck does but it’s a beautiful escape from the 101 July heat we were baking in.
Step one: find an auto shop the tow truck can take the car.
At this point I’m on the brink of tears!
My best friend is a few hours away from her proposal and I’m not going to make it.
I don’t think I’ll ever get over that, but I know this will be a story we tell for years to come.
My aunt finds a mechanic that wasn’t too far away but the soonest they could look at it would be Monday.
At this point we must take what we can get, so my aunt drives us to an enterprise where we pick up a rental and make the most of our trip.
the lyle hotel
We finally make it to our hotel and to my surprise, our room was upgraded…look at God!
I wasn’t expecting to be staying in a premier king suite with a kitchenette.
The boutique hotel is situated in Dupont Circle neighborhood in Washington D.C. I loved the vibe and the service was impeccable.
Everyone was friendly and greeted you with a warm smile. I’ll be back and next time, I’ll actually have dinner at Lyle’s instead of ordering it for the room.
We had every intention of making it to their happy hour, everything is $10, but the whole car situation ruined that for us, so we ended up meeting the newly engaged couple at Dlena.
If you go to Dlena, you have to try the short rib tacos…thank me later.
the day of the drake concert
The day of the concert we sleep in and meet up with Miracle for a double date at Smoke and Mirrors.
Here, they give you complimentary sparkling rose. Our waiter also kept the mimosas coming! (For the free!)
The food was also good, I got my usual shrimp and grits.
After brunch we took pictures and headed back to the room to freshen up before doing some light shopping.
Of course, as soon as we make it to Zara, the rain comes, and we’re stuck until the storm passes.
But there are totally way worse places to be trapped!
When we made it back to the hotel and ordered burgers from the restaurant downstairs and got ready for the show.
drake concert: it was all a blur
We walked a few blocks to find the metro and made our way into the Capital One Arena.
The show was great and I’m glad I got to experience it with Jeremy. He’s a big Drake fan.
I feel like the tour’s title is fitting for the experience we had our first time together in D.C.
Even though my car broke down, I missed my bestie’s proposal and we got caught in the rain….I’ll never forget these moments.
Related Content: What to do in New Orleans French Quarter
