I've got nothing but time...

April 25, 2011 6:17 PM

What would you do with 2 months and $2000?

It's my summer vacation.

I currently live in DC and have about 2 months here before I move to Sacramento to start a new job.

What should I do to fill my time? What would you do if you had unlimited time, but only about $2000 to spend? These can be DC-specific or not. Hobbies and free things to do encouraged. Limitations: no car.

Tomorrow is my first day of being unemployed. Help me enjoy it.

posted by brynna to Work & Money (27 answers total)

The responsible part of me is saying save the $2,000 and get a part time job, then spend the earnings on your fun during the other part of your day.

The fun part of me says hop some trains from DC and do some day / overnight trips to some cities off the train line.
posted by thorny at 6:26 PM on April 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

If you're not in good shape get into shape by walking everywhere. Go to all the museums you haven't been to, or haven't been to in a while. If you have a yard plant some vegetables. Learn how to sew and make yourself a new wardrobe. Throw lots of potluck dinner parties for all the friends you're gonna miss. Sort through all of your stuff and give presents to your friends. Volunteer for some community organization. Find cheap or free classes to take. Have fun!
posted by mareli at 6:27 PM on April 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

You have two argument days for the Supreme Court coming up tomorrow and Wednesday! I wish I had skipped a day of work to go to one before I moved. Go to any Smithsonian you haven't been seen yet. The American History Museum was awesome! Take a road trip with a friend on the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you're super ambitious, you can hit up Monticello while you're in VA. Hit up a Saturday matinee at the Kennedy Center.

That should get you through the next week.... You're making me miss the DC area!
posted by bessel functions seem unnecessarily complicated at 6:28 PM on April 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

Go work on a farm.
posted by ged at 6:30 PM on April 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Volunteer. Learn an instrument (or get better at one).
posted by xtine at 6:32 PM on April 25, 2011

What is the DC equivalent of NYC's MOMA? When I lived in New York, I lusted and dreamed of the day I could take all their amazing members' classes and attend the ample free movie nights. Check out the museums in D.C....I'm reasonable sure a single membership will be less than $100, and opens up a huge range of really interesting learning opportunities...and chances to meet new people! Don't forget, when you leave (and there are 50 weeks left on the membership card) ... pass it on for someone else to enjoy!

I also emphatically second the "walk everywhere" advice.
posted by keasby at 6:46 PM on April 25, 2011

Please tell me you've been to all the Smithsonians...

I'd suggest making an adventure out of visiting local-owned shops and restaurants. No chains. I've started doing this at home and really have begun to appreciate what my city has to offer.
posted by Wossname at 7:00 PM on April 25, 2011

Invest in 200,000 penny ($0.01) stocks.
posted by knilstad at 7:17 PM on April 25, 2011

If I had no local responsibilities, I'd go and live in huts on the beaches of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and similar. Other than getting there, it can be done very cheaply.
posted by wackybrit at 7:20 PM on April 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

I would: try to see as much of the US as possible, hitchhike or bus to strange and exciting locations, sleep in hostels or couchsurf, meet strange and exciting people.
posted by matlock expressway at 7:43 PM on April 25, 2011

Thailand.
posted by Jacqueline at 7:44 PM on April 25, 2011

I'd probably spend the time and money updating my wardrobe, catching up on my reading, and perfecting numerous baked goods.
posted by Logic Sheep at 7:48 PM on April 25, 2011

Best answer: I might spend some time on a rented or second hand bike, or go fishing.
posted by paulsc at 7:59 PM on April 25, 2011

Best answer: Sacramento's a helluva lot cheaper than DC. Why not move there early and explore California? If you can't, then go hang at the Eastern Shore and eat all those crabs you won't see again.
posted by Ideefixe at 8:11 PM on April 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: I can't move until July because of my lease.

Fishing, crabs, walking, baking. These are all great suggestions! Keep them coming, please! I do have 2 months to fill...
posted by brynna at 8:17 PM on April 25, 2011

Do you have to stay in DC? With $2,000 to burn, you could have a great 6-8 traveling somewhere like the aforementioned Thailand or Guatemala.
posted by lunasol at 8:49 PM on April 25, 2011

*Make that 6-8 weeks.
posted by lunasol at 8:49 PM on April 25, 2011

Buy a car.
posted by joannemullen at 9:02 PM on April 25, 2011

Hop on a bike and get thee to Sacramento. Si se puede. It's a great way to get yourself familiar with these United States. You wake up every day and go for a bike ride, that's all.

Contact me if you have logistical questions.
posted by aniola at 11:15 PM on April 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Can you get a subletter?
posted by aniola at 11:16 PM on April 25, 2011

I'm sitting here in Sacramento thinking that unless you have a list of Must Sees before departing DC, I'd come out here early. The cost of living here is hella cheaper and it's a great jumping off point for Yosemite, the Sierras, Coastal California, Northern Nevada/the Great Basin, San Francisco et cetera et cetera.
posted by gov_moonbeam at 11:16 PM on April 25, 2011

Unlimited time? Go to Baltimore for a few days; if you go during the week, you can take the MARC from Union Station. I think the Chinatown buses go there, too. Check out the American Visionary Art Museum, Red Emma's bookstore, eat a crab cake at Faidley's in Lexington Market, see the original Washington Monument, check out the aquarium...

In DC, try the weirder museums - Textile (Dupont) or Building (uh, Judiciary?) Get to know some new neighborhoods - walk around the new Navy Yard development and Barracks Row, see all of the wards, check out Silver Spring and Takoma, try the Capital Crescent trail. Embassy Days are coming up in May, and that's all free. There's a ton of outdoor movies coming up; I like the ones in NoMa. One of the DC blogs had a roundup, but I can't find it. Find all the public art in DC or the lesser known statues. Bar trivia is usually free plus whatever you drink, but a PBR is $2-3. (The Wonderland and Argonaut are the best; City Paper did an article this week.)
posted by quadrilaterals at 7:34 AM on April 26, 2011

Oh, also the Arboretum and Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens should be lovely now.
posted by quadrilaterals at 7:35 AM on April 26, 2011

Your lease doesn't keep you from leaving early.
posted by mhoye at 7:35 AM on April 26, 2011

Response by poster: I rent a bedroom in a 2-bedroom place and my roommate is very particular and would not be happy with a random subletter. Otherwise, that's exactly what I would do.

Thailand sounds amazing. What other countries are cheap and beautiful in May?
posted by brynna at 9:06 AM on April 26, 2011

I'd go to some beach in latin / south america and learn to surf and eat bananas and coconuts.
posted by WeekendJen at 10:00 AM on April 26, 2011

Best answer: This obviously might not apply to you, but hey, you asked: I'd write some songs, rehearse them with some friends, and go into a studio to record them.
posted by troywestfield at 6:16 AM on April 27, 2011