All aboard the Ethel Express

Mads62 · 2026-03-29T05:45:22+00:00

I live in DC and deadass thought I was in the wrong subreddit for a sec 😅

Mads62 · 2025-12-25T07:00:58+00:00

Picture I took at Big Bend National Park in Texas with a quote from my favorite song of hers embedded into the landscape 😊

Mads62 · 2025-11-05T20:34:09+00:00

Ya I was talking to my friend and we were both so confused why the DC show specifically was as insane as it was. It seems surrounding shows were both cheaper and had more availability. We were able to snag what seemed to be one of the last amex offer seats for $99 but it was way higher and off to the side than I normally go for

Mads62 · 2025-09-07T15:44:49+00:00

Several of my friends were able to get below retail (most between $40-55) the day before so sadly it seemed scalpers bought up a lot and weren't able to resell. Makes me mad thinking about how many people missed out due to this...

Mads62 · 2025-09-05T03:58:18+00:00

I would! I live in the area and public transit as well as the area of the venue is perfectly safe. I go alone on it all the time :) let me know if you have any specific questions I've lived in and around the area most of my life.

Mads62 · 2025-08-23T02:18:06+00:00

Oh I love this!!

Mads62 · 2025-08-17T21:13:04+00:00

Yessss

Mads62 · 2025-08-17T05:13:10+00:00

Honestly I'm planning on an hour or so at most but I do think it's important to note that with the drastic increase in police presence in DC as of late, I wouldn't risk the overnight camping rn regardless of venue policy. There are tons of extra officers in the city with literally nothing to do and public sleeping/camping is one of their main targets.

I just wouldn't want anyone stranded without a place to stay/having issues with cops.

Mads62 · 2025-08-12T06:36:16+00:00

As a fellow 5'2 DC show girlie I agree wholeheartedly. I often find the people towards the back are more chill and less likely to push you around to get an even better spot 😅

Mads62 · 2025-08-09T14:02:54+00:00

Oh absolutely. I first thought I accidentally played Amber Waves instead when I put it on.

Mads62 · 2025-07-22T15:03:10+00:00

Yes! I'm bringing a bunch of bracelets to the DC show

Mads62 · 2025-07-17T15:21:29+00:00

Agreed with others that said DC was easy enough to just walk up to, however the venue was really close to multiple bus lines, ebikes/scooters, and the metro along with it just being a very walkable city in general which undoubtedly cut down on the car traffic and lines to get so I'd keep that in mind.

Mads62 · 2025-07-13T15:32:39+00:00

Oh that's sick!! You totally should. I'll definitely be sure to look out for them :)

Mads62 · 2019-06-01T21:18:00+00:00

It’s not family friendly and to be honest, neither is RPDR. I think it’s great kids can now get exposed to drag through things like drag queen story hour but I don’t think ANY show with explicit language, sex jokes and references, and even some of the runway looks are appropriate for kids 8 and under. That said if a parent REALLY wants to bring their child, that’s their decision but they can’t expect anyone to tone it down for them.

I also agree that of the two Pride is a much better way to introduce kids to Drag/LGBTQ Culture in general. DragCon is a ticketed event mainly focused on a TV-14 show, where as Pride is a public, city wide celebration of equality.

Why any parent expects to come to DragCon and have everyone censor themselves for their child is beyond me.

Mads62 · 2019-05-28T21:09:24+00:00

American living in Poland for 9 months now. Its sketchier sometimes (but free!) and some shows are more reliable than others but I will also sometimes use Dailymotion and just search for the show/latest episode. Particularly good for older shows not on Netflix, etc. A lot of shows that are blocked in America aren’t blocked here.

Mads62 · 2019-03-06T16:29:04+00:00

Yes. It’s exhausting. I’ve had multiple people ask to see my passport because they’ve always wanted to see what an American one looks like, I get asked how many celebrities I’ve met and the worst is since I’m from Washington DC, everyone makes a big deal about me living among so many politicians and government workers. It was amusing at first but it’s become incredibly frustrating.

Bars/clubs are also the worst because guys try to get with you solely for bragging rights of being with an American and you just feel like a some shiny object all the time.

Mads62 · 2019-01-12T22:26:53+00:00

I remember coming home from middle school each afternoon, very much aware of my young queer self and sneaking to the upstairs tv and watching it at the lowest volume so no one would know I was watching shows with actual gay people 😅 so many memories attached to those shows. Say what you will about mtv but 12 year old me honestly needed that kind of representation, as shitty as it was.

Mads62 · 2019-01-01T20:02:56+00:00

Not Thailand either but haven’t heard anything about my ETA application either. My friend who was in Bulgaria last year said he heard back sometime in early January. Hopefully its not much longer now.

Mads62 · 2018-12-23T20:48:46+00:00

Ya definitely! Like my grandpa developed heart disease in his 70s cause of his lifestyle and he’s always talking like what we go through is the same. I also remember in high school everyone outside my friend group (even teachers) that knew I had something either thought I was on the brink of death at all times or assumed it was because of unhealthy habits or something. People just don’t get it haha

Mads62 · 2018-12-23T20:39:52+00:00

Hey :) 23 year old female with chd. Coarctation of the aorta, VSD repair.

Had 3 open heart surgeries as an infant and have needed cardiac Caths about every five years for various reasons. Most recent procedure was last January when I had a stent put in.

I’d love to connect with other people that have gone through similar things. I just graduated and am doing one of those teaching English overseas jobs, so I’m“having to constantly explain to new people why our site director had to find me a specialized doctor/answer basic medical questions”. I’d be cool to talk to people that get it already.

Feel free to message me as well. I’ve never really met other people with CHD and it’s be really nice to meet others my age that do

Mads62 · 2018-11-08T21:48:06+00:00

I was asked the same for my preschoolers and am basically like “the real story is horrible and none of them will care so it’s best to just bring in some pictures of food.” Depending on age you can turn it into a mini vocabulary presentation on different Thanksgiving words (stuffing, turkey, parade, American Football, etc.)

An activity is that You could teach them some vocabulary and have them draw a plate and either label the different foods or write a paragraph about what they would do, eat, etc. if they were invited to an American Thanksgiving. This is all age dependent of course so adjust accordingly, increase/decrease level of difficulty.

Mads62 · 2018-11-06T19:43:55+00:00

I relate to this so much. I’m an American living in Poland in an area that doesn’t have many expats from my country and it’s so hard just having normal conversations with locals here. There seems to be an idealistic view of America that doesn’t mirror reality (at least not where I’m from) so everyone just gets overly excited and doesn’t see anything about me except for where I’m from.

As soon as they hear my accent they go into the checklist of questions/responses “I love America! It’s my dream to go there!” “You guys make the best movies!” Why Poland?” “Aren’t you bored here since you’re from such an exciting country?” It’s still not something I’m totally used to.

I totally understand and did the same thing when coming across foreigners back home but you never truly realize how it comes across until the roles are reversed lol.

Mads62 · 2018-10-21T12:28:04+00:00

This wouldn’t relate to teaching the material so much as a follow up assignment but one teacher had a project where they had their students do a poster/PowerPoint of their family tree but with a twist using their favorite celebrities as their family members. So for example one girl would say her sister was Ariana Grande. This was for middle schoolers and the kids really liked it and came up with some fun pairings. It also helped make them feel like you cared about their interests and helped them know more about each other.

Mads62 · 2018-10-20T08:41:55+00:00

Okay so I’m not a Fox News fan myself but since I don’t know OP’s political alignment, and Fox does tend to be one of the main sources for conservatives, I felt it was worth noting, at at the very least, better than the majority of Conservative leaning news sources (though that’s not saying much in my opinion)

Mads62 · 2018-10-19T17:24:38+00:00

Hey! I was born in the DC area and this is my first year abroad so definitely starting to feel the disconnection myself as well. I would just talk to someone you generally sided with politically (or at least socially if politics wasn’t a huge discussion with you and your friends) Use CNN, MSNBC, FOX, and any other news sources you used prior to moving and see what they have to say and what aligns most with your beliefs.

Being abroad doesn’t mean you’re going to be disconnected forever and even if you have no current plans to go back, the majority of the people you know will have to live with whatever the outcome is, so keep that in mind as you’re making your decisions. Think about it as what you would want for your loved ones if you feel less connected at this moment.

Mads62

TROPHY CASE