I just tried out something I’ve been meaning to do for a while: took a nice Trip to Washington DC’s incredible free zoo, just a few miles from home. So long as you can hold yourself together in public I highly recommend it.

I made some journal entries, transcribed below. Italics are post-trip annotations:

Welp, did acid on the spur of the moment again about 20 minutes ago (12:45 PM). In the metro now heading to the zoo.

-1:07 PM

I think going for a walk in the come-up is a great idea. It distracts you and uses up the nervous energy. Now I’m on the train. I should always timestamp my journal entries. Maybe put the date at beginning? Food for thought.

-1:10 PM

I keep a journal, but usually just date the entries. Usually don’t write this many per day.

I keep forgetting to write down that I sometimes see Matrix style psychedelic colored sheets of mysterious symbols covering the world.

-1:58 PM

I feel like such a writer, sitting here with my journal, looking off into space with a serious look on my face. Actually tripping.

-2 PM

Just saw some pandas. Writing in the journal feels like an alibi. I’ve had some great interactions with kids. They’re just so excited about the animals! Trippiness building.

-2:25 PM

I feel like I’m getting life in concentrate. The Zoo is such a perfect place to trip! It’s all little kids with parents or nannies. If I’m ever responsible for a child I will take it to the zoo all the time. Colors are really separating – lots of psychedelic tones, which I guess just means the sort of thing you see when you take acid.

-2:38 PM

Children are on a similar plane to acid takers. A nice old volunteer told me all about zebras cheetahs and I gave him a nice compliment.

-3:06 PM

Talking to this guy was slightly challenging, but luckily I could just stare at the cheetah pacing around if needed.

I don’t hallucinate onto animals. They are too busy being themselves. The fact that I’m hallucinating a lot suggests that that didn’t make sense.

-3:17 PM

Obvious metaphor: if humans were kept in a zoo, what would the guidelines for proper treatment be?

-3:32 PM

I’m sitting at what I guess is usually an enclosure for otters or something. Now it’s a nice waterfall. The trip state is like you’re seeing the pattern in something, and then you take out the original so you can only see the pattern. Oh my god I’m writing angsty journal entries! I’m a (insert negative stereotype of people who are too in touch with their feelings here)

Started to write ‘teenage girl’, replaced it with something more self-conscious

It might be my role in society to become a very normal seeming person. I guess the question is what’s the meaning of life?

-4:01 PM

I didn’t realize how many childhood memories I had from the zoo! I just saw somebody walk by and not notice a tiger.

When I was a toddler my mother would take me to this same zoo all the time, certain enclosures are incredibly familiar on a subconscious level.

We shouldn’t assume animals are fooled by their cages. It’s crazy how much they’re aware of / reacting to when you watch them closely. The design of not just the enclosure, but how it interacts with the outside, and the whole design of the zoo must be considered.

-4:08 PM

I was watching this King Cobra as it stared hungrily at the small children passing its cage.

I’m trying to sit on a bench

-4:21 PM

Knowing more about me will make them like me more. True of everything?

-4:23 PM

To elaborate: I was feeling awkward around the other zoo-goers and thinking that I had to hide the fact that I was tripping, but if they actually understood what the deal was they’d be fine with it.

I’m watching gorillas. They’re watching us.

It’s so crazy that we have gorillas in zoos, being in the area with them is bizarre. I am on the inside of a ring of connected gorilla rooms, all the walls facing me are clear. Ultimately I’m basically hanging out in a room with some gorillas. They are a whole little community, collectively dealing with the people who come through.

-4:34 PM

Story idea: relationship between alien observers -scribble- Gorillas!

Basically just a human zoo concept, but with the twist of being there for a long time and having this whole little community, and that the zoo-goers aren’t really bad guys, and end up bonding with the humans.

I can’t believe everyone doesn’t come to the zoo all the time.

Human community of nannies kids parents bonding with gorilla community, they get each other in a way neither gets the organization

-4:38 PM

Are human eyes evolved to be expressive?

-5:08 PM

We look at something’s eyes to see where it’s looking / what it’s thinking. Human eyes have big whites around the iris so it’s easier to do this. Coincidence?

There’s a difficulty where,

… where I get distracted and don’t finish sentences? Yes.

You see all these crazy symbols.

I like the metro. It doesn’t suck like assholes think it does. I’m on team metro against team not metro.

-5:20 PM

Heading home by this point clearly.

The sense of “Oh, it’s too bad I don’t have bigger sense organs”

-5:25 PM

Sunset right down the street angles! over time, it’s nicer than it was

-5:34 PM

Watching a spectacular sunset. The last time I tripped I watched it from the same place, but it was harder to get a good look because it was blocked by a building. Now the Earth has spun around and moved through space and whatnot, and the angles work out much better!

I left home with $2 in my pocket.

I came back with $1 and 3 of the 4 lollipops I bought with my other $1.

Oh yeah, while I was walking to the zoo I bought 4 lollipops for a dollar from… a gypsy?

-5:52 PM

Nice little sum up. Figured I’d end here rather than subject y’all to the next 6 hours of journal entries once I got home. Those can be found in the next post.

TL:DR;

Took a nice trip to the zoo.

Continued here