Yesterday morning was a little harsh. We left at around 9:00 and our breath was taken away by the 13 degree air that....erg....welcomed us? We braced ourselves against the wind and headed toward the Falls Church bus station. We ended up at the metro station that would take us into the capitol, Washington DC. We waited there for about 20 minutes while John got us our metro passes and Austin and Kendall interviewed Eugene. Eugene is a metro security guard that has been working in DC for more than 30 years! We watched him in disbelief, as our toes and fingers froze, while he told us about his father taking him to the March in Washington when he was 16. It's amazing that the people you walk by everyday have such incredible stories.
Within in the next 45 minutes we were scrambling to get our coffees and scones at Starbucks. We relaxed for a minute while our bodies thawed out and our spirits were boosted............we were ready to start! We made our way to Union Station where we were met by Lucy and Mark Connolly, tour guides for the historical site as well as fellow Santa Barbarians. Our jaws dropped at the sheer hugeness of the place as well as its story. Mark Connolly first went to Union Station in 1987 and he described it as being "...ankle deep in water. The only thing living in sight was mushrooms." If that is true, Union Station sure has come a long way! We walked around admiring the beautiful architecture and Roman statues. Part of the station is actually used as a train station and others are used as shopping centers, food courts and event rooms. It was incredible walking around in the station and it was great to see people from back home.
We then quickly ran from the warmth and back out onto the streets of DC, heading toward the Capitol. As we were walking, John dared Harrison to jump over one of the blockades that was in the middle of the sidewalk. Of course, being Harrison, he accepted and assured us all that he would make it over like a pro.....well, it didn't go quite as he had planned. I told him to wait so that I could catch his awesomeness on film, but instead I got America's Funniest Home Video. His gloves slipped and sent him flying. Of course, we all rushed to his side, but in a few minutes when we watched the video, we realized how funny it was. Even Harrison was laughing! When we had pulled ourselves together, we walked into the Capitol. We were ushered through security and into a group for a tour. It was awesome! We walked through the Rotunda, the Crypt, and several other historical rooms. It was beautiful. Then, the highlight of the day, for me at least, Ben's Chili Bowl.
Immediately, we knew that this was the place for the Teen Press. It was PACKED, with people of all colors, shapes and sizes. The cooks behind the counter were laughing and singing their hearts out. We sat down, ordering and smiling at the pictures of the owners with Bill Cosby, Hilary Clinton, Bono, and many more. After we had eaten, we started a conga line through the restaurant....a big hit. On our way out, Sophie and I stood on a chair in the middle of the room and asked for everyones attention. We requested a big "YES WE CAN" from everyone in the restaurant, and by George, we got it. It was amazing.
Today was such a great experience, seeing the hope and excitement of the people. We were surrounded by "Obama"s....on posters, hats, even the sides of sunglasses. In the metro stations, there were all sorts of plays on Obama's campaign logo. It was incredible, and I am so happy to see that there are so many others that are sharing the joy of having Barack Obama as our President-Elect. WE THE PEOPLE
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