The Inauguration Trip

Hey guys! I'm back from Washington, D.C.!!! I'm going to try to make this a "quicker" post... I'm so exhausted! This will be my last post as a 26 year old, so hopefully I can make it a good one. :)

Well, we left Flint around the time expected... I wasn't sure that I'd know anyone on the bus, but if only that were the case! I ended up getting buddied up with a girl that I'll call Kate... Kate and I went to elementary and high school together, and she went to college with me too (although we had no classes together.) So anyhow, that seems cool, right? Well, except for that fact that Kate has always gotten on my last nerve! I mean, I clearly remember at 11 years old being annoyed to death by the girl. You'd think over the years we'd have both grown and would be more mature, right? Ha... not quite. Kate is one of those people who is a total know it all without knowing much, and that pretty much sums up why she drives me batty! The whole way to D.C. I had to hear her talking to anyone and everyone (did I mention she's also kind of fake acting? Yeah, that too...), and she kept asking me dumb questions or making dumb comments.

Such as "I bet the Obamas will never go to church again... I mean, it would be just too hard for the secret service to check every one of those bibles, and the chairs, and the pews..." (My internal dialogue was screaming "You are an idiot! Stop talking!") and "I can't believe that lake isn't frozen over... why do you suppose it isn't frozen over, Tammy?" (Did I mention she insists on calling me by my childhood nickname? Yeah it bugs the crap out of me.) My response was "That's not a lake, it's a river." Her reply then was "What? A river in Washington, D.C.? Are you sure it's not a lake?" My response was "No. It's not a lake. It's the POTOMAC."

LOL So that was that... and our bus driver was this ancient old man who would slam on the brakes constantly, and kept the heat at a balmy 95 degrees (or so it felt!), so we were all uncomfortable and had to beg this man on more than one occasion to turn the heat down! Ah, needless to say, I've gotten little sleep inbetween Monday and today. (Which, by the way, when I'm done with this post, I'm going to brush my teeth and go straight to bed!)

On the way there we stopped a few times, and the rest stops were filled with people who were on their way to D.C. There were lots of black people, which was kind of exciting because well, when you're brown, you just don't expect to see a lot of other brown people where ever you go, especially in random god-only-knows-where-we-are rest stops. But everyone was so excited and friendly, and it was a really cool experience.

When we finally got there I was so excited to get off the bus! We got to D.C. around 5:30 am, and were basically let off the bus to do what we wanted to do. We immediately made our way to the National Mall... but with all the people and crowds it took us almost 2 hours to get there on foot! (It was about a 2 and a half mile walk.) We settled in at the National Mall only to realize that our hands felt like they were going to freeze off! We then looked for warming tents and found they were only for handicap use! Which was great that they had them for the handicapped, but it didn't help us very much! We ended up standing in line for over an hour at one of the Smithsonians just to be allowed to go in and warm up. I'm not kidding, by that time, my feet were so cold, they had stopped burning and just went numb. I was almost in tears... I really thought I was going to get frostbite! Let me tell you, they hurt quite a bit when I was finally able to warm up! After this, a friend found an extra pack of toe warmers in her bag, and let me use them... they were these little adhesive pads you stuck to the bottom of your socks that got hot when exposed to air... they were amazing! They produced heat for about 6 hours... heaven!

We warmed up for a bit at the Smithsonian, and made our way back out to the National Mall at about 11:15, just in time for the inauguration. We watched it on the jumbo-tron, waving our flags and cheering! It was such a cool experience. Everyone was so happy, and everyone was chanting "O-BAM-A! O-BAM-A!!!" When Obama was being sworn in, I couldn't help but shed a quick tear. I had no idea it would be so powerful and emotional, but it certainly was an amazing moment! It still feels rather surreal, honestly!

After this, we wanted to go to the parade, but unfortunately they made it to where if you went to the National Mall to watch the inauguration, you couldn't do the parade, and vice versa. That kind of sucked, but well, it was what it was. I really wanted to meet up with a couple of friends, but cell phone service (even texting) was pretty non-existent, so that wasn't able to happen. I instead walked around with Kate and the friend who gave me the heavenly toe warmers, and we explored some of the city, picking up souvenirs here and there, and finally finding a non-crowded place for lunch. The one thing I like about Washington D.C. is that for the most part, it's pretty easy to find your way around, and the city is very walker friendly. You don't really need to take a taxi anywhere, as long as you're willing to walk a bit.

Anyhow... that pretty much sums up my time! I mean, I could go in to a bit more detail, but I don't really know what else to say, especially being so tired right now. Plus, I feel like I might be picking up a bit of a cold (already started the Zicam... I do not want to be super ill on my birthday!). Oh yes, and my ankles are currently swollen to about twice their normal size... that's what 12 hours of walking will get you, especially when it is followed by about 14 hours sitting on a bus with you feet underneath you! LOL I am such a mess today, I've had both my feet wrapped in ace bandages, elevated, with ice, and taking ibuprofen to help with the swelling. I've been using my own first aid skills on myself, which I personally find humorous. Even with the annoying-ness of Kate, the hot bus, the possible cold, and the swollen ankles... ha, I still had an incredible experience and wouldn't miss have missed it for the world!

Tomorrow I'll see about posting the videos via Youtube... I did post on Facebook.