Inauguration on the Mall

This past weekend, I drove down to DC with my brother and a friend to go see Inauguration and the events leading up to it. The trip started in typical Julia fashion with a last-minute change in plans when we learned that there would be a concert on Sunday... so we jumped in the car a few hours later, driving down through the night and taking turns sleeping. We barely snuck out of New England before a snowstorm tore through, dumping 18 inches of fresh powder on top of the piles of snow already here.

We checked in with the family friend we were staying with and hopped on the bus from her house, chatting with a Georgetown student as we journeyed into the city (We bumped into him again on our way home, actually. It was amazing how many faces we saw multiple times amidst the crowds). The masses were gathering quickly on the mall and we found ourselves nearly a mile from the Lincoln memorial and stage, in front of a massive screen behind the reflecting pool. The crowd was electric. Not only was a historic moment on the brink of becoming reality; an all-star cast of American icons was present to welcome and celebrate it. The camaraderie in the crowd was beautiful as often surprising speakers and unexpected performers showed up, one after another, to offer their services to the celebration of our country and its hopeful new direction.

The next day we relaxed, recharging our batteries for another couple of big days and connecting with two friends in the area. Sarah Zahner, one of my fellow road-trippers from my first drive to Oregon, found us in the evening and joined us for the rest of our DC visit. We enjoyed the eccentric company of our host, Cynthia. She, a generation or two older than us, benefited (I think) from our youthful energy and decided to come downtown with us for Inauguration after all. Along the way, she told us stories of witnessing MLK’s famous speech decades before. We got an early start and crammed on a crowded bus, taking it as far as we could before the roads closed. The steady trickle of people quickly became a swollen crowd that poured onto the mall and surrounding areas, cheering and chatting happily despite the wind’s icy bite.

Inauguration was over in a blur- waves of cheers washed over and past us as the speech reached the ears of all. I am a bit of an Obama skeptic myself, concerned that there is no way this one man can live up to all expectations and titles that have been given him. The political world is one I tend to avoid in general. But I was very impressed with his inaugural address. It wasn’t just a conglomeration of previous sound bites or hollow promises. I felt his ability to inspire us into becoming greater, more responsible Americans more tangibly than I ever had before.

The journey to DC was well worth it, even though it included my first road-trip breakdown: two flat tires on the interstate at 1am that evening! We finally made it home safe and sound, for which I am thankful, as well as for having the chance to witness such a historic event.