What a (4-day) weekend! The city was on a high all weekend. I felt like a kid at Christmas. Even the media lovingly called the day before inauguration "Inauguration Eve." Fitting because it felt like Christmas eve. Or maybe the night before prom. Or the night before going to get my drivers license.
D.C. was like a bee hive buzzing with activity. Buses and limousines were everywhere. Darkened cars and motorcades seemed to roll by every few hours. Police and the national guard were on every street, riding on motorcycles and horses. AK-47s were displayed. Snipers patrolled by rooftops.
The energy was everywhere and what was so amazing was that it was even more positive than normal. The energy was what drew me to D.C., yet the feeling in the air over the weekend was like that energy on steroids. Crowds were everywhere!! Traffic was bumper to bumper. People were in suits, donned Obama gear (sweatshirts, hats, scarves, buttons... you name it and it had Obama on it), wore tuxedos and gowns, and were all smiles. I didn't see one fight break out. Despite the congestion and slower pace due to the crowds, no one seemed annoyed. We were a sea of humanity. Languages and accents were everywhere. German, southern, French, northern, Mandarin, Afrikan... it seemed like all ends of the earth were here. Everyone wanted a taste of history.
Wow. To be here in this moment. To feel the comraderie and cheer. The hope and unity. I wouldn't have traded it.
We had a full house on C St. I had some friends from high school, who campaigned for Obama and followed him for a long time, come to visit. Mallory called on Monday, bought a last minute bus ticket and rolled up that evening. Kent, Drew's brother, drove up from NC to take pictures and share the weekend with us. Every room in the inn on C St was booked and it was fabulous!
On the day, a group of five of us made our way in the early morning light to the Mall. It was Mal, Marie, Kent, our friend Zac, and me. We each wore about five layers of clothing and brought our cameras. When we left the house, it was eight. The streets were already crowded with people. As we made our way closer to the Mall, to join the other 3 million people, our hopes of a close spot dwindled. The crowd moved like eddies and currents in rivers. Some circling, other groups stopped, and still others streaming through walls of people. Our group of five kept breaking apart and eventually we were each on our own, with the exception of Mal and I.
The best viewing spot we had was at 3rd and Maryland, a mere 3.5 blocks from the Capitol steps. Still, our dilemma was not having a jumbo-tron to view the ceremony. Sure, we could see the Capitol, with her flags proudly hung, but nothing personal. With 30 minutes until the start of the ceremony Mal and I made the decision to race back to the house where we'd be certain to view and hear the oaths. We made it into the house a minute before Biden made his promise. A song. Then, Obama. Short and sweet, his oath was shorter than Biden's. Jubilation. A poem. Then, his speech. I wasn't as impressed by his speech on Tuesday as I was by the one on election night, but there were some quotes I took from it.
Here are some pictures from the weekend. I'll never forget these days.
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