Obama's inauguration: DCCCC!!!

It started out as just an idea.. a dream.. wouldn't it be cool to go to DC for Obama's inauguration?! It seemed impossible at first, but we put our minds to it and we made it happen. And it was an amazing experience that I will never forget!
If you want to see more of my pictures from DC you can check out the full flickr set here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emvee510/sets/72157612949624888/


Yay.. DC Metro! I love a city with good public transportation!

We had to wait for about 3 hours in the cold just to get into the building to pick up our tickets for the inauguration.

We were a little nervous because our 5 tickets to the inauguration were granted to residents of Iowa's 41st district. But only one of us was actually from Iowa. We weren't going to let that stop us even if it meant we had to devise some kind of elaborate scheme to get the tickets which is exactly what we did.

But we got inside, turned on the charm, and it was no problem. They even had hot coffee and cookies and gift bags for us.

Then the lady asked if we'd like to take some pictures in the Congressman's office, and were were like, *um... heck YEAH!*

The whole thing couldn't have worked out better.

And we were pretty pleased with ourselves.

Back to our cute little neighborhood for dinner and some fun.
Obama references were everywhere around town and you could totally feel the excitement in the air.


Larry wasn't feeling well so Kat bought her a framed picture of Obama hoping that would help.

And it did!

So for the rest of the trip the picture came out with us to all the bars and restaurants.

And he sort of became part of our group. (Good group, by the way!)

I'm pretty sure we made quite an impression at The Fab Lounge that night.

1/20/09!!!!!!!!!
We tried to wake up and get out the door as early as possible.


We got onto a train that was so packed full of people you could hardly breathe. And then when we got off we immediately lost the 2 Aussies and we didn't see them again until we got back to the apartment that night.
It took forever to get out of the metro but once we were above ground things moved right along. We sort of merged into the sliver ticket line (ie. did NOT walk 6 blocks back to the end) and made our way inside pretty quickly and easily.

We couldn't actually see the people up on the stage but we were right in front of one of the first jumbo screens, and considering that the crowd stretched all the way back to the Lincoln Memorial, we were practically VIP.

It was an overcast day, but the sun came out for Obama, no doubt.

Oh, and did I mention IT WAS COLD!

But we were pretty excited.

Everybody was excited!


And I thought his speech was really good.

Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be inspired by a politician. But when he speaks I nod my head in agreement.

The afterglow was real.

Once it was all over we weren't sure where to go. There were people everywhere. We just wanted hot food and drinks, just like every single other person there, I'm sure.

But every time we started walking we'd just run into a fence or a barricade.

We tried every direction to no avail and then we were finally told that until the Presidential motorcade came through they weren't going to take down any of the barricades. So we just had to go sort of give it up and with the flow.

After walking around in circles for a while we were finally able to walk the length of the National Mall, and turn up 18th Street and make our way up to Dupont Circle.

2 million people = lots o trash.
But with all those people there were zero arrests or incidents.
Pretty awesome!
By the time we got back to the apartment I think we'd been on our feet, out in the cold, for like 11 hours. But it was totally worth it.

Our feet hurt and we were tired. But then we replenished ourselves with a wonderful meal, wine and champagne, stories and laughs.

The vibe and the positivity that you felt around the city was amazing.

I think our country is ready for a much needed re-branding.

And being there for the beginning..

Being right there ^^ is something I will never forget.

DCCCCCCCCC!!

I'm going to DC for the inauguration and I'm soooo excited!

As soon as it sunk in on Nov. 4th that this was all going to go down, I felt like I had to do whatever I could to be there and be a part of it. And I really feel grateful that I have a job that allows me to realize an opportunity like this and even encourages it. I'm so thankful that I have a family that is supportive and also excited for me. And I'm super thankful that I have friends who feel the same way I do and who were able to make something amazing happen.
Life is what you make it, so why not go big, right?!

I held plane tickets for weeks after the elections (another job perk). My friend wrote to her Representative in Iowa and won a lottery and won 5 tickets to the inauguration. So once she had the tickets, we felt like we had to go no matter what. So we bought plane tickets even though we didn't have a place to stay. Hotels were booked solid. I was able to get a nice hotel for our last night in town but for the first few nights we had nothing. At first we figured we'd just party and stay out all night. The bars are supposed to stay open until 4am so we figured we'd get by. But then this crazy cold snap hit the east coast. And I went out on New Years Eve and at about 3:30am all I wanted to do was be in my bed, so I realized staying out for 2 nights in a row in the freezing ass cold was actually a terrible terrible idea. So about 2 weeks before we left, I decided to post an ad on craigslist.

Here's the ad:
My friends and I (4 girls and 1 boy) are coming to DC for the inauguration and we have a place to stay for one out of our 3 nights :), but we are looking for somewhere to crash Jan. 19th and 20th.
We weren't going to let this a lack of accommodations deter us from attending this historical event and we figured that if need be we'd just rough it on the streets or in a bar somewhere.
But it would be ohhhh sooooo much nicer to actually have a place to crash, and at the very least to drop off our stuff. We don't care how basic the accommodations are, as our other option is essentially the street. Just to have a roof over our heads and a secure place to leave our bags would be super awesome!
We can pay something, but we are not wealthy by any means.
We can however, bring gifts from California and our eternal appreciation and thanks.
(and maybe we can even return the favor someday if you ever plan to visit San Francisco)
So if you have a place (a room, a living room.. whatever) where we could maybe crash please shoot me an email, and maybe we can make a deal. We are fun, sane, responsible, respectful people, looking for the same. Thanks so much!!!

I got so many responses. Plenty of people wanting to make a buck, but also plenty of people just concerned saying we can't stay in the cold and we can use their basement or living room or whatever. People were really nice. And one guy offered up his studio apartment in Dupont Circle, which is an awesome location. So we went for it and it's costing us a bit, but I think it's 100% worth it. We are soooooo grateful to have a place to stay and I'm super excited about the location because it's going to save us so much time and hassle trying to deal crazy metro rides. It's going to be cold but I checked the weather today and it looks a good 10 degrees warmer than last week. So things are looking good.
I'm so excited!
(wish me luck and send me some warm fuzzy thoughts)

And The World Won't Wait for Justice!! (this is not a travel post, but it's important, PLEASE READ)

If you are outraged like me.. please take a minute to send a letter to Assemblymember Tom Ammiano and Senator Leland Yee encouraging the introduction of a bill to create a long-overdue civilian oversight board for the BART police dept.
Just click on the link below.
Thanks! - marin

http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/s/NeverAgain

On January 1, Oscar Grant -- already subdued by police and lying face down -- was shot in the back and killed by a BART police officer at the Fruitvale station.

Unfortunately, this tragedy is not a first for the BART police force, which has been accused in the past of using excessive and unnecessary force in two other shooting deaths.

Unlike most police departments around the country, BART police are not subject to a civilian oversight board, despite numerous calls for one by community leaders over the years. But BART has refused.

Assemblymember Tom Ammiano and Senator Leland Yee promised to introduce legislation requiring BART to create a civilian oversight board -- like the boards that have improved accountability and police conduct in other communities. While this is a significant step in the right direction, we must ensure that the legislature passes a strong bill.

The only way BART police will get the oversight and accountability they need is if the public demands it. The more people who sign this letter, the more likely it is that Assemblymember Ammiano and Senator Yee will be successful in getting the state legislature to create a strong civilian oversight board, and provide the kind of lasting change that the community demands.

Laos Pics

A year after my solo, 3 month Around the World trip, I'm finally getting around to editing my photos. Enjoy!

We went to Buddha Park outside Vientiane in the rain and mud and my crappy camera was shite. but I've been editing and came up with these. enjoy.





and I took some normal pictures too :)

Thailand Pics

there's a lot of these, lol