Washington D.C. was one of the most surreal, trippy trips I've ever experienced. When you are walking through the city, looking at monuments you've only seen pictures of in your school history books, it blows your mind that they are actually real, right in front of you. The experience is - literally - monumental. You can actually walk up to them and touch them. Craziness.
We were granted the rare experience of touring the West Wing of the White House (most people only get to tour the East Wing). We entered through the west entrance. If Secretary of State at the time, Hillary Clinton visited the White House, this is the entrance she'd use. No pictures were allowed inside past the Presidential Seal, but the mental images I gathered of the hallways, the Oval Office, the Situation Rooms, even the bathroom (did I piss where Presidents have pissed???), are ones I will never forget. The hallways are not what you'd expect -- very officey, very "normal." The situation rooms were something else. I was questioned by an FBI Agent about my camera and whether I had taken pictures in those rooms. I ensured her I had not and that my lens cap was on. She replied "Good. But if you had, we'd know about it." Yikes. I actually walked into the room where this famous photo was taken during the Osama Bin Laden raid: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Obama_and_Biden_await_updates_on_bin_Laden.jpg
Outside in the Rose Garden, the First Dog, Bo, came out for a bathroom break. Taking an in-focus picture of a pitch black dog, in pitch black darkness, with only my built-in pop-up flash for assistance proved near impossible. It didn't help that he was completely nuts, 100 MPH, and all over the place. Upstairs, President Obama was with his family and he was preparing for the third debate of the 2012 elections. We could look up and see the upstairs residential section where he lived (the lights were on). If he walked up to a window and looked out and waved at us, we'd see him. Again, that feeling of surreal craziness.
The White House Press Room was a trip as well, and I was allowed to take pics. The podium was right there, begging me to step up to it, put my hands on both of the front corners, lean down to the mic, and just say "Nation..." I was informed that if I stepped onto the stage, alarms would go off and I'd probably get into big trouble. No thanks.
The rest of the trip was monument touring. I put my hand on the Washington Monument. My face was mere inches away from the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution. I stood 5 feet away from where Lincoln was shot in the back of the head by John Wilkes Booth. I could have walked right into the front doors of the FBI Offices and asked to speak to the X-Files Department.
Standing in front of Lincoln's statue was probably one of the most moving moments of my life. What an amazing man, shot dead in the same hatred and bigotry that remains in this nation today.
The Changing of the Guard is something you cannot pass up if ever in the area - very moving as well. Those soldiers are the definition of "dedication."
I highly recommend putting Washington D.C. on your bucket list. We didn't get to see it all, but we saw more than I expected. No matter what side of the political spectrum you are on, being there will change your life. I've never felt more American.
