Saving Babies

Like I mentioned in my last post, I was in D.C. (and if I didn\’t mention it, then now you know!) I was there on a trip through school for the March for Life. Unfortunately, the Jonas Storm came through and our flight got cancelled. And it was alright that I would be missing one more day of school until our next flight was cancelled as well. I went on the March Trip last year as well, and never thought the weather would turn out to be that bad… I mean I was okay. I wasn\’t worried as I have been through a blizzard before.

For the trip we flew into Washington and went straight to the Holocaust Museum. While it\’s my fourth time going there, there is always something I seem to have missed the previous time. One day I would love to go and just spend the majority of the day in the museum reading and seeing everything. Literally everything. But that\’s a dream for a different day… In the evening we went to the Pentagon City Mall where I enjoyed one of my favorite chain/fast food restaurants: Panda Express. The key point of the day had to be when our bus got stuck on the way to the hotel. This was on the account of ice and the tour buses having a safety feature that prevents the buses to drive over the ice. But after many prayers and bonding between my peers and I, a salt truck happened to pass by and helped us out.

The next morning we went to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, which allowed us a chance to look around the Basilica before the overcrowding during the vigil mass that evening. Following our explorations, we went to the Franciscan Monastery. While I had been to it before, it was fun to go through again with a different tour guide; they all have their own stories to add in addition to the tour itself. Before going back to the Basilica, we stopped at Union Station for lunch, which was nothing special. The Vigil mass that evening was beautiful but packed as it was last year. 

The next morning, we, or at least I, were ready for the March. Before the March, and because we were at the Mall, we split into groups and went to one of three Smithsonian Museums. I chose the Art Museum despite the fact that I went through it last year. In the same sense as the Holocaust Museum, I would love to go and spend almost an entire day in the museum. There is so much to see and we are never given enough time to see it all. While we knew it was going to be cold and snow a little, I have to say it impacted me even more that despite the beginnings of a blizzard, we continued to march. I was cold, but I felt so empowered! As a young teenage girl, and just as a teenager in general, I often feel as though there is so little I can do. But marching, is something. Afterwords, we headed quickly back to the hotel before the storm go too bad.

For the next couple of days we were stuck in the hotel. The hotel had a buffet lunch for us and the travel company had events for us to attend and things to do such as praying the rosary, a movie showing, swimming, praying the divine chaplet, mass, designated outside playing time in the snow (I\’m not quite sure how to word this…), a snow mascot building competition, and a talent show. During this time it was nice to just relax at points during the day. Enjoy the beauty of the snow outside and just be calm on the inside. 

On our final day before departure, we went into the city as it was beginning to thaw. We went to see the White House and stopped by St. Patrick\’s Church before once again going back to the hotel. That evening we walked across the street to P.F. Chang\’s. 

While it was great to finally be home the next night, the week\’s worth of homework was not great. Somehow, I\’m still behind over a week later… How? I don\’t know. Some people may have been totally turned off by the blizzard, but truthfully, D.C. is where my heart is and I cannot wait to go back again… 

Whenever that will be…

With Love, 

         Jacquelyn