Saturday was our final day in DC. When we made our trip plans, I thought five days would be more than plenty, but in the end it felt like we'd barely scratched the surface. Still, we were exhausted by Saturday morning and took way too long to get packed up and out the door that morning. We left our luggage at the front desk and Ubered down to Arlington National Cemetery.
We'd left later than we wanted, and then everything took longer than we'd hoped, so when we finally got through the security at Arlington, we had to run up a long hill to try to catch the Changing of the Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which happens on the hour. We were late, but apparently it is a long, solemn routine, so we still got to see a good chunk. Following the guard shift, we were able to watch the laying of two different wreaths.
While we watched, Jamie, our personal tour guide extraordinaire, whispered some of the history of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. One thing she said really stuck out to me. She explained, "The guards assigned duty over the Tomb don't abandon their duty, no matter what. See that building in the distance? That's the Pentagon. On 9/11, the soldiers on guard saw the plane crash into the Pentagon. Despite knowing that we were under attack, their loyalty to their fellow soldiers and their duty kept them stoically standing guard."
We had just a few minutes to explore the visitor's center and the enormous Amphitheater.
On our way back down the hill we stopped ever so briefly at the JFK Memorial. I was surprised to learn he had a baby that died the same year he was assassinated.
We really didn't have enough time to fully take in all that Arlington National Cemetery represents. Next time we come we will make sure to give ourselves much more time there.
Soon we were back in an Uber heading back to the Baltimore airport for our flight home. Aubree and Audrey fell asleep in mere moments. Our group's seats on the airplane were more spread out this time around, so the kids and moms couldn't all sit together. Aubree was stuck next to me and made the most of our five hour flight by reading 2 1/2 chapter books(!).
When we arrived at the airport, Jaden (son of Jamie, our Bag-Lady extraordinaire) earned himself the title of Bag Boy when he offered to watch the bags of all the women who needed to use the restroom.
Our flight arrived just before 8pm Pacific Standard time. Despite the long, exhausting week, Aubree and Audrey had us drop them off directly at a Stake Dance!
*****
Shortly before we left for DC, Tallie confided, "I'm a little nervous about this trip. I mean, we are taking 10 strong-willed adults and trying to spend a week coordinating activities. This could go badly." I tend towards over-optimism and hadn't considered that outcome, but had to admit she might have a point.
In the end though, her concerns proved completely unfounded. When we got back, people kept asking, "What was your favorite part of the trip?" Without hesitation I could answer, "Spending time with all the moms!" We just had so much fun together. We were all pretty impressed with how smoothly the week went. It certainly wasn't without problems though - like the fact that one of our students threw up all over her hotel bed (and her friend) in the middle of one night, but overall we couldn't have asked for a better trip.
A close second on my "favorite parts" list was interacting with the kids and seeing them interact with each other. I was astounded by how well they all got along; there was such incredible inclusivity and fluidity in their groupings. For example, sometimes I'd see the kids gravitating towards their normal buddies, but then I'd turn around and see one of our 8th grade girls choose to partner with one of our 6th grade boys (who they've come to see as their little brothers), or two kids who normally avoid each other walking and talking happily. This trip was such a bonding experience.
We just loved it all!
Oh, and did I mention that Flat Stanley (sent to us from my nephew Jameson in Illinois) got to join us on our DC adventures? He got double Washington time!
DC, see you again in three years with our next batch of co-op kids (which will include Bryce AND Thane)!
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