Close-Up Ronald Reagan Youth Conference

(Capitol Hill)

(a fraction of awesome people)

Last week was one of the best weeks of my life. You may remember that I mentioned in an earlier post that I had won a trip to Washington D.C. with Close-Up for the Ronald Reagan Youth Leadership Conference?

Well, that trip came and went last week and it was one of the best experiences of my life.



I just want to highlight the trip on a brief(ish) blog post because otherwise, I won't remember...what happened, and it will fade into a blurry daze.

In the post above, there's a video put together by one of the people participating. It perfectly sums up the week, so if you don't want to take the time to read the post, scroll up and at least watch the video. :)

After a three-hour flight on Sunday, I arrived at the Baltimore/Washington Airport and went to the beautiful Renaissance Capitol View hotel. This was specially funded, so we really got the best of the best. I settled into my room, met my roommate, met the staff and also some of the other people....and my week began full force

A typical day involved waking up at any time from 6-7:30 am. Got ready as fast as possible in order to avoid starvation and made it down to breakfast an hour or so later. after breakfast, we all loaded onto the buses for an incredible ride to the first stop on our itinerary, usually a seminar or monument. After a couple of these, we were handed vouchers or lunch money and all dispersed in the interest of satisfying our hunger.

After lunch, more monuments and seminars and then on to dinner. After dinner, the 102 of us split up into groups of 25 or so and did "workshops." Then the day was over and we had some time to play around...or wander around in an exhausted daze...

Oh the Places We Went and the Things We Did

-The White House (outside)
-The Jefferson Memorial
-Capitol Hill
-The Lincoln Memorial
-The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
-The Iwo Jima Memorial
-Teddy Roosevelt Island
-St. John's Church
-The British Embassy
-The Renwick Gallery
-Chinatown (or Chinablock, more like it)
-The National Archives
-The National Museum of Natural History
-Georgetown University

-Saw Dana Perino (former White House Press Secretary) at the Smithsonian portrait gallery
-Listened to to a panel of speakers at the National Archives, one of whom was Anita McBride. This -was filmed live on C-Span...complete with shots of us kids!
-Saw the Original Declaration of Independence and Constitution.
-Heard Susan Paige (she is sometimes on NPR) in a panel discussion at the Carnegie Institute.
-Crossed the Potomac multiple times (on a bridge, in a bus)
-Went to the Heritage Foundation and listened to Ed Meese, former Attorney General.
-At Capitol Hill, Illinois Representative Aaron Schock spoke to us. The youngest senator, 27 or 28. He was on June's edition of Men's Health. Moving on.
-Ate a finale breakfast at the National Press Club.




I met so many amazing people, saw so many things and learned so much. It was something I'll never, ever forget.

If you made it thus far, go and buy yourself a candy bar! ;