US Presidential Inauguration, Washington, D.C.

It was just a normal day in December when I got a mysterious phone call from a 202 number, so I was hesitant to pick it up. Well, I'm glad I did! Right after the presidential election in November, I had contacted my local congressman to request tickets to the presidential inauguration taking place on January 20, 2009. After I asked for them, it slipped my mind for the next month until I got this phone call. They called me to say that I had gotten tickets to the inauguration and I was one of the few people that was chosen from the lottery they did within their office. So, I booked my tickets and by January 20th, here I was in Washington, D.C., in front of the Capitol Building, watching as Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States! It was an empowering and exciting time and I was glad to be there! It was a shivering cold day in January, but I knew this was a once in a lifetime experience and this thought overshadowed all else. We were able to stand in the area right behind the assigned seating for the government officials and other influential people. YES, WE CAN.