[20/365] One Year Ago: Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama, Washington D.C., USA

One year ago today, I was standing in the frigid cold weather of Washington D.C. as President Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States. From where we stood in this picture, we weaved through people all the way to the closest gate we were allowed to be at. What an amazing experience! I can't believe it has been one year already. Time passes by too fast - must make the most of my time. One of my favorite quotes that I actually got from someone I met while traveling, "You'll regret more what you didn't do than what you did do".

Georgetown Fountain, Washington, D.C., USA

Unlike so many other fountains I've seen during wintertime, the Georgetown Fountain is actually on and flowing magnificently. The water even shoots up through frozen areas of the fountain and makes it that more interesting to look at. On a detour on the way to the movies, we ended up at this plaza, with shops and restaurants surrounding a multi-tiered fountain overlooking the Potomac River. Freezing temperatures weren't going to stop this fountain from going strong! Loved it!

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.