So she flew in pretty late on Friday. When we got home we enjoyed some wine and caught up on the couple months we haven't seen each other. The fun pretty much started on Saturday, though. When we woke up the next day, we got ready for a fun filled day! We started off our day at the Air Force Memorial, which I had never been to. My dad did our mini tour of DC with us, and he really had fun explaining the memorial to us.
Next, we went to the Pentagon Memorial which I had been to a couple of times... but I wanted Sydney to see it. In my opinion, it is the most thought out memorial in DC. Each person who died in 9/11 has a bench in their memory. Each bench has the person's name engraved. If you are reading the name and facing the Pentagon, they died in the Pentagon. If you are facing the opposite direction while reading the name, they died in the plane. You are facing the direction the plane flew into the building. The benches have a small stream of water flowing under them, and it's a very relaxing and peaceful memorial because of the mini streams under each bench. The benches are also positioned in birth year of the people who passed. For example, if three people were born in 1990 that passed at the Pentagon on 9/11, there would be three benches in that years column. The memorial is so humbling and breathtaking. It really puts into perspective how many lives were taken just in DC on that terrible day, while looking at all the benches. I truly recommend this memorial to anybody who hasn't been.
After the Pentagon Memorial, we drove to Arlington Cemetery. Again, I have been many times... but I really wanted Sydney to see the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier because she had never been. This is another must-see while in DC. The guards of the tomb are super dedicated. They are required to live monk style under the tomb for two years, & they can't drink alcohol for the rest of their lives. They can't swear in public for the rest of their lives, and for the first six months, they can't talk to anybody or watch TV. Talk about motivation. We also walked up to the Kennedys' grave, which I have no pictures of because my battery was "exhausted."
After fulfilling our tourist duties during Sydney's visit. it was time to celebrate my birthday and her trip to DC! We met my co-intern, Rachel, and her two roommates in Georgetown (my favorite place ever) and went to a couple different places there. After a good night of girl time and dancing, we called it a night at about 3AM. I had a blast!
In a nutshell, I have one of the best friends ever. She is a friend that I will have forever, and we will be so glad we spent this time together in DC & took advantage of me living here for the semester. And I am so thankful she was here on such a special weekend. Turning 22 only happens once, ya know!
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