My recent trip to DC for #SXSL: Summary

About 14 days ago now, I found out that I was invited to Washington DC, by THE WHITE HOUSE! to attend the inaugural South by South Lawn festival. It was the most amazing event. And even more amazing that out of 20,000 nominations, I somehow made the cut!

What was even more amazing was that my parents and friends rallied to get me there. My folks gave me airline miles to fly and my friends raised some money with a gofundme campaign that allowed me to travel with zero worries.

I had three days in town: Sunday for fun, Monday for the festival, and Tuesday as a backup for the festival in case of rain, which we didn't need, so I got to see one of my besties. The "fun" day Sunday ended up being 10 hours touring and 14 miles walking. I saw almost everything, monument and memorial wise. That night, I went on a nighttime small group tour with Bipartisan Tour Company that was out of this world good! Here are a few highlights of my photography from my explorations in DC that day:

I stopped outside the capitol and across the reflecting pond for a few moments and watched Japanese and Chinese and Korean tourists get photos of themselves there. It took me about 15 minutes to catch my breath. All I could seem to do was cry. I was so grateful for everything that had come together to allow me to be here.

I texted my mom this photo of the awesome Carrion plant from the US Botanic Garden. I just couldn't help but wish that the person who taught me to love flowers and plants and trees would be there. Right at that exact second, she called me!

I met this awesome little Albanian girl outside of the Museum of the American Indian, which I worked on the design of once upon a time when Smithgroup hired my firm to help do structural and mechanical coordination on. She wants to be an architect when she finishes school. It was awesome to meet her!

 Iwo Jima always makes me think of my dad. When I was born, he was a Marine Corps DI. Which is why military school was so easy for me! LOL!

 I could have spent an entire day in the Air and Space museum!

More photos:US Capitol Building 

United States Botanic Garden

@Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian

@Smithsonian #airandspace

@Smithsonian Hisrchorn Museum & Scupture Garden

@Smithsonian National Museum of African Art Highlights

#Artgasm at the @Smithsonian Freer & Sackler Galleries + the incomparable @DarrenWaterston

@Smithsonian Old Castle

Washington Monument @NatlParkService

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial @NatlParkService

National Air Force Memorial

US Marine Corps War Memorial "Iwo Jima" @NatlParkService

Lincoln Memorial @NatlParkService

Thomas Jefferson Memorial @NatlParkService 

National World War II Memorial @NatlParkService

#MLK Memorial @NatlParkService

On Monday, I went to the African American Museum on the way to the White House for the #SXSL event. 

 @Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture
+ #SXSL Interview with David Adjaye and James Turrell

The White House 

Highlights from South by South Lawn #SXSL @WhiteHouse @JasonMoriber @AnandaLeeke @gunshybadguy @owhylie

And Here's the map I used to get around, in case anyone needs one! LOL!