Land of the Free, Home of the Brave

Here are some pictures from my first trip to Washington DC earlier this month. I'm not sure if it was the recent revival of my patriotism or my desperate need for a getaway, but I absolutely loved it there. I stayed with my friend Phil on the most charmingly quaint tree-lined street I have ever seen and, though my stay was short, the experience was nothing short of awe-inspiring. The following is an excerpt from my journal:

This city, whose old buildings still stand rooted and venerable, and whose streets and avenues have long existed both physically and symbolically as roads leading to revolution, equality and freedom, is also a final resting place for many. Memorials remind us in haunting beauty that, while we are beneficiaries of the glorious victories of our past, this nation rests upon sanguinary soil,  and every American life that has been taken is equal in sacrifice and deserves to be honored. The feeling in the air is one of solidarity and responsibility, of being connected to history and being a part of it.