View of the National Mall early this morning
The forecasters all said there would be millions who would want to be there. Living in Washington, DC for the past 10 years and being on the Mall for the last 2 inaugurations, I thought they were exaggerating. Now that the day is here, I think they might have been underestimating. The distance from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial is 2 miles. From my viewpoint, sitting comfortably in my living room watching NBC’s broadcast, that entire 2 mile space is full. The crowds extend onto the side streets and up the parade route on Pennsylvania Ave. During a break, the local NBC station cut to the New Carrolton Metro stop on the end of the Orange Line. The lines of people hoping to get on a train to the Mall were far out of the entrance! I’m sure thousands are still trying to get there. Amazing!
It’s a little odd to be so comfortable for this inauguration. I’ve gotten used to battling the crowds and shivering in the cold for hours to see the president sworn into office. Today, I’m enjoying my warm DC apartment, explaining the significance of this event to Sam while feeding Nate and potty-training Levi. I don’t miss the cold. I don’t miss the long lines. I don’t miss the sore legs from standing for hours, but part of me regrets not being able to be a part of the crowd. It’s an amazing event and an incredible day. I’ve never seen anything like it.
