A Little Trip

We took a little trip to Washington D.C. last week with the Iowa Farm Bureau. It was a legislative/policy trip, so it was part fun and part very serious. I had been to DC before, but it was in 1969 - 39 years ago! I feel very old when I say that.

But, to back up a little, on the night before we flew out of Des Moines, we had supper with another waiting family in Des Moines. Both they, and their neighbors have daughters from China, so we got our "Baby Fix" that night. Supper was Chinese Hot Pot, a new and interesting experience for us, and one I would be more than willing to repeat. They also had two house guests from Tajikistan who were on an exchange visit. We had excellent conversation, and one of the men made a very good flatbread that served as part of the desert. We learned a lot about what to expect, and for while, felt a little less alone as we shared in their experiences.

The flight to Washington was smooth, and arrived on time. We were supposed to tour the Capitol, but due to some mix ups at the hotel, we were left behind with no idea where to go. It all worked out well, we joined up with another lady and braved the Metro (subway), and toured most of the monuments and memorials on the National Mall. It's kind of neat, up the escalator from the Metro station, walk about 50 feet, and your e there, right in the middle of the Mall, not far from the Smithsonian. We were able to see most of the monuments and memorials in the area.

Hopefully this boy's reflection is the only way he will ever appear on a wall.

We spent a while listening to the volunteer at the Vietnam Memorial, he knows his stories and tells them very well.