This trip began back in November when I told my student, who for privacy I will just refer to as C, but most of you know who it is, that National History Day sponsored a program called the Albert Small Normandy Institute: Sacrifice for Freedom. It's an intense focus on D-Day and the Normandy Invasion in World War II, including research on a soldier buried at Normandy. C had participated in NHD for three years, and after a few weeks, she came back to me and said, "Let's apply."
We filled out all the paperwork and sent in our applications. Then, in December, I got a call from the Director of NHD that we had been chosen to be one of fifteen teams to participate. We are the first team from Tennessee chosen.
Then the fun started. We have been reading several books and primary source materials on WWII since January, including posting in an online discussion board, and researching our chosen solider, Eston A. Baxter, from Cosby. All of this has been leading up to a week in Washington, D.C., and a week in France. All we had to pay for was our transportation to and from Washington. Did you know the later the flight is, the more expensive it gets? Therefore, we left Knoxville at 6:00 AM.
After all my travel dilemmas last summer, I was prepared for anything, but the flying went smoothly. We took off on time, landed early, and my suitcase was one the first off the carousel. I had made arrangements with one of the other teams who was flying into Dulles at close to the same time to share a shuttle to the George Washington University Mount Vernon Campus. We met up with the other group and after a little confusion as to where to board our shuttle, were on our way.
United Airlines has a 50 pound weight limit on the checked luggage, and C and I both had to remove some items to meet that total. The group we met, both had suitcases smaller than ours. How do you do that? I was at Wal Mart last night to get laundry detergent so I could take fewer clothes, and almost bought a new lighter weight suitcase. Another rant, paying for checked luggage. When we traveled last summer because we were going straight to an international flight, we didn't have to lay to check our bags. Since we were stopping in DC first, we had to pay $25 each for our bags.
I know, I'm rambling. We check into the dorm and by 9:30, C wants to go to lunch. I had a half of a Cinnabon in Knoxville (not a fan, nit as good as they smell) and C had wanted soup (at 5:30 in the morning). Since she couldn't have soup, she hadn't ate yet. We had to put together a scrap book page for Mr. Small, so we do that first, and then we catch the shuttle that runs between the Mount Vernon Campus and the Foggy Bottom campus. We wonder around there, with her roommate, who shall be called Z, and don't find anything to suit us. Z was on the red eye from Los Angeles last night and C is functioning on 48 hours without sleep, and no one will tell me what they want.
I finally make an executive decision. C says she wants to go to the American Indian Museum, so I decide to head to the National Mall and eat in the cafeteria at the Museum. We purchase fare cards and ride the subway to l'Enfant Plaza. As we exit, we see a food court, so we go in there to eat. Z and I have Five Guys burgers, and C has "Welcome to Moe's!" Who knew Five Guys cooked in peanut oil? Not me, till I looked into the kitchen and saw the oil...and then noticed it on the sign. This is significant because C has a peanut allergy. It's alright, I sanitized really well after eating.
We then walk down to the museum, which Z asks, "is it a bunch of baskets?" I have to say, the American Indian Museum is not one of my favorites. It's too much text and not enough artifacts for my taste, though the architecture and landscaping of the grounds is incredible. A group is doing a performance when we get there, so we watch a little, and then we make plans to meet in an hour. After fifteen minutes, I get a text that they have hit the wall. So we meet back up and head back to the dorm where C and I take a power nap before meeting for supper.
Rant #2 (or is it 3): when we bought our fare cards for the metro, we had the choice between a single fare card or multiple fare card. So apparently, fare should read trip. We all put $5 on a single fare card, only to be denied entrance when we went to return to our home station. We were able to trade it in and add money, so we all have money on a fare card that we don't need.
Dinner was a formal reception at the City View Room on the GW Foggy Bottom campus. From there. You can see the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, and the dome of the Capitol building. It was a lovely view, but I'm not good at new crowds. Too much of my daddy and not enough of my momma in that regards, I guess. During dinner, C and I were the quietest two at the table. I did enjoy talking to one of the members of the NHD board of directors and a writing professor for GW.
At GW, all students must take three writing classes, regardless of their AP scores or their ACT scores, and it focuses on writing within their discipline. They also encourage professors in other disciplines to continually develop their students writing skills.
I was very fascinated watching the wait staff during dinner. We were seated at tables, and they served us one table at a time. I could see in the kitchen, and they would all line up. When they were all in the line, they would bring the food to the table, position themselves around us, and then set the food in front of us at the same time. They did that when clearing away our plates from the main entree as well.
Salad was lettuce, mandarin oranges, and feta cheese with dressing. I found a piece of cheese with no dressing and ate that and a small piece of cornbread. Dinner was chicken, asparagus, and quiche. I enjoyed that greatly. Dessert was a lemon tart that I could only eat about six bites of because it was turned my mouths inside out. Our speakers were a member of the board, the director of NHD, a gentlemen who is going to escort us around the WWII memorial tomorrow, Mr. Small, and a gentleman who was a beach master at Omaha Beach. We all got a copy of a letter Eisenhower sent the troops.
We returned to the dorms for brief meetings. For those who have been keeping up with us, it appears that the White House reception is going to be a go with some important people in attendance, but because of the situation in Iraq, probably not who we were hoping for. Tomorrow is lectures and monuments.
For my Dollywood peeps, 16337 steps today.
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