*Disclaimer* The pictures below are probably not what you would expect to see from my trip to Amman, Jordan -- but keep reading!
It is said that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!
And that is exactly what I have been doing in Washington D.C.
Originally, my plane was supposed to stop in D.C., and transfer immediately to Frankfurt and then Jordan. However, the weather had other plans and caused me to miss my flight entirely.
The problem? The next flight wasn't available until 9pm the following day.
So instead, I decided to tour the capital!
Arabic
The airport connected me to a hotel which was absolutely beautiful. Throughout this process, I made three very good friends who were so helpful in ensuring I was safe in my hotel.
One of these friends was in the shuttle, connecting to the same hotel I was.
After talking to her for a while, I figured out that she was from Syria. Once she discovered that I was studying in Amman, she gave me all the tips and tricks I needed to survive in the Middle East. Upon arrival, she walked me straight into the front office and made sure that they were going to take care of me. She and the front manager gave me all the information to travel D.C. while I waited for my next flight. When I woke up in the morning, she had slipped a piece of paper under my door with the exact times for each of the buses and metros to make sure I could tour D.C.
Three hours of sleep later, I got up and made it to the first bus stop but I was not sure where to go from there. Just before the bus arrived, a gentlemen asked a few of us waiting where we were going. Once I told him I was looking for the Lincoln Memorial, he not only showed me where the next bus stop was, but also gave me a grand tour of the National Mall before heading to work. He gave me his phone number in case there were any issues, and he assured me that if anything happened, he would leave work and make sure I was safe and made it back to the airport on time. I am convinced that he was an angel -- and his name was Gabriel too!
Due to the tight schedule for my flight, I only had two and a half hours to tour D.C. and make sure I saw everything I could in that time -- so I ran!
Heroes
First stop was the World War II Memorial:
Then at the corner of Constitution and 7 Street, if you looked to the right, you could see the Capital Building and to the left was the Washington Monument.
Finding the Lincoln Memorial was tricky, but it was just beyond the Reflection Pool.
On my way down the long path, there were so many couples who asked me to take a picture of them in front of the monument -- so I asked them to take a picture of me too!
Going to the Lincoln Memorial was emotional for me, not only because I think he is one of the greatest leaders in history, but also because of the huge impact he had on my Papa.
When I walked through the pillars, I heard music coming in front of the monument:
Dozens of World War II Veteran's sang "God Bless America"
This is by far one of the most beautiful things I have seen and heard in my entire life. Not only was it emotional for me to see the Lincoln Memorial in person, but I was also able to hear the stories and songs of WWII veterans.
By this time, I simply could not hold back my tears, when a man tapped me on the shoulder. It was a WWII Veteran who served in the Army Air Corps. When I thanked him for his service, he gave me the small flag he was holding, and a big hug too. This was one of the most overwhelming moments I have ever encountered.
After going to the Lincoln Memorial, I made my way to the Vietnam Memorial Wall to look for my other hero, George Allen Ingalls -- the first Medal of Honor recipient in Norco, CA.
The rangers at the wall were extremely kind in helping me find the name. They had a small device that assisted them in locating specific names on the wall. When the gentleman found George's name, he looked up at me and asked, "Norco, California? Where in the world is that?"
I told him that it was a small town in Southern California, and told the story of how he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. After we found the name, he personally grabbed a ladder to help me scratch George's name on a piece of paper to take back home with me.
On my way back to the bus, there were dozens of military personnel in their A-Class and Service Dress getting ready for a ceremony. I stayed to see the full service Honor Guard, and wondered why there was a ceremony to follow, and then it hit me...
Today is flag day!
What a wonderful experience I had with a little bit of misfortune.
Today was a day of turning lemons into lemonade -- and seeing so many heroes on this journey.
Just before landing, I read "The Prayer of Jabez" and asked God to bless me indeed, expand my borders, to go before me, and keep me from evil -- and he did just that!
Thank you all for your prayers, God sent angels in disguise to make sure I was safe. I'll check back in when I arrive in Jordan!
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