Wrap-up

Wow. It's been quite a while since I got back. I've had time to reflect on what I learned at the inauguration (and actually the whole conference) and I just wanted to write one or two final entries to kind of wrap things up. 

The first thing I think of when I think about this experience is just how historic the event was. The biggest gathering of people on the National Mall - EVER. In hundreds of years, no one has come together to see something this big. Not only is Barack Obama the first black president, the changes he plans to bring to this nation are huge.

Another thing I think about regarding the trip is the disappointment. Out of all the things we were told (and sometimes promised) that we would do, only a few actually worked out. We didn't get to go to the Inaugural Concert that Sunday, we didn't get to spend any time at the Smithsonian, we had terrible spots at the actual inauguration . . . the list goes on. One of the biggest things I learned was how to take disappointment, and how to turn it around and find the good side of things. For example, despite all those disappointments, I had a great time. I met new people, I learned tons about being a leader, and I experienced something that lots of people never get to do in a lifetime.

If I had to describe the conference in a word, it would be disorganized. Although I enjoyed myself and learned a lot, I really thought they did a poor job following through. However, I'm not saying that it wasn't worth it; the conference has tons of potential (and I'm sure that this specific inauguration was harder to plan for that most others) and with some more planning this could have been an even better experience.