Philadelphia was a great experience for both of us. We were both hooked on the "John Adams" HBO mini-series, so seeing the real-life places was a bit surreal. I found it inspiring to stand in buildings like Independence Hall, Congress House, Carpenter's Hall and Old City Hall where our nation was created by ordinary citizens.
Some of the buildings still have original furniture and you can almost see George Washington himself sitting at the head of the room trying to figure out what being President should really mean. Now that's a stressful job!
Parking the Magic Van proved to be difficult and we spent a lot of time driving in circles. When we finally found Christ's Church, they were locking the gates so I jumped out and begged the worker to let me in. He must have sensed my desperation and let me in. He graciously showed me around and even let me sit in the pew where both George Washington and John Adams sat. Incredible!
I've been to a lot of historical buildings in Europe and always felt a bit envious that they have such a long history and cultural past. I never realized that the U.S. does, in fact, have history and culture. Maybe it's because I live on the west coast and don't see it everyday. The U.S. is just a lot younger with a lot more freedoms than other older countries. I felt a huge connection to my country today, it was an incredible feeling.
No comments:
Post a Comment