More than Just a Museum

Four journalism girls using a GPS, Mapquest directions, and an atlas. That's all we needed.

Two weekends ago three of my best girlfriends, Emily, April, and Haylee, and I left cozy Athens, Ohio on a quest to the capital. Coincidentally we decided to leave the day of the season's first snow storm. Thankfully I was asleep for the majority of it.

We arrived early afternoon in a quaint, yet interesting suburb of DC called Bethesda. While April and Emily swooned over author John Green, Haylee and I hit the streets to wander for food. Originally what prompted our road trip was this J. Green author that Em and April are mildly, O.K. completely, obsessed about. Needless to say our plans soon exploded into a weekend filled with unexpected shenanigans.

We spent Friday evening in Bethesda, practically all of Saturday in awe of the Newseum, Saturday night at the Hirshorn gallery and cruising the National Mall, and Sunday devoted to the Museum of American History and driving back home.

At first I didn't understand what all the commotion was about over visiting the Museum of American History. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love me some ruby slippers, but in the end are they not just shoes someone wore in a movie? I felt the same way about the collection of first lady inaugural dresses: were they not just cloth? But after I watched Michelle Obama's speech on the day she submitted her dress I felt much differently.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q00JaFcyvM4

That is when it clicked that these were not just dresses. They are a way for people to relate to history in a very real way; to give them a three-dimensional image of something special worn by a powerful person on a significant night.

As I walked through the pop culture floor I recognized how hope has kept this country glued together. Whether that hope was expressed through the Olympics, entertainment, or pop culture, it has connected the U.S. to a culture we can all relate to. I always though they were only there to distract us, instead they unite us.

The point of this post is not about what we did in D.C., it's about why we traveled six hours to get there. We went there for a purpose; to become motivated, educated, and most importantly, influenced.

We went and actually experienced D.C. I am a firm believer that it is much more important to embrace a destination then merely visiting it and going through the tourist-y attractions. We went to random coffee shops and Vietnamese restaurants. Heck, in Bethesda people asked Haylee for directions twice!

What made this trip meaningful was the fact that we chose exactly what we wanted to do. Ahh, I am at a loss for words for how empowering that concept is. And did I mention how April hailed TWO taxis?! She made it look effortless while doing it too.

Traveling is about more than what is merely seen by the eye. It is about what that place represents and the past that is possesses. D.C. exudes an energy of liberty and independence to someone that does not live there, but has enough time to appreciate it. When you stand on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and look across the reflection pool (which is currently drained) you get goose bumps thinking that this is the exact same place Martin Luther King Jr. gave his most influential speech.

The awesome part was that it was "our way." We drove, planned, and organized this trip without the help of anyone other than ourselves. Life lesson #857: independence is very cool.

We were thirsty for adventure, and adventure is exactly what we got.

Let the Inspiration Flow like Lava (but significantly faster)

Inspiration is such a huge part of who we are as people. Without it how are we to be motivated? Where would we be without the freedom of expression? Think about it: why are sites such as YouTube and Facebook so unbelievably successful? Because they allow people to express themselves in a way they feel comfortable.

And to inspire holds such a power to influence unlike any other. We humble humans have this misconception that associates the responsibility to inspire to people such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Oprah Winfrey. We view it as an unobtainable concept due to lack of care or lack of an audience.

I would just like to point out that maybe I'm completely wrong about all of this. It is perfectly plausible that I have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about.

For me inspiration comes from random sources like the artwork in Donkey Coffee or one of hpzz's hilarious tweets. My strongest source of inspiration stems from traveling and how my endeavors have molded me. Inspiration can be anything that you make it. Being inspirational should be part of every person's daily goal. The difficult part is not being content with merely satisfying your own needs, but to be motivated enough to mobilize others.

I want to encourage to open your mind to the idea that every decision you make affects, maybe even inspires people. Some people define themselves by what they do, others by what they say. Instead of defining who you are, maybe all you should care about is how you impact others…or fail to.

“Think globally.

Act locally.” - Social activist Patrick Geddes