HonorSociety.org Members Visit Washington, D.C.

Day 1

The first day of the trip was a short one because everyone was getting in that afternoon. We all met up at the hotel in Arlington and introduced ourselves to each other. You could feel the sense of community within minutes of everyone meeting each other. After introductions, we headed out to the bus that took us to dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. For many members on the trip, this was the first time out in DC so the drive in from Arlington was very exciting. As we got to know each other during dinner, members realized how much they had in common and were eager to learn more about each other.

Following dinner, we went on our way to Alexandria, VA. Alexandria is a cute town with so much history and we really enjoyed visiting. During the evening in Alexandria, we split up into two groups and went on a walking ghost story tour of the town!

Day 2

Day 2 was arguably our busiest day of the entire trip! We all woke up bright at early (breakfast was at 7 a.m.) and then headed off to see the memorials. For many of us on the trip, it was the first time that we had seen these memorials. They were absolutely breathtaking. We saw the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Korean Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the FDR Memorial all in that morning! That afternoon we stayed just as busy believe it or not! We took a tour of the Capitol, headed over to the Supreme Court and Library of Congress, and then ended the afternoon at the National Archives where we got to see in person the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence!

After this busy and inspiring day, we headed to dinner at Buca di Beppo where we bonded over the events of the day and re-energized for the evening's of activities of visiting the memorials by night. And of course we had our White House photo op!

Day 3

Day 3 was all about walking tours. One person on the trip calculated that we had walked about 9 miles that day! Impressive, right? We started the morning early again and first headed to the Air Force Memorial. Following the Air Force Memorial, we headed over to the Arlington National Cemetery. It was incredible to be surrounded by such great history and to remember those who served to make this country what it is today. We were also very fortunate that we were able to see the Changing of the Guards and the Wreath Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We then were off to the Iwo Jima Memorial and the Pentagon Memorial. Both were stunning memorials and were very emotional to be at in person. 

After lunch we spent the afternoon at museums, and it sure felt good to be in the air conditioning for a bit! We first stopped at the Newsium which is an incredible interactive museum of news history. If you are a journalism major this is a must-see! Afterward we went to the Holocaust Museum. To this day there is still so much to be learned about the Holocaust.

Day 4

There was one activity planned for day for and it was to spend the entire day at King's Dominion, one of the theme parks outside of DC! This was a great chance for everyone to run around and just hang out with each other! It was so much fun to see how much everyone enjoyed spending time with each other!

Day 5

Although it was the last day of the trip, we still stayed busy! After breakfast we headed over to Mount Vernon to tour the beautiful estate. It's an amazing feeling to be around such important history! Afterward we dropped a few students off at the airport and made our way to the Smithsonian Museum which is definitely a must see in Washington, D.C..

Overall this trip was an incredible experience. Getting the chance to spend 5 days with members and chapter founders was not only inspiring but also motivating to see the future of HonorSociety.org. We are so lucky to be a part of a community with such great leaders.