15,000 Steps

It all started bright and early at Orlando International Airport with 65 excited students, chaperones, and teachers.

Friends were excited to find out who was in their group for the week. Parents said their goodbyes. Teachers did a little last minute boarding pass shuffling to make sure students were all seated together. Flight attendants did their best to fit all of our carry-ons into the overhead bins.

Once we arrived at our destination, we realized that the teachers hadn’t been exaggerating when they’d said there would be a lot of walking.

After navigating the METRO, we walked to our hotel to drop off our bags. Then we headed in the direction of the National Mall and walked around the Washington Monument. We went to the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial, then stopped by the Lincoln Memorial, made our way by the Vietnam Memorial, and finished at the World War II Memorial.

The springtime weather was beautiful and perfect for a day of walking. Flowers were in bloom. Dandelions dotted the lawn, and dried cherry blossoms were on the pathways throughout the memorials. Students enjoyed their time moving between the memorials laughing, playing games, taking pictures, and spending time together with friends.

We ended our day quietly, settling into our hotel, with everyone looking forward to tomorrow. It was a great first day in D.C!