There is no feeling that compares to the humbling appreciation and love for your country that you experience when you're in Washington, D.C., and I would not have had these experiences if I weren't a member of OSU's Greek life. 
Through the inspiration of my friends in other chapters, I partook in a life changing experience; one that I would never have chosen for myself. A year ago, I did not know both Evan Drew, sophomore member of Sigma Chi, or Alex Tilton, sophomore member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. However, through the wonderful world of OSU's Greek life, I found myself sitting in a hotel room with these two people, on the opposite side of the country. The three of us took a trip to Washington, D.C. to participate in a legislative action summit for the American Hotel and Lodging Association, which to be honest, is something that I would have never imagined myself partaking in. 

We arrived on the night of Friday, March 28, and none of us had previously been to D.C. We decided to make the most of this little second-dose of spring break, so we planned to have three days to ourselves for sightseeing before the summit. We got to visit all of the popular monuments, museums and historic sites. 

Unfortunately, our first day was off to a not-so-great start with torrential rain. Between the three of us, no one remembered to bring an umbrella. However, as we emerged from the metro into the National Mall, we didn't even mind the rain. We stood in awe as we gazed upon the Washington Monument and the reflecting pool. 

We spent about six hours that first day, at the Smithsonian Museums of American History and Natural History. We asked some locals (who happened to be Greeks at Georgetown University) where the best place for nightlife was, and they told us to go to Dupont Circle. Dupont Circle did not disappoint. We enjoyed walking the streets lined with restaurants and cozy-looking bars, and eventually had a wonderful dinner. 

Following a late dinner, we hopped back on the metro and headed home. Whether it was due to the metro conductor's unintelligible garble announcing the upcoming stops, or our own inability to pay attention, I'm not sure, but we missed our stop. Luckily, Evan realized before too long and we hopped off the subway. We decided to walk around outside at this random subway junction to get some fresh air. As we got outside, we realized we were in the middle of Judiciary Square, where the US Supreme Courthouse is. With an apparent love of the rain and a sense of adventure, we decided to walk toward the Capitol building and kept walking from there. 

That nighttime walk was, without question, one of our greatest decisions. Due to the rain and late time of night, we got to experience Washington, D.C. without the typical interruption from thousands of tourists. We walked for miles, with no one else in sight, guided only by the streetlights and the distant sight of the Washington Monument. 
"By the time we reached the Lincoln Memorial, we were soaking wet and exhausted, but it was worth every step," Tilton said. "It was so humbling."

Too often, we take for granted our great country and our freedom. It's too easy to forget the incredible trials and triumphs America has been through, which got us where we are today. As we made our way through the memorials, I was full of awe and truly felt proud to be an American.