Finally!

Well, we got through the tunnel under the mall at about 6:30 am, and still had to walk so far, and stand in line so long, that we didn’t actually get IN until 8:30!  But the crowd was SO WONDERFUL and everyone was so nice and of course, giddy to be here.

We found a great spot right in front of the jumbotron and with some other kids, where Elle could actually SEE what was happening on the jumbotron.

One of the most hilarious moments was when they showed a shot of W. up on the screen and the whole crowd started singing “Na na na na, na na na na, hey W, GOODBYE!”  The crowd really got into it!

Even with people packed in ear to ear, it was just amazing how considerate and polite and patient people were, almost without exception.  When things got particularly tight, someone would remind us that “WE ARE ONE” and we would joke about how much warmer it was in the huge crowd.

When they showed Michelle and Sasha and Malia coming in through the Capitol, the crowd just went nuts!

Of course, seeing our beloved President Obama was just priceless.  As he took the podium, people cheered and you could see tears in their eyes.

His speech was so moving, with so many quotable lines.  Such inspiration.  Being there to watch felt truly surreal.

Getting back to the hotel took several hours, but we made it.

Now Katharine is getting ready to go to the Neighborhood Ball with 17-year old Hunter Hektner, who many of you know from his incredibly hard work on the campaign out of the Abacoa office. Look for her in a stunning red dress on the t.v. coverage!  We’ve been told the Neighborhood Ball will be President Obama’s first ball to stop by and visit and also that he and Michelle will have their first dance there.  I’ve told Katharine to send pictures if possible!!

Hunter just flew in this morning and has a great story to tell, so I’m going to turn my laptop over to him to tell you about his experience.

FROM HUNTER:

Today was my first time going to Washington. The looks weren’t as I expected, but the feeling from the crowd and unity of people was exactly what I expected. I got to Washington less than 2 hours before Barack was inaugurated so i had to book it to the mall.  I thought Obamas speech was awesome that I watched on the Jumbo screen with the crowd extending all the way to the Lincoln Memorial. This was probably one of the most meaningful days of my life because this campaign was one of the most meaningful things in my life. I havn’t eaten anything all day so I’m going to get some food and get ready to go to Neighborhood Inaugural Ball. So far this has been a great experience.