Washington, D.C. - Part III

I'm almost done with this trip...I swear.

I met up with the other people in the hotel lobby (they never knew I was missing) and the excitement was building. All week we knew we were going to the White House, but we didn't know if we would meet the President or the VP or anyone. We were told the night before that we would indeed be meeting the President and that we could take our cameras with us. We set out on the 5 minute walk and the 30 minute security checks.

Vicki (Utah - Science winner) and Linda from Oregon

My friend Amy from Wyoming. She stayed with me in the White House and we took pictures for each other.
We had to get through three different security checkpoints. At the airport on the way out I discovered that my license had expired. I was really worried about getting into the White House so I had my passport FedEx-ed to me at the hotel. Turns out they didn't even look at it. Maybe that's how people get into the White House when they aren't supposed to... The security guard called me "sweetie." I think that may have had something to do with it. :)
We walked up to the East Wing of the house.
This is the view from inside to the front lawn. I wanted to go out there - not in the agenda. Look how perfect it looks in January!
The hallway we wandered around in for 20 minutes. There are dividers at the end of the hall with no shortage of people stopping you from getting to the other side.
This is china from several of the different presidents
The rooms off to the side of the hall appeared to be a library and a first ladies' room of some sort.
This was the bathroom off the library. My bathroom at home has its own foyer before you reach the toilet as well.
First ladies' room.
Me and Jackie-o
They said it was time to go upstairs and this is what there was as we rounded the corner. A ballroom with a man in uniform playing the piano. Very fancy.

And very official.
To the right of the ballroom is the State Room. This is where we met Mr. President. I have since seen press releases where he is standing at his podium in front of this picture. These girls are the four BYU graduates from our group. Somehow we always find each other...Nola, Vickie, and Michele.

We went into the State Room and they had risers all set up for us and our picture. Apparently Obama is notoriously late and today was no different. They got us all positioned (shorties like me in the front - can you see me??) and we stood shoulder to shoulder like this for at least 20-30 minutes.

A woman who was in charge of the week's events brought in a surprise to keep us company while we waited - her son, the White House chef. You may have seen him on the Biggest Loser. Sam - one in the same. He was nice and told us about the garden and his and Michelle's plan to make school food healthier.

After standing there for so long, the women were starting to get a little crazy. I say them, because it wasn't me. They were getting all giggly and loud. Every time someone would come in the door, they would gasp. It was a little silly. I wish they would have prepped us before Obama came in, because it was verging on disrespect. He came in and the ladies were SCREAMING. I'm not kidding. Don't get me wrong - it was a very exciting moment - but screaming?? It was like a Brad Pitt (or someone like that) had walked in the room.

President Obama is tall and looks, well, just like I thought he would. But he was RIGHT THERE. It was pretty exciting to me to be standing in the White House with the President of the United States. Let me just say here that several people have commented to me, "Ugh - I wouldn't want to meet him." or "Bummer!" or "Oh, don't you wish you could meet a different president?" And my answer is no. It was pretty neat. I'm not a super political person. I probably don't know or research a lot of things that people have to not like him so much. Call me uninformed. But it was still cool to meet the President. He is a piece of history - and it's fun for me to be able to say that I was there.

He spoke with us for about 3 minutes (in which time some ladies were still calling out "Amen!" in the middle of his sentences - totally inappropriate) about how we were doing a good job and how what we do matters to him. He told us about his girls and their favorite subjects and how he doesn't understand math homework now-a-days. Don't you worry - other people chimed in to tell Mr. Pres. how to help his kids with their homework. "Let them explain it to you!" He kind of chuckled, like he was taking our advice, and moved on. The thing I thought while he was talking was that this guy is a human. He really is a person just like us. He's got grey hair, makes fun of himself, and has flaws.

He jumped right into the middle of the picture and hugged these ladies like they were best friends. Apparently something funny is happening here - I certainly don't remember. But at least I made it in the picture!

Right after our picture, he excused himself through a little hallway from the State Room to the East Room, where a press conference was going to be held. We had been invited as his guests as he made his second announcement in his "Educate to Innovate" campaign. Since I was close to the front, I grabbed my friend and we hurried across the hallway to get good seats. We walked in to a room full of cameras and media lining the back and side walls. I got a seat in the 3rd row - right on the aisle. The teachers are here on the right side of the picture (me on the far left) and the dignitaries and such are on the left. I sat two seats behind Joe Biden. And for my favorite dentist, I DID see his veneers up close.

The press release lasted 15 minutes and he talked about pushing Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) research and teaching. In the next 10 years he wants the US to move up from 21st and 24th in math and science scores to the top of the pack in the world. I think that's a great idea. It felt very West Wing-ish (have you seen it?) to see him standing there at his Presidential podium with teleprompters and cameras clicking away the entire time.
It was a super exciting day and still seems so surreal to me that a little 'ole teacher like me got to not only go to DC, but to be feet away from our President because I teach math. Crazy. Certainly an experience I will never forget.