Hiii! I’ve had Schoolhouse Rock’s “I’m Just a Bill” stuck in my head for like, four days now.
I’m back from a quick weekend trip to Washington, D.C.!
Earlier this year, The Freedom Forum announced that the Newseum — a D.C. museum based on news, the media and the First Amendment — would be closing its current location at the end of the year.
I’ve always wanted to visit the Newseum. I mean, cmon. I’m a full-time journalist. So, when the announcement was made at the beginning of the year, I knew it was a now-or-never situation.
I chose now.
So, a few weeks ago, I booked myself a cheap Spirit flight (you know me), packed my single backpack and headed to D.C. for a three-day weekend.
I’ve been to D.C. a handful of times now. When I was in college, I was really involved with several advocacy groups that sought to raise awareness for and bring an end to the LRA crisis in Central East Africa. (Remember Invisible Children?)
During my involvement with Invisible Children (…and The Enough Project/ Resolve [formerly Resolve Uganda], etc.) I made it out to DC several times to lobby, meet with lawmakers, march on Washington, etc. — first in 2009, and then again in 2012. The first time around, I had a chance to head to spend a few extra days exploring all the museums and monuments in the District. The second time around, I didn’t have a time to do much aside from meet with lawmakers.
But, strangely, I’d never visited the Newseum — even though I knew from day one of undergrad that I wanted to be a journalist.
That finally changed!
I booked a Thursday a.m. through Saturday p.m. flight (gotta love my weird work schedule) and somehow convinced my friend Alyssa (we actually know each other through Invisible Children!) to let me stay with her.
I flew into BWI suuuuper early Thursday morning. Once I got to D.C., I had planned to go straight to Alyssa’s house, but I ended up getting distracted and started wandering around. I took my touristy photos by the Capitol and wandered around the National Mall and then realized how insanely hungry I was since I’d been awake, at that point, for about 10 hours without eating anything short of a granola bar.
I grabbed a grilled cheese from a nearby sandwich shop and then started to head outside toward Alyssa’s…
…and then stumbled upon a Billy Goat Tavern.
What.
I ended up stopping in just to check it out (OF COURSE)… and next thing I know I’m being handed free Fireball shots (they didn’t have Malort, I asked) from bartender Sarah, and talking to a lobbyist named Earl.
I finally ended up dropping my stuff off at Alyssa’s and then heading out to meet my friend Nicole, since Alyssa actually had to head to her hometown for the evening and I was on my own to explore and hang out.
So, funny story. Nicole and I had never actually met each other prior to my trip. We somehow found each other on Twitter. I don’t even remember how, but we were both going through some similar shit and got along really well, so I knew I wanted to meet her when I made it out to D.C.
I’m so glad I made time to do that, because I absolutely adore her.
Anyway, the two of us met at Exiles and made our way down U Street to Solly’s and Ben’s Chili Bowl, bonding over our mutual hatred of dating and love of dogs the entire night.
After Ben’s, we called it a night. I walked her home to meet her adorable dog Quinn, then caught a rideshare home.
On Friday, I woke up and started wandering. I walked down Embassy Row and along Wisconsin Avenue. I stopped at Baked and Wired for a dirty chai and a scone, then walked along the Potomac River down to the Lincoln Memorial. I walked along the National Mall — snapping a few photos along the way — until I got to the Newseum.
I can’t even tell you how overwhelmed I was when I got to the Newseum. I literally skipped across the street and then started frantically snapping photos.
If you aren’t familiar with the Newseum, every morning, it displays front pages from publications across the country.
Including…
The Chicago Tribune!
My friend and coworker Hannah Leone had written a front page story that day, so I sent her a photo and she got really excited, because she’d always wanted someone to see her name on a front page outside the Newseum.
Bucket list item achieved!
Then I went inside.
Warning… this part is about to be loooooongggg and rambling!
I spent about four hours inside the museum, and honestly could have stayed there longer. I started at a Nikon-sponsored photojournalism Pulitzer exhibit, and spent about an hour looking at the various prints and watching the movies that accompanied the exhibit. I was so moved by so many of the images and the stories behind then, and I could not stop expressing gratitude to the powers-that-be for my chosen profession and all it entails.
I continued to poke around the museum. There was another exhibit of the day’s front pages on the top floor, along with a killer view from the roof.
The entire museum was also full of quotes, which reminded me so much of the Hall of Inscriptions inside Tribune Tower, our old newsroom.
There were so many cool exhibits, including one on Stonewall/ LGBT rights coverage (that also featured a Chicago Tribune front page) and an exhibit on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”
The Newseum also had some phenomenal permanent exhibits, including one on the coverage of 9/11, and the coverage of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Both were so incredibly powerful. 9/11 is a pretty pivotal moment in any millennial’s life, and since I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing on that September day (I’d even known I wanted to be a journalist back then, too), the exhibit was really powerful.
I was also left in awe by the Berlin Wall exhibit. I’ve always been incredibly interested in the fall of the wall. While I don’t remember it happening, it was the first major international news event of my life, since it happened in November 1989.
Yes… when I was born, the Berlin Wall was still standing. I know, I’m old.
Having actually been to Berlin, the exhibit was that much more striking and momentous.
My favorite part of the Newseum, though, hands-down, was the timeline of news history exhibit.
An entire floor was just filled with slide-out displays of historic newspaper fronts, dating all the way back to the late 1400s.
Here are a few of my favorites:
My freaking heart, you guys. I was so overwhelmed and humbled and inspired and awe-struck by all the history inside the walls of the Newseum. I cried multiple times — when reading the museum’s tribute to Capital Gazette staffers, when staring up at the wall full of journalists slain on the job…
It was so much, but in the best way. It was worth every penny of my airfare and my (working journalist discount) Newseum admission ticket.
After the Newseum, I went back to Alyssa’s. We had plans to meet up with some of her friends for Jazz in the Park. We grabbed snacks at Whole Foods, then bought pitcher after pitcher of sangria and sat in the Sculpture Garden for hours.
Then, we hopped on the Metro and went to Alyssa’s friend Gretchen’s rooftop for a little party.
It turns out, Gretchen is also from Michigan… and is moving to Chicago.
Sad news for everyone else at the party, but pretty cool news for me!
We spent the rest of our evening on the rooftop before calling it a night.
On my next and final day in D.C., I went for a walk around Georgetown while Alyssa went for a run.
I grabbed a nitro cold brew at Corridor Coffee and a croissant at Fresh Baguette before meeting Alyssa back at her house.
Then… we went to Smorgasburg DC, a giant outdoor food market where I ate EVERYTHING.
We had Hilana Falafel, Arepa Zone, crab rolls and Ruby Scoops ice cream. Yummm.
After that, we went back to Alyssa’s place to change, and then went to a CorePower Yoga class.
I love it when my friends are just as obsessed with CorePower Yoga as I am.
We finished our day with sushi and bubble tea at Moge Tee and fish tacos at Surfside before I hopped into a Union Station-bound rideshare to head home to Chicago.
Phew. It was a crazy two nights, but such a fun trip! I’m so glad I got to see Alyssa and meet Nicole, and — OF COURSE — beyond ecstatic I finally got to see the Newseum, especially before it closed.
Until next time!
