Post by Debbie on Aug 4, 2004 13:42:20 GMT -5
As some of you may know by now, I flew to Washington D.C. with Jackie Dodson. It was a wonderful trip and I will never forget it! This trip really made my summer.
We flew in on a Tuesday. We had two day's before the Down syndrome convention started. Jackie made it her mission that I was to see what I wanted to see on Wednesday and Thursday. Actually, we started a little early. Her daughter took us to the FDR Memorial Tuesday evening. I couldn't read all the information that was on the different brick
walls but, I was really feeling the strange feeling of being so far away from home and being in a place I always dreamed of wanting to go. Wednesday we walked to the National Gallery of Art so I could gaze at all the painting's and look for the painting's of my favorite painter (so far) Winslow Homer. I even found Mary Cassault's painting's. I think she is a French painter but I am not real sure. I like her work too. We then walked on to the Natural History museum in the Smithsonian and later to the American History building. I was amazed at how big these building's are and how many people that were there. We ended the day of taking the Metro back to our hotel. I really enjoyed that as well. The Metro took us to the area where the hotel was and we walked back. I kind of felt like being zapped into a different place and time, I am refering to the building's in Washington D.C. They looked old and the style is I am thinking, back in a different time but I liked it. The next day we went to the Hard Rock cafe and the Ford's Theater. I really enjoyed being in the theater. The first thing I did was look up toward the right where Abraham Lincoln had been shot. The Petersen's House was where Lincoln body had been brought to so we of course walked over there. I have felt a certain bond with Abraham Lincoln for some reason. I have read several books about him and so I feel like I know him in some ways.
Well, I felt like Cinderella! I had never traveled so far except to California. I was able to see the Capital, the White House and even the security guards with their dog's.
They tried to blend in the tree's but we still were able to see them. Forgive me Jackie, if I forget some of the thing's we saw. I don't think I have yet. We went to the Lincoln Memorial of course and I was able to see him up close. I was simply overwhelmed that I was actually there in person and I was looking at him in the face. Wow. I know that he was simply a person and this was just a statue but, it was such a wonderful feeling to actually be there gazing up at him, at the person I have read so much about. We had visited Lincoln Memorial at night, Monday night, before we left the next day. I was able to see at the Jefferson Memorial once or twice but while in the car. Jackie's daughter drove us over to Balitmore, Maryland also. We took a water taxi across the Bay and we walked on the cobbled street's and shopped.
This was my first time to come to a NDSS convention. I had been to a National Down syndrome Congress Convention years ago. I was able to meet some of the self-advocates including Chris Burke and his mother. I even met Joe DeMasi. They seemed very nice. I met and chatted with some of the parent's as well. I went to the workshop's I was interested in and really enjoyed them. I even spoke up in some of them. I was always looking for some of the unomaser's here but, could never hook up with any who posted except for Rhonda. I was disappointed but still enjoyed meeting parent's. I never was able to really talk to the self-advocate's though. I think they knew each other or was just shy. Everyone was busy moving about and walking somewhere. There were so many people! I went to the dances and the talent show. The talent show had some excellent, gifted sef-advocate's. One whom I met, Patricia, had taught herself how to do sign language, and showed off this skill while singing. She was very sweet. This one guy, tap danced, and I was very impressed. Some did the popular things such as dancing and singing. This one girl, got up and really danced and brought the house down! This one girl showed her musical ability by playing the piano. After the talent show they had the dance. I didn't stay very long but I did dance some. Well, I think this is long enough. Over all, the convention I attended was good. I did learned some new information but alot of it I already knew. I enjoyed being with the parent's and chatting with them. I even tucked away a mother's e-mail address in my purse so I could e-mail her when I got home. Her daughter's name I beleive was Shannon.
I hope you all have a good day, today and hope all is well with you.
We flew in on a Tuesday. We had two day's before the Down syndrome convention started. Jackie made it her mission that I was to see what I wanted to see on Wednesday and Thursday. Actually, we started a little early. Her daughter took us to the FDR Memorial Tuesday evening. I couldn't read all the information that was on the different brick
walls but, I was really feeling the strange feeling of being so far away from home and being in a place I always dreamed of wanting to go. Wednesday we walked to the National Gallery of Art so I could gaze at all the painting's and look for the painting's of my favorite painter (so far) Winslow Homer. I even found Mary Cassault's painting's. I think she is a French painter but I am not real sure. I like her work too. We then walked on to the Natural History museum in the Smithsonian and later to the American History building. I was amazed at how big these building's are and how many people that were there. We ended the day of taking the Metro back to our hotel. I really enjoyed that as well. The Metro took us to the area where the hotel was and we walked back. I kind of felt like being zapped into a different place and time, I am refering to the building's in Washington D.C. They looked old and the style is I am thinking, back in a different time but I liked it. The next day we went to the Hard Rock cafe and the Ford's Theater. I really enjoyed being in the theater. The first thing I did was look up toward the right where Abraham Lincoln had been shot. The Petersen's House was where Lincoln body had been brought to so we of course walked over there. I have felt a certain bond with Abraham Lincoln for some reason. I have read several books about him and so I feel like I know him in some ways.
Well, I felt like Cinderella! I had never traveled so far except to California. I was able to see the Capital, the White House and even the security guards with their dog's.
They tried to blend in the tree's but we still were able to see them. Forgive me Jackie, if I forget some of the thing's we saw. I don't think I have yet. We went to the Lincoln Memorial of course and I was able to see him up close. I was simply overwhelmed that I was actually there in person and I was looking at him in the face. Wow. I know that he was simply a person and this was just a statue but, it was such a wonderful feeling to actually be there gazing up at him, at the person I have read so much about. We had visited Lincoln Memorial at night, Monday night, before we left the next day. I was able to see at the Jefferson Memorial once or twice but while in the car. Jackie's daughter drove us over to Balitmore, Maryland also. We took a water taxi across the Bay and we walked on the cobbled street's and shopped.
This was my first time to come to a NDSS convention. I had been to a National Down syndrome Congress Convention years ago. I was able to meet some of the self-advocates including Chris Burke and his mother. I even met Joe DeMasi. They seemed very nice. I met and chatted with some of the parent's as well. I went to the workshop's I was interested in and really enjoyed them. I even spoke up in some of them. I was always looking for some of the unomaser's here but, could never hook up with any who posted except for Rhonda. I was disappointed but still enjoyed meeting parent's. I never was able to really talk to the self-advocate's though. I think they knew each other or was just shy. Everyone was busy moving about and walking somewhere. There were so many people! I went to the dances and the talent show. The talent show had some excellent, gifted sef-advocate's. One whom I met, Patricia, had taught herself how to do sign language, and showed off this skill while singing. She was very sweet. This one guy, tap danced, and I was very impressed. Some did the popular things such as dancing and singing. This one girl, got up and really danced and brought the house down! This one girl showed her musical ability by playing the piano. After the talent show they had the dance. I didn't stay very long but I did dance some. Well, I think this is long enough. Over all, the convention I attended was good. I did learned some new information but alot of it I already knew. I enjoyed being with the parent's and chatting with them. I even tucked away a mother's e-mail address in my purse so I could e-mail her when I got home. Her daughter's name I beleive was Shannon.
I hope you all have a good day, today and hope all is well with you.
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