From my journal

We made our way past the Vietnam War Memorial which is a very solemn place, and to the WWII memorial, which was very majestic, towards the Washington monument. Ryan and I had a small debate on the legacy of George Washington and as we neared the end of the National Mall he purchased some roasted almonds.

The National Kite Festival was going on and it is a sight I will never forget. There were thousands of kites, shaped like snakes, birds and dragons flying in the clear sky near the monument. We watched for a few minutes as a kite battle took place where they attempted to cut each others lines before we moved on to the MLK and FDR monuments.

Both were very moving and in a way depressing given Trump's election. Here there were, written in stone, inscriptions demonstrating the value of peace, tolerance and kindness. Meanwhile Americans just elected a man who stands against religious freedom, has been successfully sued for rental discrimination and who has continued to promote misogynistic speech.

Recently Trump admitted he does not know that slavery is the reason why the Civil War was fought. Months after that night I spent in the newsroom watching the results come in I am still disgusted with people who voted for someone who has no business being president.

Rhelia and took our picture in front of several cherry trees blossoming and we made our way to the Jefferson Memorial. There was a party going on, a young girl's Quinceanera, and Mexican-Americas were dancing with strangers on the steps overlooking the water. Music was playing and it was very beautiful.  

 A White House helicopter flew over. We discussed how it wasn't Trump, because it was the weekend he was most likely at his Florida resort golfing.