I arrived in Washington, DC at the right time.  Few weeks after my arrival, President Obama was reelected.  I already had voted in my home state of NY via absentee ballot and as most Americans, was clinging on to the news to see the results of the highly contested battle for the US Presidency.  As the reelection was made official, the city began to prepare for the Presidential Inauguration.   Several months before my arrival, I had daydreamed of being part of the inauguration events.  Thankfully, dreams do come true.  I had the opportunity to witness several unofficial inauguration balls, attend the swearing in ceremony of the President, and see how the city came alive in celebration of our democratic process.

 My inauguration celebration began on Saturday when I was fortunate to be Carlis from SpicyCandy DC plus one to the Illinois State Society Inaugural Gala.  When we walked into the gala, we were taken into a virtual state fair with corn dog machines and a room decorated with fake cowhides, cowboy hats, and even a fake horse.  The champagne and martinis flowed and the celebratory environment amongst all the attendees which were as diverse as the state of Illinois.  We paired champagne with deep dish pizza and danced the night away.   We met up with two other friends and continued to the Chef’s Ball with the fabulous Makeda from Glamazon Diaries.

 

At the Chef’s Ball we were welcomed with a lovely gift bag from Art and Soul restaurant.   The goodies included chef Art Smith’s cookbook , his signature spices, and a nice travel coffee mug I use at the “maze” for my morning coffee.   We danced until 4am until we were forced out of the hotel and to rest to keep up with the rest of the weekend.


 

On Monday, thanks to the generosity of a friend, I found myself 300 feet from the Capitol, in a contained sitting area to witness President Obama reaffirm his oath.  It was my first time witnessing the event, which I thought was well executed despite the thousands of people present.  I got emotional watching Vice President Biden reaffirming the exact same oath I took 12 years ago as a commissioned officer, administered by a fellow Puerto Rican, Justice Sonia Sotomayor.  After living in Brussels where Belgium spent 18 months trying to form a government, there was no celebration of this magnitude when it finally happened.  

 

I am a believer everything in life comes at the perfect time.  Being able to witness the inauguration and the celebrations which accompanied it was the perfect way to welcome my repatriation to the United States.  This country may not be perfect, but it is amazing to see the evolution of it.  In my opinion no other country has evolved so rapidly.  How every year,  more barriers are removed as we see our President reaffirming an oath in a Capitol Building which was erect with the hands of slaves. 

All photos except last courtesy of Carla Sanchez

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