"You Go One Step Shy of Crazy, What Are You?"

"Obsessed?"
"Passionate!"

So, today was the Philadelphia trip. The day started with my roommate and I both getting a phone call around 6:10 from the kids on the bus...the bus that we were supposed to be on at 6:00. I can't recall the last time I got ready that fast. It was pretty incredible. The ride up to Philly (haha, I just typed "Philly") was basically just me sleeping, and then watching the end of "A More Perfect Union." Then we got to the National Constitution Center.

So I got excited. I mean...this is an important place! We went into the center, watched a little dramatic performance about the Constitution, and then we got to go and do the interactive activities upstairs. There was a wall of people who had influenced the constitution, and a place where you could be sworn in as president. Not to mention the fact that there were questions posted up along the wall, and you were encouraged to answer them and then stick the post-it to the wall. They ensured us that "all comments are recorded by our staff for public opinion." We answered all the questions they asked us, and felt very civically minded.

After that place, we went and got through the security to get into Independence Hall. Our tickets weren't until 12:00, and so we had some time to walk around. There was this little exhibit there that I wanted to look at, and it was pretty well done. When I was leaving, one of the members of the society stopped me and asked me where I was from. He was probably in his late twenties, early thirties. I told him I was from Utah, and then he asked me not to leave before signing the guestbook. The interesting thing was that he didn't ask anyone else to stick around and sign the guestbook, and he'd kind of been following me and this other guy that came in with me from the group around the museum. They had a little embossing machine there that I wanted to stamp my paper with, and the guy comes over to do it for me. He says, "It shows up best on the purple, and the orange. I'm going to stamp the orange, because that's the color shirt you're wearing." He then stamped my book twice, and I left soon afterwards.

Then we went to the tour of Independence Hall. Our tour guide was funny, but in a mostly odd way. He kept making these jokes that were supposed to be really funny...but they kind of annoyed me. I wasn't there to hear stories about how the Yankees won the series in 1776...I was there to see the real historical stuff. It wasn't too bad though, I'm sure he's just trying to make it more entertaining for the people whose parents just drag them there against their will.

After that, we had 4 hours of free time. We first went to get Philly Cheese Steaks...because I don't know how I could have lived with myself if I hadn't...ok, maybe I could have. anyway, it was pretty good, but I think I like the local fare better...honestly. I'm also not the only one--another girl in the program has been to several Philly cheese steak places with me, and she agrees with me. We then went to see the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which include the stairs that Rocky Ran up. Actually...we just went to see the stairs. We rode there on the Phlash bus...which felt like it was going to fall apart at any minute. It was great. I had to run down the stairs to take a picture, and then I ran up the stairs and made sure to do the Rocky Triumphant thing...just like everyone else. Then we walked to another part near the museum to take a picture with the Thinker, and then to catch the Phlash bus back to our other Bus. We had a little time, so a friend and I visited a dollar store and a Ross...where I bought a green fuzzy blanket that was on sale (check out the sheets underneath--it's the fuzz stuff on one side, and the shiny stuff on the other...hideous, but soo soft!). I figured that it was a good functional souvenir from Philly. We then went to a Pizza place for dinner, and then we drove home. This was where I again slept quite a bit, and watched a bit of National Treasure. All in all, it was quite a satisfying day. I got to see a lot of great stuff, and I found out that I'm full of Benergy.