I am currently living History. Today Barack Obama sworn in the Oath of office as President of the United States for the second time during a touching Inauguration ceremony. Learn about all the preparations and how my experience was!

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When exploring the nation´s capital and the broader country, you´re welcome to use this USA travel guidebook, as well as this other guide about Washington DC, both by Lonely Planet, to plan your stay and make the most out of it. I hope you’ll find them helpful!

The day before the Inauguration

Yesterday was a sunny day and I took advantage of it to walk around the streets of Washington DC. My purpose was to check in on the Inauguration preparations and observe how people were living this historic event.

I headed to the National Mall and the atmosphere was vibrant. Despite the cold, many people flocked to the streets, from families with small kids to street vendors selling all kinds of Inauguration merchandising. Even the CNN and other news channels were reporting live from there.

Last night, countless “balls” were organized throughout the city. The eyes around the world are set on this city and I’m so excited!

Obama’s second Inauguration

There were no excuses this morning. I was anxious to experience first-hand this Inauguration Day!

I walked to the National Mall with one of my flatmates and his girlfriend. It was cold but many people were happily walking in the same direction as we were. We saw plenty of volunteers and soldiers helping out along the way.

We sat on the grass for hours, patiently waiting until the stars of the show started popping in: Beyoncé (who would later sing the American anthem), Bill and Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and finally the Obama family.

We followed the swearing-in ceremony on one of the giant screens that was arranged in the Mall. I was so carried away by this emotional event that I almost cried!

Later on, I walked to nearby Pennsylvania Avenue to try to catch a glimpse of the Inaugural parade. The Obamas got off the Presidential car not too far from where I was standing, but I could barely see them due to all the people around me. As you can imagine, there were tight security measures in place for the occasion and I even saw snipers on the roofs.

Anyway, I was there, I witnessed History. Good night and good luck Mr. President!

How did you like this post about Obama´s second Inauguration? Have you ever attended an Inauguration Day in person? Feel free to leave your questions and comments below.

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