We've officially kicked-off!

The "Mo"torcoach is moving! The Motorcoach is moving! Yes, it's true - our crew left D.C. after a rousing send-off at the Capitol (more in a minute), has already stopped in Philly, and is currently wrapping up their time in NYC with a day in the Bronx. Whew! It's been a whirl-wind week, but I'm here to give you the best recap I can of our time in D.C. (mostly, the alumni meet-up and the kickoff event). More posts (and photos!) will be coming by Monday, so stay tuned…


Sunday morning, June 10th, dawned overcast and muggy - the perfect combination for an early run! Since it was my first time in D.C., and my long-lost luggage had finally arrived, it was a good time to both sightsee and put my work-out clothes to good use. I took off around seven and ran past the Capitol, down the mall, up the hill to the Washington Monument, and down to the Lincoln Memorial. And for a girl who doesn't consider herself overly "patriotic," I got a bit choked up. The sight of the actual structures, the feel of place, the knowledge that so.much.had.happened.here, the humility and gratitude I felt immediately – it was almost too much. So I ran, and cried, and ran, and cried.

I got lost on my way back to the hotel, though, and my awe quickly turned to panic/hilarity (depending on whether you’re me, or someone else) as I sprinted around the Capitol like a hamster on a wheel trying to figure out exactly which way to go.

By the time I got back, showered, and breakfast-ed, it was time to meet up with the 13 bus riders/Legacy Tour Interns and, in a way, pass the torch to them. The hand-off was successful (though how could it not be – have you guys *met* any Udall Scholars? They.get.things.done.) and by mid-day on Monday, each rider knew our main messages, the details of the itinerary, who was doing what, and, most importantly, how to reach me if Muter got a little too tyrannical. (Just kidding, that would never happen.)

Monday night was our first alumni meet-up at Stetson’s Bar+Grill. Eli and I went a little early, and he treated me to a fantastic cupcake from “Cake Love” on the way (thanks, Eli!). I knew we were off to a great start when the other riders showed up in their totally awesome tour tshirts (you’ll get one if you attend a meet-up!) and Jacob Phelps (’05 + ’06 Scholar) strolled up the stairs at 6pm sharp. Other notable alums in attendance (you’re all notable! I love you guys!) were: Meg Boyle, Billy Parish, Dan Jones (and Amy!), Bryan Mercier, Alex Dewar, Linus Chen (and some of you were quite excited to finally meet the man behind the emails), several members of the 2007 Congressional Intern class (Travis Tso, the lone male intern, Chia Halpern, Kathryn Hoyt, and Roxanne Thomas), and 2007 Scholar, Courtney Timmons (brave girl!). It was a pretty tame night, but great to see everyone and have them meet the riders.

The best thing about Tuesday was that I got to see Robert Heilmayr (’05 Scholar)! Okay, okay – lots of fan-tastic stuff happened on Tuesday, obviously, but seeing Robert was definitely a highlight (another was seeing the Presidential motorcade sweep down New Jersey Avenue). We had more alums come out for the kickoff, and almost the entire 2007 intern class (thanks, Colin!). I’d go into more detail about the whole kickoff event, but we’ll do that enough on the webpage and in other blogs.
It was awesome, in large part to Eli’s quick thinking and excellent organizational skills, and, of course, to the messages coming from the speakers themselves. Senator Bernard Sanders of Vermont was up first and spoke passionately about energy independence. Then we heard from Congressman Peter Welch, also of Vermont, and the wonderful Arizona contingent of Representatives Gabrielle Giffords, Harry Mitchell, and Raul Grijalva. Congressman Nick Rahall of West Virginia gave the crowd a little more insight into what it was like working with Mo Udall, and Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior (and Udall Foundation Board Member), Lynn Scarlett, was able to beautifully articulate the big picture of the Legacy Bus Tour, what we’re trying to do, who we’re trying to reach, and why it’s important.

Last, but never least, Congressman Mark Udall showed up fresh from a flight back to D.C. to wrap us up (though not before Anne (Udall) could poke a bit of fun at he and Tom (Udall) for, again, leaving the work to the women).

The coolest part, for me, was seeing each member of Congress address the riders and wish them luck. It was clear they knew what a special group we have, and were excited to be apart of it. Aren’t we all?

Waving goodbye to the motorcoach and the riders Tuesday afternoon was hard. I wasn’t quite ready to let them go (though the last-minute hug from Jenny Vazquez definitely helped). But they’re moving, and my heart will be with them every step of the way.

That’s it. I’ve officially become too cheesy for my own good. Signing off, Melissa M.