They are actually letting me do this?

I spent the weekend in Washington, DC at the Teachers for Global Classrooms Global Education Symposium 2016.  It was an amazing experience from beginning to end!  My nerves were starting to get the best of me before I left and I was asking myself many questions:
     "Can I really do this?"
     "Did they really pick me for this?"
     "Am I really going to be on a plane for 22+ hours?"
The more immediate question was "Am I really going to drive into DC by myself tomorrow?"  After reaching out to my best friend Emily, a fellow lover of travel, I realized that the answer to all of these questions was an emphatic "Yes!"

Mistakes I made during this trip:

• Using my built-in navigation! It may or may not have taken me several tries to get the hotel programmed in and begin my trip.
• I was so mesmerized by the thought of a tunnel (395 in DC) with an exit in the tunnel that I actually missed my exit.
• I pulled into the hotel wanting directions to the parking garage not realizing I was valeting my car.  I am embarrassed to admit that I might have forgotten to tip, too!  I did tip when my car was returned, but I was still confused about who to tip-the doorman or the valet.
• I went to check out my room and my key wasn't working, but then I realized I was at the wrong room!  Fortunately, that room was not occupied, yet. 
• I went through security at the Capitol Building with a wrist full of metal bracelets and I didn't get why the alarm is going off.  Thankfully, the guard was very patient with me.
• While on my tour of the Capitol Building, I was shushed by a security guard for briskly walking in my high heels to catch up with my group after I agreed to take a picture for two friends.  He did smile after the shush.
• I was at the Meet and Greet and I drop an appetizer on the floor within 10 minutes of being there.
• I forgot my phone charger and my hair gel at home!  Who does this?
• I went out to dinner with my travel group and spent all of my cash at dinner, not remembering that I had to pay for Uber to get back to the hotel.  Fortunately, my principal was there to help me out.
• I drank at Diet Mountain Dew at 9:00 pm and woke up with the worst headache in the world.

What I did right during this trip:

• I met an amazing group of people!
• I learned more about my International Field Experience.
• I ate delicious Filippino food at the Purple Patch.
• I got a much-needed dose of inspiration from Wangari Maathai's hummingbird video!
• I survived driving in DC and I got my Library of Congress library card.
• I learned that while I am not as well-traveled as many in my travel cohort, I am ready to take on the challenge of traveling to the Philippines in June.

It is important not to expect perfection in travel.  It's the mistakes that often make for the best stories!