High school is all about experiences, whatever it may be high school is a time to remember. You remember school dances, football games, pep rally, sleepovers, parties, and time with all your friends. After this past Wednesday I added another to the list, school field trips.

I was given the opportunity to spend the day in our nation’s capital Washington D.C. This was a trip I will not forget I was given the chance to view the newest Smithsonian museum The African History Museum.

First you begin in the bottom of the museum making you feel as if you are in the bottom of a ship. It’s claustrophobic, dark, and crowded all adding the effect of the tragic stories and facts you take in. As you travel up through the exhibit you travel through time all the way up to present day.

After you travel from the 1400’s up until 2016 you go up escalators learning more about African American culture. I walked through the sports exhibit which was beyond fascinating.

After touring the museum I earned a new respect for African Americans as I truly learned the hardships they have overcome throughout the years. From slavery to sit in’s to riots to voting rights making an astonishing amount of progress after years of oppression.

Next my group and I traveled to & pizza a delicious lunch a few blocks from the Washington Mall. The best way to describe it is a hipster pizza place with the same set up as chipotle. I ordered a pizza with basal pesto sauce, mozzarella cheese, broccoli, and chicken. I accompanied this with a fruity passionfruit soda.

Once we arrived back at the mall we viewed to capital building and the Washington monument. We boarded the buses at 2:30 pm and got on our way home. Despite the traffic I had a great time going too in from as we watched movies, played the new Kendrick Lamar album, and shared lots of laughs.

Any chance you get to go learn outside the classroom, take it. Going to a predominantly white school it was important to learn about African American heritage as I am not surrounded by many African Americans daily I truly learned a lot.  I also got to see the Nations Capial that we take advantage of having just in our back yard.

Field trips are of great value and there should be more opportunities given to students. I would go on another in a heartbeat I had a grand time.