I can’t believe it’s over! Although I’m exhausted, our time in Washington DC really flew by. We’ve created so many memories, and I know I’ll cherish them forever.
This morning, we got on the bus at 9:00 am to start toward the Baltimore Airport. Along the way, we drove by the Iwo Jima Memorial, next to Arlington Cemetery. It was inspiring to see the famous statue of three troops raising our flag after a hard-fought battle.
Finally, we arrived at the airport in Baltimore. After going through security and eating lunch, we are about to get on the plane and take off around 1:05 pm. St. Louis here we come! Ok... We are still on the ground. Takeoff has been delayed because of the weather...
An hour and 40 minutes later, we touched down in St. Louis. I hugged many of my friends and said goodbye... Several times! I really can’t believe how close this group has grown in such a short time! We saw so many unbelievable sights together, experienced new things and laughed through most of it. I plan to keep in touch with many of them, and I hope we have a reunion one day soon.
Lonnie picked us up and took several pictures of our group. Mike Marsch was great! He made everyone feel like one huge family. We really appreciate all of the work Mike and Nikki put into making this the best trip ever! Hey Missouri! Hey Mike! 1, 2, 3, 4... We loaded up the Yukon and hit the road. We talked about everything we saw while in Washington, D.C. WOW! I still can't believe we spent a week in our nation's capitol!
I’ll also forever be grateful to my electric cooperative, Cuivre River Electric, for giving me this opportunity. Thank you to the Cuivre River Electric Board of Directors, General Manager/CEO Dan L. Brown, Mary Jane Clark and the 58,500 Cuivre River member/owners. I now know and truly understand what a cooperative is all about. I hope to one day become a cooperative member/owner and share in this amazing principle. A special “Thank You” goes out to Lonnie Tucker for making our summer one of the best times ever! Thanks to Mike and everyone at the Association of Missouri’s Electric Cooperatives for making this trip to Washington, D.C. possible. It was truly the trip of a lifetime! Thank you!
Your 2010 Youth Tour Delegates: Zachary Brown, Ellyn Bruckerhoff, Megan Costello, Amy Koonce, Bethany Reller, and Emily Wynn.