On the way to Inauguration

January 15. 11:45 p.m.

Hi everyone,

We are less than a week away from the most historic presidential election of our lifetime. Barack Obama will be sworn in as our 44th President on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at noon on the steps of the capital building. I am very grateful that I will be in attendance to witness this monumental occasion.

My name is Jake Sutera and I am a freshman journalism major at Northeastern University. I was born and raised in Queens, New York. I hope this blog will serve as a place where you can get a sense of what it's like to be in the nation's capital in the days leading up to the event. Whatever your political affiliation, it is impossible to ignore the magnitude of this moment in our history. With the economy in shambles and the turmoil in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States is at a crossroads. The weight of the country falls on President-elect Obama's shoulders as he tries to unite the country in a way that seemed unimaginable during the Bush presidency.

I will be taking an 11:30 a.m. bus from Boston's South Station on Friday the 16th (today), transferring to another bus in NYC and arriving in Washington DC at approximately 9 p.m. - a very long day of traveling. I am lucky enough to have a friend that is attending George Washington University, a campus that is mere blocks from the inaugural festivities, so I will be right in the thick of things all weekend. I will be attending the Inaugural Opening Concert on Sunday afternoon that will feature performances by Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Bono and a whole slew of other artists. I was also fortunate enough to be selected by Congressman Anthony Weiner of New York to receive two tickets to the swearing in ceremony on the 20th, so I will be one of 240,000 ticketed people standing in front of the capital as Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his first speech as President of the United States.

It should be a busy weekend. I am planning on posting nightly entries on this blog, informing you guys of the day's happenings and anything else I feel is notable. If anyone has any comments or questions about anything going on in DC this weekend feel free to comment and I'll do my best to answer. Be sure to check back and to follow the news in the coming days. You don't need to be in Washington to be a part of this special occasion.

Thanks, and I'll speak to you soon,
-Jake