Philly

So I'm 2,500 miles from home in Philadelphia. I'm doing a Urology rotation at Albert Einstein Medical Center. The medical students have weekends off, so I got to see a little of what the area has to offer. I went for a beautiful run in downtown Philly:

The path went along this beautiful river, and there were many regatta races going on. Along the path was the Philadelphia museum where Rocky runs up the stairs. There is even a statue of the famous event. So of course my trusty ipod had "The Eye of the Tiger" and I put it on, ran up the stairs and jumped around with my arms in the air. It was a little embarrassing because there were a lot of people around, but I just couldn't resist.

I also spent some time at Independence Hall, and saw the Liberty Bell. It was a surreal experience. I was not able to get a ticket to go in the Hall, nor did I have time to wait in the long line to see the bell, but I had a sweet time. It was almost a sacred moment to contemplate the events that went on in the assembly room. It was in the Assembly Room of this building that George Washington was appointed commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1775 and the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. In the same room the design of the American flag was agreed upon in 1777, the Articles of Confederation were adopted in 1781, and the U. S. Constitution was drafted in 1787. Some day I'll go in the room.

After doing all this, seeing the bell, and grabbing a bite to eat, I started back to the car to head back for the day. My heart dropped as I realized I didn't have my keys. I frantically looked everywhere, retraced my steps, checked with the lost and found. My cell phone was almost dead. I was done for. After a while I went back to the car to see if I had locked the keys inside. When I came upon the car (along the busy streets of downtown Philly), I found this:

I can't believe I still have my car today. Everything was in the car, everything. I was gone for probably an hour and a half. So ya... pretty lucky.

Sunday after church I went to Valley Forge. It is a fascinating place in our history, that you can read about here. Basically after the British took the capital Philadelphia, Valley Forge is where Washington and 12,000 men camped to maintain pressure and monitor the British. Today it is full of grassy areas, running/walking trail, picnic tables and areas. When I was there the place was full of people; families on a picnic, couples falling in love, runners, people flying kites.
When I walked though Washington's Headquarters, it was humbling to know and imagine walking in the very place where Washington had been. When I walked through the fields of grass, my minds eye took me back and put me there. I wondered if I would have questioned fighting in this war. I wonder if I would have questioned whether or not I would have made it out alive. I wondered if my toes would have been cold. I like to think I would have been right there with General Washington, supporting him 100%, fighting for the cause of liberty.

I apologize for the long post. This was my weekend in Philly. I miss you Aubree, Addy, and baby Hope; this weekend would have been a lot funner with you. Can't wait to see you guys.