I was on the fence deciding if I wanted to attempt to obtain a ticket to Obama's farewell address. I went to bed early (9 PM!) and set an alarm for 4 AM to see how I felt. The alarm went off, I was wide awake, and I decided to go for it. I skipped the train and took an Uber and arrived in line at 5:50 AM. The door did not open till 6AM and tickets would not be distributed till 8 AM so I was in for a wait...
At 5 degree whether it was not a pleasant experience. People were skeptic and concerned if they were in the correct line or whether they would receive a ticket. Waking up at 4 AM I was very optimistic. However, after an hour and a half in the cold I could no longer feel my toes! Once we were able to get inside the ballroom it was an additional wait. I definitely did not regret the experience but it showed how the power of one individual would drive people to wish them farewell.
