My family and I got on a plane on Tues. morning, Dec. 16, to head to my home away from home, Washington, D.C. during Christmas break. Annually, my family and I take a trip to our nation’s capital.

Due to the illness TRAPS we have we are required to take a yearly visit to allow the doctors studying our disease to keep a close eye on the changes of our disease, while also searching for new remedies.

Each year the trip has been an exciting one, with long plane rides, family giggles and eager eyes waiting for results of our previous year’s research. At the National Institutes of Health (NIH) there are a team of doctors working to find out how to allow my family and I to live healthy lives. So far they are doing a marvelous job with the research and procedures.

Each time we go, we make a point to go sight seeing, or at least visiting one museum. Our favorite places to go to, as a family, are the American History Museum and the National Gallery of Art. I also enjoy going to other Smithsonian museums such as Museum of Natural History, The National Zoo, the Air and Space Museum, and many more.–Kathryn Damschen, ’15

Usually, the trip to the NIH takes about a full day, with blood tests, physicals, etc. Our family likes to take extra days to explore the better part of Maryland and Virginia, which surround D.C. Since I can first remember going to D.C., we have always made a family trip out of the experience.

From the time I was three years old, I have the earliest and fondest memories of going to D.C. It is still difficult to have to go to the hospital and get my blood drawn, but the best of the trip is always thoroughly enjoyable. It is also worth going through the hardships of getting blood tested and getting a check up because without all the tests, the doctors would not know what disease I have, and I would not be able to live a normal life.

Each time we go, we make a point to go sight seeing, or at least visiting one museum. Our favorite places to go to, as a family, are the American History Museum and the National Gallery of Art. I also enjoy going to other Smithsonian museums such as Museum of Natural History, The National Zoo, the Air and Space Museum, and many more.

Since I’ve been going to the Nation’s Capitol for as long as I can remember, we do not get to see all the museums every time we go, but each visit, we make a point to go to at least a different museum every time. This past year, we went to the National Gallery of Art, and the National Museum of African Art. Both museums were riveting, and quite appealing to browse through. I personally enjoy art very much, so this was a real treat for me.

My family and I also always make a point to head to Eastern Market on a Saturday morning. Eastern Market is the local flea market in one of the neighborhoods in Eastern D.C. We also try to stop by Capitol Hill Books, which is near Eastern Market. We also went to Midnight Mass at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

We stayed for about 10 days and flew home on Christmas Day, which was quite the experience, because who wants to spend Christmas on a plane all day, right? But I was with family, which is all that mattered; and I got to spend the holiday with my siblings, which is more than I could ever ask for, and the greatest gift I could ever receive.

Follow The Feather via Twitter @thefeather and Instagram @thefeatheronline. This writer can be reached via Twitter: @Kamschend.

For more opinions, read the Jan. 16 article, EDITORIAL: Respecting boundaries of free speech.