#FoundOurPark-November Project DC

Dear Mr. Vogel,

Like you, I remember the first time I heard about November Project. I remember my roommate telling me about the new workout group the guy she was dating introduced her to. I remember being confused. “So they just, like, get together and run up the stairs?” Yup. She mentioned that the people were also really friendly. I’d run competitively through middle school, high school, and then college. I missed working out with people who pushed each other. But I was a year out of college, and that year of interning and waitressing in DC with zero workouts had taken its toll. I was desperately looking for a way to get in shape. But I made excuses-it’s too early, I’m too out of shape, I don’t want to feel slow, what if people AREN’T as nice as she says, it sounds too hard-and I never went. It took 18 months and many solitary miles and hours for me to get up the courage to go.

Mr. Vogel, I don’t have a lot of regrets in life (none, in fact), but I regret those 18 months of being afraid to #JustShowUp. Deeply.

Fast forward to September 16, 2015. I couldn’t tell you why, but I finally set my alarm to 4:30 am, laced up my running shoes, and ran across the Memorial Bridge to the Lincoln. And I found such an incredible group of people! That workout kicked my ass (there’s no other way to describe it). I was sore for DAYS. I was sore in places I hadn’t been sore in YEARS. But I was hooked. The rest of the day flew by. I was smiling from ear to ear. I told friends, family, roommates, roommates’ dogs (yes dogs can #JustShowUp too), anyone who would listen. “I found my people, Mom! They’re so friendly and dedicated and motivational and NICE. OH, and we get to hug people!” I’d found my tribe. I’d found my community.

I have many other friends in DC, but this is a community. The Brussels terror attack happened on a Tuesday, and I mourned with the rest of the world. I’ve flown through that airport. But I knew I needed to go to November Project the same way I did every Wednesday. I needed a sense of normalcy. I needed a reminder that humanity wasn’t so horrible. I needed to #JustShowUp. I needed a hug. That little piece of community was so needed that morning, and without saying it, we were there for each other.

Community is what we’re all about-the November Project community, and the community of our city. I’ve lived here for almost 4 years, and hadn’t explored any of the places that I’ve gone to on Fridays with November Project. Being at a park or memorial in DC before everyone has woken up is such a unique experience. I can’t put that feeling into words (I’m not sure if there’s a word for it), but it feels sacred. It feels like I’m experiencing those memorials for the first time each time I go (and if you scroll through the #np_dc Instagram feed, you’ll see how many times we’ve all gone. Go check it out. I’ll wait here.).

That feeling that people get from seeing Old Faithful, or marveling at the mountains of Shenandoah, or seeing the sunrise over Denali? I get that feeling from watching the sunrise behind the Washington Monument. When the sun hits the World War II memorial. That’s the feeling I get running over the Memorial Bridge every Wednesday, when I see the Lincoln Memorial rise up before me. That’s the feeling I get when I get to sweat and run and breathe with these beautiful people every week. Not being able to run the Lincoln stairs isn’t just about finding a new place to work out. It’s about being lucky enough to find a new place to experience our nation’s wonderful and incredible history each and every week. And believe me, we know how lucky we are. We are blessed to have found this, and to have had your friendly NPS officers allow us to run the stairs every week (and cheer us on, and sometimes join us). I want to assure you we’re not just a “large organized weekly exercise project of participants running up and down the Lincoln memorial steps.” We’re a community-a November Project community, a DC community. We get how lucky we are. We want to continue to feel that feeling. And we want you to experience it with us.

Because believe me, the first time you put your feet on those stairs and look up towards Abe, you’ll feel something pretty incredible. You’ll remember that day, too.

Regards,

Emma Yourd

November Project DC