Back to Washington
Tomorrow morning, July 1, I'll board the 5 a.m. Amtrak back to Washington, D.C., for America 250. As the train rolls toward our nation's capital, I know I'll be thinking about that freezing night before Inauguration Day 2025—13 hours in the cold with no idea what was ahead. I never imagined my excitement would be seen by people around the world or that I'd one day return carrying three pieces of White House correspondence, including a hand-signed letter from the President of the United States. It's a reminder that one heartfelt moment can lead to a journey you never could have imagined. 🇺🇸
Heading Back for America 250
Tomorrow morning at 5 AM, I board the new NextGen Acela in First Class from Boston South Station, heading back to Washington, D.C. for America 250 — our nation’s 250th birthday celebration.
I already know the moment that train pulls out of South Station, the tears are going to come.
A little over 18 months ago, I felt a deep calling in my heart. About a month before Election Day 2024, I knew — if President Trump won, I needed to be in Washington, D.C. on Inauguration Day 2025. Despite my family telling me it was too dangerous, I trusted that feeling and went anyway.
I stood outside Capital One Arena for 13 hours in freezing cold. When President Trump and First Lady Melania entered, “Hail to the Chief” played four times. After everything they had been through, I couldn’t hold back anymore.
The shy kid from Westonka Public Schools, who was always too afraid to talk to girls growing up, stood up and shouted from the bottom of his soul: “We love you, Mr. President!”
The President turned around, pointed directly at me, and Melania waved. That moment was broadcast live around the world.
Every major media outlet rejected my story. So I created weloveyoumrpresident.com and took it global on my own — now viewed in 42 countries with over 6,300 visits.
The White House has now officially confirmed my story three separate times, including a personal hand-signed letter from the President of the United States. Those letters are now preserved in the National Archives.
This week, I took my parents to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed. We then traveled to Boston to walk the Freedom Trail, visiting Lexington and Concord — where the first shots of the American Revolution were fired in 1775, “the shot heard round the world.”
Today we had lunch at the original Cheers bar because my parents have been longtime fans of the show.
And tomorrow, we ride the new high-speed Acela in First Class with ocean views along the coast as we travel from Boston back to Washington, D.C.
I’m heading back to the same city where my life changed forever — this time to celebrate America 250, the 250th anniversary of American independence.
My heart feels full. I’ve been validated by the White House three times, yet I’m keeping it open. Because I know someday, some woman will want to know the full story of how the shy kid from Westonka went from being afraid to speak… to shouting his way into the National Archives.
I had no idea that trusting my heart on a cold January night would lead me here.
Washington, D.C., I’m coming home.
