The Democratic National Convention is over, but Mia Lilienthal will take home many memories she intends to treasure for years to come."It was really worth it," she said of her trip to Denver.
She mingled with Connecticut's top leaders, attended Lead America programs and witnessed history at Invesco Field when Sen. Barack Obama made his acceptance speech. And along the way, she made new friends, starred in a public service announcement for Rock the Vote and acquired a taste for burritos from Chipotle Mexican Grill.
Lilienthal's time in Denver was unlike the experiences of other Record-Journal bloggers.
A high school student, she was able to attend the convention by participating in a Lead America program that came with its own schedule and rigor. Getting to the Pepsi Center and Invesco Field was often a challenge, and she did not always get to see the convention live. Instead, she went to watch fests--gatherings in Denver where people watched the excitement on television.
But those watch fests were never dull, Lilienthal said, noting that one night she watched the convention with members of the Kennedy family and several celebrities.
And Lilienthal said she was never far from the action. Those from Connecticut often reached out to her and two other Connecticut students involved in the Lead America program, inviting them to several events and finding them excellent seats at Invesco Field.
"I felt like V.I.P.," she said.
Lilienthal recalls one breakfast event fondly.
"Guess who walked in? Robert Kennedy Jr.," she said. "Our jaws were on the floor."
Lilienthal said it was the other people from Connecticut who helped make her trip to Denver one to remember.
"Everyone from Connecticut was really, really welcoming," she said.
Lilienthal will return to Connecticut today with many pictures, pieces of confetti from Thursday's convention celebration and a sign she was given.
"It says "change," and it's the coolest thing ever," she said.
- Reported by Amanda Falcone
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