Last year, the members of the St. Louis Archdiocese were left in despair as they had to cancel the annual Pro-Life trip due to the weather. This year, however, Generation Life STL was back and better than ever. Two thousand people from the St. Louis area braved the long bus ride and traveled to Washington, D.C. from January 25-29 to show their support for all life. After the cancellation of last year’s trip, everyone was determined to make this year’s march the most successful.

The Pro-Life March, which was held Friday, January 27, is an event in which people have the chance to speak out and protest against abortion and euthanasia. Although the bus ride there is a haul (18 whole hours), the trip is well worth all the sleepless nights. From the march, to sightseeing, to just walking around the city, Washington, D.C. is a great place to learn about our history and see what makes America what it is today.

A big part of the trip included the programs which are run by the Generation Life STL team. They consisted of skits, talks and adoration. There were two speakers present at the programs on Thursday and Friday night. The first was a woman named Melissa Ohden who was a survivor of a failed abortion. The second was a man named John Foppe who was born with no arms. Both emphasized the importance of life and how to make the most of their diffucult situations.

During my tiresome but exciting four-day trip, I had the chance to not only march alongside inspiring and strong people, but was also able to make memories in the hotel, at the programs and around the city. Senior and protest marcher Lauren Basse put together a video which portrays all the fun adventures of the trip.

Although I was thoroughly exhausted at the end of each day, I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world. I think that standing up for what you believe in is essential in this modern day. I encourage all the underclassmen to go on the trip in the future as it was an experience I will never forget.