andave's place

Somewhere between Ohio and Virginia:

ALMOST THERE!!! Goodbyes this morning weren’t bad - nobody cried. I was proud of my family; I had been expecting teary eyes all around. Maybe it was too early in the morning for that . We left home at 3 A.M. and it was odd saying goodbye to my bedroom. I told Treebeard and the Argonath to guard the fort, and felt strangely comforted by all the “ghosts” of the people in my room. The ghosts being, of course, the people crammed into my books. They’ll keep themselves in good company. I can already see it:
Midnight. Lord Peter and some of my friends from Middle-earth are with me, but I’ll have Lord Peter and Harriet start the party anyway, since I only took one Lord Peter book with me. I expect Rasolnikov and Alyosha will be next, although Rasolnikov will be looking askance at Alyosha, not knowing what to make of him. Tartuffe will slink in with Sherlock Holmes and Watson following him - Holmes is disguised as an attractive young woman as a method of attracting the lowlife Tartuffe. Who’s missing? Ah, Hector. Paris and the gods are NOT invited. Although, I suppose Peter’ll let Odysseus in. In fact, I think he’d really enjoy meeting Odysseus. Both are tricksters in their own way.
Well, enough. Or else I’ll make myself want to go back home, and I don’t really want to.
Back to the airport. I got through security and found my gate without a hitch. After about half an hour we boarded, and I was really pleased with my aisle seat and my companions! One was an older guy who slept most of the time, his mouth half open. Once in a while he’d mumble something to me pleasantly. The guy next to the window kept having to use the restroom but he thanked us so genuinely, with a hearty smile, we didn’t mind.
It was an interesting experience, being actually independent and flying alone. I could tell people thought I was a bit young (apparently I look like a twelve year old.) and it was weird looking at my body and trying to see an adult but only seeing me.

In Dulles Airport, at Starbucks:
To continue: The flight passed fairly quickly. I spent most of the time listening to music, and it was great to use my new noise-canceling headphones. I savored every moment of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, among other things, and didn’t even bother watching the in-flight movie.
Cincinnati was disgustingly hot and humid. It was horrible!! I was really glad I only had a short layover in Cincinnati, only long enough to find my gate and eat before I had to board.
But of course, I just had to board the wrong plane, thanks to a mixup with the boarding bridges. I realized something was wrong when I was the first person onboard when there had been so many people checking in before me. Then a really brusque lady asked me if I was in the right seat. Argh. Well, I was able to run off the plane and onto my actual flight with plenty of time to spare.
The flight between Ohio and Virginia felt so short it was kind of funny. An hour, although we took around half an hour before we were able to actually take off. I disembarked and got my luggage only to find that the outside pocket on one had torn and I had lost a piano book. This really nice man (bellhop?) helped me cart my stuff around to the agent, who gave me a number to call for reimbursement. She gave me a new luggage, but I refused it because I don’t have room for it here and it would be really hard to cart it around with me until I get to PHC.
So, I went to Hertz then. The family I’m staying with till tomorrow is renting a car from Hertz, and my dad is a station manager at a Hertz back in California. He had called the Hertz here in Dulles Airport and arranged it with the station manager so that I can leave my luggage there and come back and hang out at the airport. That was supremely helpful, because I have two huge luggages, a carryon, and my laptop backpack. And the ton of food my mom insisted on sending with me, because everyone starves to death on a minimal amount of food in twelve hours.
Actually I’m not sure if it’s twelve hours. I left at 5:40 California time, and it’s now 3:30, California time. Say, what happens to the three hours in the interim? Weird - I lived in a time that doesn‘t exist. If I go back to California will I find it again?
I hitched a ride back to the airport on the Hertz bus and struck up a conversation with the bus driver. It was actually really a cool experience, and a blessing as well. We got to talking about college and I told her about PHC and wanting to be a literature professor and what I hope to accomplish with that. I think I’ve blogged about my reasons before, but if not: in a nutshell, it’s to show people how literature widens horizons, improves the mind, describes humanity’s reactions to the intangible and to art and to principles and morals, and etc. and etc. and etc. Right away she picked up on my wanting to teach adults, rather than the more pliable children. I always say my reason for wanting to teach adults is the selfish thing about my career choice - I don’t want to deal with high schoolers and annoying smart-alecks. I choose to teach adults because I want to show them that they are capable of more. It seems to me that most adults get into this set mind frame, this set zone, that they never get out of. Yet another aspect of literature is that it shows what could be, as well as how different people react, to different situations. If people can see that - if I can show people that - and God uses me to help them realize that they can do much much more than what they are doing now - what is not possible?
She smiled when I mentioned God. “You just came to the sum of the equation,” she told me. “God. May God bless you richly, strengthen you, and comfort you.”
I can’t express how encouraging that was. Really, at this point in my life, when a new part is beginning, to have THAT said to me. I really think this is where God wants me at now, and it’s such an encouragement. Even if I can’t afford PHC next year I’m now doubly more excited to see where God will take me and to find the hints He will give me that I am going in the way He has planned for me.
So now I’m back at the airport, listening to some slow annoying music at a Starbucks. Something about catching the wind. They were playing Ella Fitzgerald earlier, and it sounded much better than this stuff. Anyways, I was so hot I got a venti Java Chip frappucino, but…it’s HUGE! And it’s really sweet. I’ve been sipping on it for over an hour and I think I‘m about to give up...