A Long Day

I woke up at 2:30 this morning.  I didn’t feel awake at 3:20 when I was driving down to school to meet up with the group.  We stood around, took a few pictures, and then the bus showed up.  I still didn’t feel awake when we were on the bus, but, when I got to the airport, I woke up.  And then it hit me.  I was about to leave for four weeks and take a course at Brown.  But I wasn’t overwhelmed, because I felt ready.

Going through the airport was fun and easy, seeing as there weren’t as many people as it was five in the morning.  The sun was rising as we were waiting at the gate and I took a couple pictures of it; it was really pretty, as you can see below. 

The boarding process was actually remarkably orderly on both flights, which surprised me.  The man I sat next to on the first flight didn’t say a single word, even to the flight attendants.  I slept on the first flight because I hadn’t got much sleep that night, and I felt a lot better after sleeping.  The airport in Chicago was fairly full, at least at the gate.  For some reason they grouped three gates really close together so it was packed when we had to board.

The crowded airport

The second flight was really short, despite the two crying children in my immediate vicinity.  As we were landing I grew more and more excited, as I was that much closer to the beginning of this experience, which I see as being tomorrow morning when we go to Harvard.  It wasn’t too hot in Providence when we landed; I think it was late enough in the afternoon that most of the heat had dissipated.  Our first order of business was getting lost on our way to the hotel, but that just made it that much more satisfying once we finally arrived.  We had a little down time at the hotel to unpack and rest, and then we went out to dinner.

I'm in Room 502

This hotel is fancy--they even have a little bed and treats for dogs!

The dinner was amazing.  We went to the Luxe Burger Bar, and as I said, it was amazing.  They have the option to build your own burger and I decided on a Kobe beef patty on a sesame bun with jalapenos and onions and a fried egg on top, with a side of chili cheese fries.  The burger wasn’t huge, and neither were the fries; it was the perfect amount of food.  We then came back to the hotel, and now I’m writing my blog!  Although I have to get up early, I’m really excited to see MIT and Harvard tomorrow, and to really start this amazing trip.