Chasing Daylight

WOW, lots of emotions today though I woke up not feeling that different.  Per the norm, I woke up with my dogs laying in my bed and the smell of Dad’s chocolate chip pancakes coming through the vents.  As an aside, having a Dad that will make you homemade chocolate chip pancakes is something of a minor miracle.  Biting into the fluffy cake, smattered with chocolate chips is by far one of the best ways to start to day off in the positive.  As I finished my way through the buffet my Dad made for my last day in KY, it suddenly dawned on me that it was in fact just that…my last day in KY.  I stared across the table at my Mom and realized that I wouldn’t see her for 10 months.  She has been such a pillar of strength for me and the thought of not seeing her for so long brought some tough emotions a little closer to mind.  I stared at my Dad, who was just then starting on course #2 and was tossing some homemade donuts into oil, and realized that I wouldn’t be able to call him up and ask for some of the fatherly advice that I’ve had ready access to for the past 22 years.  Needless to say, I was gaining a little bit of perspective.  I am falling out of the nest, the way baby birds do when they are learning how to fly.  I’ve had the most wonderful and supportive family, including aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, 2^nd cousins, cousin’s kids, etc. and I am leaving all that behind…am I crazy?!  I am getting ready to spend 10 months in Dunedin, New Zealand by way of a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship.  I will be spending my time meeting Kiwis, studying Public Health at the University of Otago, and soaking up every ounce of a country that so many seem to hold in high regards.  Oh…yeah…I hear Dunedin is also home to some pretty amazing brews...

Fast forward through some emotions and some driving, we made it to the airport and that’s where I ran into my first little slip up.  Lo and behold, I’ve packed too much.  The airlines allow you to check luggage that weighs up to 50 lbs without charging a “heavy luggage” fee of $100.  Bag 1 = 54 lbs and Bag 2 = 58 lbs.  I call that 12 lbs of failure.  After failing to heed the advice of my much wiser mother, I just start throwing random stuff out of my bags, including my running shoes.  I call that a “listen to your mother, idiot” failure.  Nevertheless, I got my bags checked and made it to the security line.  Before I stepped into line though, I looked back one last time...and may or may not have felt a few tears well up.  Shh, don't tell anyone though.

My flight to Seattle involved just one connection in Chicago and I made the connection without any problem.  During my Seattle flight, however, I realized something pretty cool.  Seeing as I was headed towards a time zone 3 hours behind my own in KY, I was literally chasing daylight.  We made it into the air and above the clouds before the sun had set and the race was on!  As our place kept speeding towards the horizon, it was a battle between our flying machine and that big fireball in the sky.  Needless to say, we lost.  No harm though because I got to see all the little towns that were lit up with streetlights and car lights…what a sight.  Eventually we hit the mountains and I was greeted with awesome views of snow covered rocks amidst a sea of evergreens…I’m waxing poetic now, be scared.  Just as we were about to descend, my row mates and I start up some friendly conversation.  Come to find out, the lady next to me was traveling with two girls that are opening for Boyce Avenue…a band that I had been listening to during our flight!  Their names are Meg and Liz…here’s a link to some of their stuff!

http://www.youtube.com/user/MeganandLiz

I get my bags and get into a blue Subaru.  Inside this blue Subaru are some pretty awesome folks: Emilie, my cousin, and her two kids, Audrey  and Henry.  Emilie and I are the science people of the family and she’s always been awesome.  Audrey and Henry are here 5 ½ year old daughter and her 3 ½ year old son and I haven’t really had the chance to get to know them until now!  Both of ‘em were watching a movie when I stepped into the car and looked up only briefly to wonder just who the heck I was.  Once we made our way back to the house, we got to do some good talking and became fast friends…at least I hope they think I am cool enough to be friends with!  I was amazed at how smart these kids were!  I was trying to show them where New Zealand was on their globe and was saying “See this line across the middle of the globe…” and Audrey responded with “Uh, you mean the Equator?”  Wow, I was put to shame.  I turned around and Henry was spelling with his fridge magnets…typical children of smart, engineer parents I guess!  What’s more is that I found out Audrey takes Japanese lessons!  They eventually end up getting too tired and head for bed, leaving Cousin Em and I to talk over some tea.  I got the low-down on the Pacific Northwest and composted my first couple of orange slices along the way…10 points for being green!  Needless to say, we had a lot of fun talking and turned in when we just couldn’t stay awake any longer.  I fell back onto the air mattress and passed out quickly, ready to wake up for some Seattle sightseeing!