The Journey Begins...

I'm off! We've been in the air about half an hour. My flight was delayed for thirty minutes because mechanics had to go aboard to reconnect the tubing to the oxygen tanks. I always find it particularly comforting when they have to perform unschedueld maintenance just before I board a plane. The good thing is they've sped up the plane so the flight time is 4.5 hours instead of 5 hours and change.

It's actually been a little bit of a disappointing experience, the first I've had with this airline. The in-flight entertainment system, including reading lights, flight attendant call buttons, tv screens, GoGo, and radio, are all broken. Also, the reading lights turn on and off randomly which wakes up the two year old in arms sitting next to me. She and her mom are nice, and the mom is smart--she gave the kid some travel medicine to make her sleep most of the way there!

We should be landing in about three and a half hours now, so I'll hopefully be off to the hotel and checked in with a tiny bit of time to do some sight seeing before registration.

Post-Commencement

Graduation (ahem, sorry, Commencement) was superb. They haven't changed much about it since the 1700's, so the meeting begins with all the ancient little shriveled alumni marching in and the county sheriff rides in on a horse and bangs his staff on the stage to call order. (Can you imagine being elected sheriff then finding out that part of your job?) It was lovely to have family there, and I was glad the ceremonies were solemn but positive and not sappily tear-jerking as many high school graduations are.

With all that successfully wrapped up (and friends still firmly connected via gchat), I'm back at my parents preparing to head to China. I've amassed most of the clothes I want to take but still need to get my pack, some khakis, a flashlight, etc. Lots of odds and ends to wrap up in the next couple weeks. Also, my grandpa might or might not be having surgery in another state, so that's added a level of intrigue to planning. Fortunately, it's not too serious, but it might be difficult to be away from home the last week I'm in the states.

I'm thoroughly enjoying following the China facebook group. Also fervently hoping we don't get quarantined like Mayor Nagin. I guess it wouldn't be too bad because the whole plane load of us would be together...?

Beginning?

According to the highly ritualized (and largely Latin) ceremony I will go through tomorrow, this is the beginning of my life--the commencement. But, I've done so much living already. It's interesting to think that of all that as...prologue.

Comrades!

Perhaps that is a poor title choice...Anyhow, I had a delightful brunch with two folks who will be in my Peace Corps group. We have very different backgrounds, but we also have a lot in common, and it made me feel much better when we were comfortable with each other quite quickly.

I did feel a little young and less experienced with living abroad. From the brunch (and from the Facebook group), I've noticed that most people have lived and taught abroad for at least a year. It will be interesting to see if my experience in teaching more academic English will even things out a bit.