Return &
Reflections
11 January 2015
The two-week
adventure came to a close with a little drama, a wee bit of fast walking, and a
warm “welcome back!” from students’ families.
The day started with our meeting at 7am to check out of our digs and
await the van ride to the airport. One
nice perk of working with Milne Travel to book much of the trip was the
transportation ready to whisk us to and from Fiumicino, Rome’s main
airport. One notable moment on the ride
to the airport was a first for any of us during our time in the Eternal City: a
car was pulled over by police for an apparent traffic violation. The traffic at times had the makings of a
dance of madness, although we became quite adept at taking the natives’ plunge
of making vehicles come to a stop for us at crosswalks. And blaring horns were a rarity, despite small
cars and mopeds making zipping moves that would have turned most stateside
operators apoplectic.
After
overhearing students’ plans of what movies they would digest during the 10-hour
flight to Philadelphia, it was mildly surprising the lack of grumbling that met
our slightly older carriage—the seatbacks lacked the individual video screens
they had enjoyed on the trip’s geodesic route eastward. In retrospect, this is hardly surprising: this
was a resilient group that met difficulties head-on, knowing that this trip of
a lifetime was to be savored. Class
meetings saw perfect attendance and (for the most part) attention, nary an
assignment skipped; group activities elicited appreciation for and good
questions of our knowledgeable guides, with little clamoring for a bench to
rest oh-so-weary 20-year-old bones; the loss of four students’ phones brought
unity, not discord. (Indeed, dear
reader, heed the warnings concerning pick-pockets preying on those drinking in
the glory of their surroundings!)
So we fell into
our own travel routines: conversations ensued (at a respectful level—no “ugly
Americans” this bunch), music listened to, naps enjoyed, neck pillows
deployed. And Michele took advantage of yet
another opportunity to process pictures on the laptop. Although the Photoshop book she brought retains
its unbent binding, her previous experience was evident on a daily basis to you
readers, her three to five hours of daily processing and uploading effort
giving a visual complement to the students’ writing.
Next up: US
airspace and the time-pit that is the Philadelphia airport. That we landed a half hour late did not
help. The new kiosk system for passport
control is a welcomed change, even though the portraits they render make DMV
machines appear to be glamour magazine equipment. Consequently, customs went
more smoothly than I have experienced in the past, although one student’s
honesty about her Kinder eggs put her in a slower line. It is the airport’s subsequent security
checkpoint that is the bottleneck, unchanged from years past. Consequently, all needed to walk briskly to
the gate for our connecting flight to Boston, the last of us making it with a
scant five minutes before the airplane door was shut.
The last leg to
Boston went quickly, little more than 40 minutes of flight time. This was followed by the highlight of family
members welcoming us at baggage claim.
Hugging and brief catching up ensued, as each student took his or her leave
once checked bags were retrieved. Only
one piece was delayed (mine), coming on the following flight a half-hour later;
and the school credit card made one last attempt at aggravating this weary
traveler, refusing to work at the parking ticket payment booth.
But I am
practiced at putting such trivialities aside, as we had completed a most
wonderful educational experience, a highlight for all involved. Food delighted, sights elevated, and math
happened.
carlb
