Playing catch-up: Crayola, Southwest Airlines, College Park, Parents+Puppy, Chipotle

Hello from College Park, Maryland!

I got here on Saturday, and my arrival was pretty surreal. First, I could see Camden Yards from my plane:

Okay, fine, I wasn't this close. Whatever. It was still cool.

And then, when I got picked up, my ride on the beltway including streets and places that I knew! Plus, the radio was set to Hot 99.5, the local pop music station. And I've already seen several Orioles t-shirts! It's almost like I'm home.

I'm almost always asked what the most difficult thing about being on the road is, and my answer is almost always the same: missing family and friends. It's difficult to spend a year on your own, especially when it means that most of the time you're hundreds - even thousands - of miles away from the people you love.

Sometimes, though, you get lucky.

And within the last week, I've gotten lucky twice! This past Thursday, while at Lafayette, I was able to get dinner with some wonderful people I know, and then on Sunday, I was able to eat dinner at home. Like, my real home. With my parents and my dog. It's really been an awesome week.

Just for catch up purposes, here's what else has been going on:

• Wednesday: I ran to the Crayola Factory. I was then the oldest person in the Crayola Factory. Who cares though? I got to see the world's largest crayon and play with melted wax. Cooool.
• Thursday: I was able to get dinner with people I love, and had this awesome burger that had bacon jam on it. What is bacon jam? I'm not sure either, but it's delicious and tastes kind of like BBQ sauce.
• Friday: I left Lafayette for Rutgers, where I was able to eat at Tastee Subs, just like President Obama! I was able to spend another night with some wonderful women.
• Saturday: I flew from Newark to BWI. For the first time, I had to be pat down following the big people scannin' machine. The machine picked up a zipper in my dress, which was cause for the pat down. As a positive, it definitely made me feel safer -- a zipper is so small! I also reconfirmed my love for Southwest Airlines, who made my day better with free peanuts, Diet Dr. Pepper, and smiling flight attendants. OH. And free checked bags. Also that.
• Sunday: Got to see my parents and my dog!!! Also got to help facilitate a Recruitment Prep Workshop -- the recruitment nerd in me had the best time, and I'm so excited for next weekend to get here so that recruitment can start!
• Monday: Thanks to a free morning/afternoon, was able to run with my dad and my dog around a local lake. It was fun and challenging all at the same time. My meetings started in the afternoon, and the chapter even took me out for frozen yogurt afterwards!

And that brings me to today. The only real thing I've done of note is gotten to go to Chipotle and have the burrito I've been craving. Otherwise, I've been working on reports and preparing for tonight's meetings and RPWs.

I should also probably stop eating all of the candy my mom sent me back to Maryland with... oops.