"Nobody is an ax murderer, although there do appear to be a plethera of sorority sisters that might grate on my nerves."
Earlier in the day, my mom actually let a class go early so she could take me to the Greensboro airport. My sister drove. Before I left my sister pulled me aside. "Page, everything you have ever wanted has worked out for you. That won't change now." She made me cry.
I flew up with two others on the program. Natalie and Andrew. Andrew's parents were actually friends of my grandparents from their wildlife conventions. Good lord my grandparents know everybody. We found the gate in Newark, New Jersey. Ugh who would live in the north on purpose?
There were thirty of us in all spending a junior year abroad. 23 girls and 7 boys. Our assistant director, Carolina, checked our names off on a clipboard. Jen was from Bates, and I'd never heard of that school.
And that was letter one.
Reflection:
- Twenty years later I have flown in and out of Newark three more times. Most recently chaperoning a group of teens as they go out to discover Spain themselves.
- When I took my sons to preschool in Madison, CT, I met a lovely woman wearing a Bates hat. I happily told her all about my friend from my junior year abroad in Spain.
- I was having coffee with a friend yesterday on her porch. We saw a hawk swoop down for a dove and fly off. I thought of my grandfather and his wildlife work. Reading about Andrew in today's letter made that even more special. Maybe I'll go to a wildlife summit myself one day.
- My sister is right. Things work out for me. She still makes me cry.
- As for my mom, being a parent changes the way you teach. For her to cancel a class was unheard of before she had children in college. I myself never took late homework until I found Frances' math worksheet completely done, but under her bed.
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