dual personalities

Yesterday I drove #2 son to the airport in Burlington VT to send him off to London for the semester. Here’s the intrepid traveler after checking his luggage

Channeling Dean Winchester

Note that his carry-on included a large backpack, violin, and box of Dunkin’ Donuts munchkins (courtesy of girlfriend Nicole), of which he had already consumed a goodly portion. I don’t suppose any of them made it to England.

Burlington airport is a wonderful place. It’s small, navigable, and the people who work there seem delighted to have someone to serve. Really. In this day and age! Here is the jocular TSA guy greeting Chris as he goes through security.

I know he was ‘jocular’ because Chris told me so on the phone later and because I could see them all laughing. I gather that the other security people were just as willing to crack jokes. I bet it wasn’t like that at JFK.

After I bid him adieu and wiped away a tear or two (well, not quite), I drove to Barnes and Noble and bought the Lumineers CD to listen to on the long, lonely drive home. The music definitely helped keep my spirits up through the choppy ferry ride and the pouring rain. Thanks to my dual personality for introducing me to the Lumineers!

The winter ferry crossing sometimes makes one feel like Shackleton. Admittedly, it wasn’t quite like this yesterday — it was choppier and raining

Though I don’t have an empty nest, the house has that after-the-holidays, back-to-the-grind feeling now. Imagine my delight this morning when I booted up the computer to discover a nice email from the traveler, who has arrived safely in London:

The flight wasn’t too bad, though someone did throw up on me just a little bit. I feel ok and have the whole day off, and the only thing I have tomorrow is cocktails with with Cowser [the program head]. My hosts are lovely people, an older couple, two kids, one out in the real world, one at college. My room is large and comfy and I have excess shelf and drawer space, so I’ll just have to buy lots of stuff.

I’ll have to remind him that however large the furnishings, the suitcases stay the same size. Do you have any advice for him?