Home Safely. Still Processing the Long Weekend, & the Great Whatever's Work on a Flight from Denver to Chicago. Amazing Coincidence.

First of all, airports and pre-Thanksgiving travel are simply ridiculous. The Denver Airport is also huge, and I took the train in to bypass the insanity of the $80 taxi commute. Then, check-in was absolutely bonkers with the tremendous crowds and the signs were all misleading and confusing to get to where I needed to be. The morning session with Dave went great, but I wasn't sure I'd make it to my gate in time.

I did. And I read. Upon landing, however, the woman next to me struck up a conversation and we talked books, stories, research, etc. when it all of a sudden occurred to her to share one of her books, Other Words for Home, which absolutely blue my brain because not only have I used it in a course on refugee literature, but we featured it in a summer institute in 2023 with Ubuntu Academy. I was blow away that I was sitting next to this woman the entire time and had no idea. It was the incredible Jasmine Warga. This came, of course, after a conversation about Ger, Laurie, Kwame, Jerry, Torrey, Jason, Nic, Tiffany, John Legend, the boys, and all the authors that have come to Fairfield. Of all people to randomly be seated by...it was the author of a book I cherish. I didn't make the connection with her name, until she shared a photo of the book.

Unbelievable. You know I have work to do.

I made it home by 11:15, and expected Tunga to greet me with a bourbon. As with me, as soon as he got home he got sick (it's because he can rest). So, he was already in bed. He came down, watched me make a sandwich, I only had a banana, and handful of chips, and the airline complimentary coffee. I was ready to eat. 

I got the laundry in, prepped for sleep, and headed off myself. I haven't really gone through the greatness of the last few days and need to collect my thoughts, as well as catch up on all that I let fall behind while I was away.

But I'm home. I look forward to being in my own space. And I do love my bed (with a fan and not tropical hotel temperatures). Yep, it's Monday, but another NCTE is complete (and thankfully I am not doing LRA this year. I can't imagine another trip).

Go, Stags! The Women's Volleyball team one the MAAC Championship.