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Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Sunday, June 18 7:00 AM: Do you think alarms ever get fed up with doing the same thing every day? Does it fulfill some sense of purpose? Whatever the answer, mine still likes me enough to wake me up, for which I am grateful. I prepare to jog. 7:03 AM: Roomie sleeps in again. Ah well. I’ve got my podcasts to keep me company. 7:05 AM: One last time I pound the pavement. The air is cool and perfectly humid. 7:09 AM: You know, I think I’m finally getting back into this ‘running’ thing. 7:13 AM: As I cross the final bridge, I decide to do an extra little loop. I’m feelin’ good about this. 7:16 AM: See? That was fine. Go you. You get some chocolate later. One last time I push and pull myself up to complete my morning workout. 7:23 AM: Shower. 7:31 AM: Breakfast. The last of my greens, the bottom of my yogurt, my only remaining egg. 7:50 AM: I return to my room and pack up my things. Today’s schedule is a tad more accelerated than the rest of the weekend. I wanna get this morning going. 8:18 AM: Okay, I think that’s everything. I double-check and triple-check, because I’d rather not forget my keys or laptop in North Carolina. Love you, NC, but I don’t plan on returning anytime soon. 8:23 AM: Mom has taken the car to return my little brother to his summer job and won’t be back till noon; we plan to consolidate our luggage in my parents’ dorm lounge. I lug my suitcase up the hill, swipe myself into the dorm, and hide my belongings behind a couch. I trust these Quakers (and Quakers in general), but hey, you can never be too careful.
8:29 AM: I arrive at the main building for check-out and key return. I’m in and out in no time flat. I hang out downstairs for a hot second, because this morning’s Business Meeting doesn’t start for another half hour. 8:46 AM: An acceptable time to arrive for Business Meeting. Back up to the big lounge, where some older Friends have already established the silence. I see a couple other YAFs. We claim a block of chairs. 9:04 AM: The room full, Dad calls Business Meeting to order and starts working through the agenda. [I’LL SPARE YOU THE TEDIOUS HEADACHE THAT IS MEETING FOR BUSINESS. YOU’RE WELCOME.] 11:02 AM: Hey, they got through the agenda on time! Business Meeting is over! Happy, happy day! A collective sigh of relief ripples through the lounge. 11:03 AM: Having concluded Meeting for Business, we begin Meeting for Worship. Why sit in silence for two hours when you can sit in silence for three? 12:00 PM: The silence is broken. We all turn and greet those around us, then head to one final lunch in Warren Wilson’s wonderful food service. I sit with a wonderful blend of YAFs and older Friends and we shoot the breeze. One of them is from London. My memory goes back to study abroad. Gawd, I miss that place. Suffice to say, it’s quite a nice lunch. 12:43 PM: Text from Mom. She may not make it back by 1, when the cafeteria closes. I agree to get her some food to go. 12:52 PM: Obliging my inner Nervous Nathan, I take some initiative and fill a plate with goodies for her. 12:58 PM: She’s back and starting to pack up! I sandwich a half-piece of cake between two scoops of butter pecan ice cream for her, taking the other half-piece for myself. You see, I had promised myself I could have some chocolate, and my word is my bond. 1:02 PM: The ice cream begins dripping on my wrist as I speed-walk up to the car. Comeoncomeoncomeoncomeoncomeoncomeon we can make it before it all melts. 1:04 PM: I catch sight of my mother loading up the car. My colossal coned confection changes cushy. Time runs short. I run fast. 1:05 PM: “Life is short! Eat dessert first!” I cry, urgently proffering my offering. She smiles kindly and takes it. Dad and I finish packing. 1:07 PM: Car’s good to go, we’re good to go. Time to hit the road. 1:09 PM: Time to hit the road after one final stop back at the main building, apparently. We spend a couple minutes saying our goodbyes, then we leave. 1:21 PM: We have a short errand to run before heading to the airport; Dad was recently given a drum set and my uncle has some spare stands. We drop by to pick them up. Uncle’s a goof; great to see him. Dad’s quite pleased with the stands. 1:35 PM: For real this time, time to hit the road. We spend about three minutes turning around to go back down the driveway. 1:59 PM: Traffic jam. Greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeat. Fortunately I like my parents. 2:28 PM: We get out of the jam. It wasn’t that bad in the end. We pick up some speed and make up for lost time. 3:42 PM: McGhee Tyson Airport comes into view, with plenty of time to spare. Parking’s a breeze. I’d forgotten that city driving doesn’t have to make your teeth fall out. 3:58 PM: Those marvelous check-in kiosks have spread to Knoxville. Progress is good. 4:13 PM: Next to a beautiful cascading water feature, I bid my parents farewell. I wish Dad a happy Father’s Day; inside, I want to spend the rest of it with him and take him to dinner and wash his car and sit in silence (a Scandinavian silence, not a Quaker silence) watching the contentment on his face. Unfortunately, I have a flight to catch. 4:19 PM: Security beeps me and I get patted down. It’s not a big deal; especially after this weekend and its theme, I reflect on how vastly different that experience could be were I someone else. 4:23 PM: I see a Quizno’s and briefly consider getting dinner, simply because I adore sub sandwiches. I know I’m not hungry yet. I walk on past. 5:07 PM: My flight boards. I board. I’m bored. 5:26 PM: Plane takes off a bit early. Fortunately, I’ve got podcasts for daysssssssssssssss. 6:09 PM: Plane lands early, too. Oh, and I changed time zones. My flight was longer than 40 minutes. We disembark and I exeunt O’Hare, thankfully bearless. 6:20 PM: Damn, O’Hare is huge. 6:31 PM: I finally make it to the Blue Line. I just wanna be home. 7:47 PM: One loud train and one late bus and one giant mind fog later, I unlock my apartment. Now it’s dinner time. 8:19 PM: I unwrap my shish tawook from the Middle Eastern café on the corner, steam some Brussels sprouts, and feast. Yum. 9:05 PM: I pull over the covers, crack the cover of Grave Peril, and read for a bit before closing my eyes to rest. This weekend has been exhausting, and deeply rejuvenating. I am centered and grounded. I remember where I come from. For the moment, at least, I am at Peace.
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