I have come to the conclusion that life is just a bunch of graduations ...

Both literal and metaphorical.

I'm sitting in the lobby of Walsh Hall right now, leaning against Nicole's and my stuff. I've already been up for three hours; the TLs paraded through our halls to wake us at 4 am. The lobby was a mess as of people and luggage. There was a mass exodus around 6:30 am, when the majority of vans left for the airport.

It's just a few stragglers now (and by a few, I mean about fifteen). Most are waiting for the train shuttles to start. Nikki and I are waiting for Enterprise to open its office so we can get a move on as well. We weren't going to get the car until noon, but it is 7 am, the latest we can stay is 11 am, and we really can't take waiting any longer, especially now that everyone else is gone. The weather has been beautiful the past several days, but now there's a freezing cold rain that has settled over the region. Kinda makes it easy to leave ... except I'm not leaving right away.

Nikki and I will have some fun in Ned for a few more days, visiting with a bunch of other wildfire people who will also be hanging around the area for a bit. And then I'll be home again.

So that's that. Done and done. The reflections on all of this still have not been very forthcoming in my mind. I think I need a week to decompress and then I can do so. It seems only fair to conclude this blog with a sense of closure. ...But not now. I'll keep you posted.