Leaving on a Jetplane

Everything today went all too fast. I headed out to terminal 4 of Heathrow in the morning and before I knew it I was engaged in a game to turn a seatless ticket on an overbooked flight into a $200 Delta voucher and a much better timetable with an aisle seat. It pays to be proactive, flexible and friendly to the gate agents. I'd planned to pick up gifts at the airport but instead was only able to snag a few bags of Cadbury's at the news agent. Sorry everyone at home! My new flight meant a quick departure.

It's too soon to really process all that this Fulbright journey has meant. I think my only regret is that had a bad end in that there was no chance to say goodbye. I saw a few colleagues in passing at the airport but it just seems abrupt to have been a part of this group nearly 24/7 for 3 weeks then disperse into our own different worlds as if it never happened. What strikes me is that this is how these things go. I know that. I predicted these feelings would come before I ever left the US. But it doesn't change the re-entry process. There is something special about being part of a group abroad.