Hays 2

Day Two of Hays
It was a wonderful way to wake up. Yes I was all alone for the first time in almost 8 years, but I woke up to the sound of my favorite song slowly getting a little louder. I was able to get into a shower, do my morning routine and get dressed in time to wander out to the lobby of the hotel. In the lobby is this crowd of people who look, well kind of like me. Each of them looked completely different and yet we were all of the same type. We all had the willingness to travel abroad, we all had that relaxed attitude of friendly people in a new location. I came in and the first thing that I noticed was the woman I had noticed at the airport was in the lobby too. So I introduced myself to her, and to all the other people there. I was shocked at how easy it was to talk to these complete strangers.

Have I mentioned that I hate public speaking, I dislike crowds and noise, I am mildly agoraphobic (worse now after two years in China... man it really does a number on you!)and I am not good at making friends. Somehow over the course of that first day I made two fast friends, one of whom I know will be a friend for life. The woman from the airport, the same woman from the plane, took me under her wing and answered all of my questions patiently and honestly. I knew what I was stepping into (a steaming pile...) and was ready for most of what happened that first year. Shocked, but prepared.
Rita is and always will be an amazing person.

Anyway, the first thing we did was tour the campus. I saw all of the sites and talked to the other professors. We met the other professors who teach distance classes and we found out all of the interesting things we needed to know. Some of the information, we didn't need to know. Other aspects were nice to learn.
Anyway, It was time to leave Kansas and head off to LA where I would meet my husband and the kids and go on to China.

We arrive at the airport, the entire delegation of teachers who are leaving for China, only to find out that four of us do not have confirmed tickets to Denver. I felt like screaming. I know that my husband will not get on a plane without me, and I had to buy his ticket seperate, non-refundable...etc,etc,etc.

However, one of the teachers who has been bumped suggests a rental car. We have 4 hours to get from Hays Kansas to Denver Colorado. The roads are fairly straight and it should be easy right? So off we go. The four of us pile into the car and drive off to Denver. We spend the whole trip chatting in the car (four hours of women talking to each other could really get annoying, but it didn't) and driving at top speeds to the airport. We get there just before the gate closes, but of course we have to go through security. Have you ever been through security at Denver? It is a joke! They purposefully make things difficult for passengers! I have been to many different airports around the U.S. I have to say that LAX is nasty, Denver is attrocious, and Try not to go through PHX if you can help it. Newark is less hastle, Houston is acceptable, San Antonio is pleasant, Tampa is quite clean and nice. I love SFO. If you get the chance to transfer or fly out of SFO, try it. It's the nicest one I have found. Hays Airport is a complete and utter joke! Don't bother! Rent a car instead, you can make it from Denver in less than four hours. Honest, I speak from experience. We made it in a little over 3. Don't ask, I won't tell you, but the corn was definately waving!

Anyway, they held the plane for us, and we made it in for our connection in LA, thank goodness. I see my husband and the children in the airport and they are all doing very well. A little sunburnt, but good. They had a wonderful time and for a while connected China with going to Disneyland. They don't feel that way anymore, but that's okay... Tokyo has its own Disneyland!

So that is the end of the next days adventures. Okay, technically the trip lasted several days, but day two covers all of the days spent at the orientation, because none of that was really all that important, except to say that I met and liked Rita and this guy named Steven Darian (awesome person!) and to mention that the English Department at Hays is a real department, whereas the virtual college is not so much!

ON to the next day.