Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Rest Weary Traveler

Hotels are just depressing places when you’re the only one there.

I spent the last two days in meetings up at Not Quite So Far Away Campus.  I really ought to think of a better nickname for that campus, since I labeled it as such in comparison to another campus I had worked at not long beforehand that was, in fact, rather further away, but the truth is that NQSFAC is in fact a bit of a hike – enough so that when the pre-semester meetings end at 8pm one night and pick up again at 9am the next day it really isn’t worth driving home and back.

So I reserved a hotel room.

This, it has to be said, utterly mortified the kind people at NQSFAC.  They are an astonishingly friendly group there, and the fact that I was not staying with one of them really bothered them.  I promised I would not let this happen again, and they were happy about that.  It’s nice when you work with good people.

But the reservation was non-refundable, so at the conclusion of our meetings I toddled off to my room.

It was a perfectly serviceable room, really.  Bed.  Shower.  Dorm fridge.  Television.  A place to store your stuff and sleep for the night before moving on.  Clean and well kept if not especially homey or luxurious.  A bit run down at the heels, but aren't we all after a day of meetings.

I did get to talk to Kim and the girls when I got back, so I heard about their days and they mine.

And then it was just me.  I had my book.  I had random sporting events on television.  And eventually I just went to bed.

It’s good to be home.

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