Beds, Breakfasts, and Disappointments, part I

Well, it's only Friday morning and already I have had quite the ridiculously exciting and frustrating break. First, a little note. I'm actually writing this old-school style (yup, pen and paper!) at the New Haven train station, and will type it up when I get to a computer, and backdate it. Then, I'll add another update. So, no, you didn't miss something, I'm just being confusing. Oh, and another thing: writing with a wrist brace is difficult. Grr. Argh.

Okay. Let's begin with Wednesday night and the amazing bed & breakfast that I stayed at during my layover in Bwawablah. This place has complimentary shuttle service (even at 1 in the morning!), fresh turn-down service, free Wi-Fi, made-to-order breakfast (chocolate chip pancakes, of course), chocolate milk on tap, kitchen access, Halloween costume rental (I'm gonna be fireworks!), book rental, music (to play or to listen to) rental, movie rental, free laundry facilities, it's in a quiet suburban setting with a lovely forest view out the back... it's really quite the amazing place. What is it called, you wonder? [We interrupt this report to comment that I love train station flippy boards!] It's called the Bwawablah Family Inn. Also known as "my house" or "home." : )

So, yes, my dad got up early and made me chocolate chip pancakes and my mom dug out the Halloween costume I'm gonna wear and the music I wanted to borrow, and even though my mom was gonna just leave my room as I left it (read: a disaster area), my dad went in and made my bed and cleared a walking path. He even turned down the covers and put my orange koala there to greet me. (All together now: aw!)



The conference. First, Yale has a huge campus. As in, you could fit the area of Waverly in it with room to spare. And my taxi dropped me off at the south end by the music school, and I needed to be at the north end at the divinity school. So I walked. (Think: the length of Waverly, McD's to Courthouse, plus Bremer to the new Walmart.) Uphill. With my bags. Ugh!

Then, it turned out that I was the youngest one there by at least 10 years. And once the theologians were done speaking and the architects and historians took over, I was lost. So I skipped out about half-way through the reception (where it was obvious they didn't expect undergrads, since they were serving wine and such without even thinking about IDs), skipped the keynote speaker, and went in search of my B&B for the night. (A "real" B&B this time.)

Found the B&B, checked in, went to room. Turns out I planned poorly in 2 ways: (1) the B&B was only two blocks further north of the divinity school, making it 2 blocks plus the lenghth of Yale's campus from Friday & Saturday's events. [Flippy boards.] And (2) the B&B is in a highly residential area. Meaning no food. [FLIPPY BOARDS!! Yay!!]

I ended up crying for awhile in my misery. In over my head, felt like I didn't belong. These were all professionals in the field, and everyone knew each other! Or, at least it seemed that way because I felt completely invisible. I didn't even get return smiles on accidental eye contact, much less conversation or even a "hello." During the half-hour that I was at the reception, I tried everything: eye contact, no eye contact, looking like a small, scared undergraduate, looking confident and "7 ft tall and 7ft wide" (a voice lesson thing)... and no matter what, I was ignored and left completely alone.

So I called a friend and found out how much an Amtrak back to Bwawablah would cost, booked the night two nights at the Bwawablah Family Inn, and watched Law & Order to my heart's content. Oh, and I organized my list of 37 (many with multiple parts) question list of things to as my voice professor about her church.

And I slept in the big bed. King size, feather mattress cover, down duvet thingie. It was like wrapping up in a cloud that's been out in the sun getting warm. It was amazing.

Then this morning, after an amazing breakfast of fruit (fresh strawberries, apple pieces, kiwi, red grapes, and orange and green melon), tea, fresh warm butty croissant thing, turkey bacon (yum!), and scrambled eggs, I got in my second taxi (which the B&B lady called for me) and came down [Flippy!] Here to the train station. Where I'm sitting on a bench that must be right above the tracks because it's vibrating like crazy.



My plans for the rest of the weekend? Well, I'm not positive, but I think that they will include sleep, homework, a little light piano practice, and a Halloween party at a certain church in bwawablah's neighboring Da Capo. : )



Oh, and it turns out to be a good thing that I didn't get Lily to pay for this, 'cause [Flippy!] then I wouldn't be been able to leave.









PS: Flippy boards!!!!