Last day. Lots of hugs and good humor. Everybody was well-rested and ready to travel, met in the lobby, and we were off. The plane ride was a bit of a grind, being a couple hours longer than the flight there, but we all made it home. I met a couple of my classmates’ parents, which was cool. 

The best part of my day was seeing my cat again. We’re best friends and always miss one another when we’re apart. It was also a nice surprise to be met at the bus stop by my friend Dan. Our other friend, who was going to pick me up originally, had come down with something. Dan gives the best bear hugs, though, so I truly felt welcomed home. Then it was time to sleep. I’d been fighting a mild cough the whole trip, and didn’t think it was something contagious, but it seems my body was holding out until I got home. I woke feverish in the middle of the night and have been ill ever since. I can’t wait for it to pass, and I’m SO glad I didn’t get sick on the trip. (I haven’t heard from anyone else hit with the mystery post-travel flu, but if it turned out it was contagious—so sorry, guys!)

What an opportunity we had in just 10 short days. I’m into the role of humanities in higher ed, and firmly believe that the human element is where the best design comes from. After all, you’ve got to really believe in something to create the best version of it. You also have to be able to communicate and compromise with other people in pursuit of common goals. This trip perfectly balanced studying great work and technique with our growth as human beings together. We’ve been enriched by both kinds of knowledge, and I can say that because of this experience, just about all of us are chomping at the bit to make the resultant work great. 

See you in July!