Hi All,
Despite a somewhat inauspicious start, I'm here safe, sound, happy, with my luggage and a red dot on my forehead. Our departure was delayed 3 hours due to ominous sounding problems with the hydraulic system which were satisfactorily resolved, with some relief to me, in an equipment change (new plane). The good news is that we had an extra long layover in Frankfurt which really paid off... we made the connection with no trouble, and still had time to freshen up in the Lufthansa lounge before the last leg. There were 6 of us together leaving Dulles, and we picked up a 7th in Frankfurt -- a really nice group, all of whom I already know quite well -- and it really is such a treat to have travel companions to watch luggage and chat with. So far so good! In fact, I've already started documenting the journey with this (inexplicably blurry) photo of all of us with our dots and our flowers, in the Taj Club where we were welcomed and checked in, in typical Taj luxury -- I LOVE THIS HOTEL!
Meanwhile, there has been sad news with regards to the Governor's plans -- we learned just before departure that he had made the decision NOT to travel to India. Certainly all can understand the reasoning, but it really is simply heartbreaking for many of us who've devoted so much time and energy to making this trip a crashing success... of course, we'll still go ahead with most of the plans, but it feels like we're throwing a very big, long, and multifaceted party, knowing that the guest of honor can't make it -- it just takes the wind out of oh so many sails. The Governor sent a very nice note to all the delegates -- many of whom will be very disappointed, and some of whom will undoubtedly cancel -- but we'll sally forth and see how it goes. Tomorrow I'll spend much of the day updating my contacts here and making the necessary (or as they say here "the needful") to adjust.
Finally, just because we're all far away, we certainly won't forget the horror that seems to continue at home -- the video and photos from this monster are just beyond awful. It's simply hard to imagine how very completely broken a mind can be, while the body looks still so normal - -this individual was so clearly detached from humanity, and yet he walked to the post office looking like any other person, until he unleashed his madness. It's just so hard to take.
Friday will be an official day of mourning in Virginia -- those of us over here will be certainly keep the VA Tech community, and all of the affected friends and family, in our hearts. In closing, my friend Tom Garnett sent along this beautifully written article commenting on the impact and reaction of the VA Tech family -- and I thought it was worth passing along.
Good night!!
K.
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