Ithaca: We Have Arrived

We had a treat this morning when we got to sleep in until 8:30. After a quick shower Frank and I luckily did a room sweep, because I would have forgotten my toiletries bag. We then met in the Inn at Penn's lobby for the final time to check out. Our driver to the airport was late, and when Mr. Chan-Law called him he was "a block away" but we still had to wait another few minutes. The trip to the airport was fast and easy, and there was only a minor hiccup during security when Alex and Eric got stuck behind two people who both needed to get all their bags checked. When everyone finally got through security we got an a bus which took us Terminal F. Terminal F was a tiny terminal used for the local flights. Once we got settled we grabbed a quick brunch from Au Bon Pain. I had a chicken, bean, and cheese burrito and chocolate milk, it was a strange combination. Our flight was inexplicably delayed for half an hour, so we waited in the terminal for longer than expected.

Boarding the plane was interesting as it was the first time I had ever walked out to the plane and up a stairway. It was tiny, with only 4 seats per row, and maybe 12 rows. The flight was extremely short, but we had a couple scary moments when turbulence violently shook the plane.

The airport in Ithaca was tiny, and a very different experience from the airports I am used to. While Mr. Chan-Law was getting the rental car we did our good deed of the day and pointed out a bag which had been sent to the wrong airport to the airport management. Getting to Cornell took two trips because of all of our luggage. Luckily it was a short and pleasant ride.

We got an extremely special surprise at the Statler Hotel when we learned that we each got an individual room with a king size bed. When I got to my room on the 8th floor I was blown away. Everything reeked of luxury, from the huge, soft bed to the fancy backboard to the beautiful view seen through an enormous window. Calvin, Eric, and I (we were all on the same floor) soon met up in Calvin's room to hang out and play World Golf Tour. Then the group went to the local convenience store to get snacks and laundry detergent. Then we had more time to relax before dinner, which I spent showering, ironing, and socializing. We then met in the lobby to go to dinner.

Our dinner event took place in the Heights Cafe. I was surprised to see a group of 5 people waiting for us. Although not nearly as upscale as our previous dinners, the meal was very good, and the portions were too large for me to finish. Mr. Chan-Law ordered a selection of appetizers for the whole table to share, which I thought was a very good idea. I had a steak, asparagus, mashed potatoes, and onion rings dish, followed by a chocolate sunday topped with salted caramel in a waffle cup. At the dinner I sat between Julie and Katie (not sure how its spelled), two current Cornell students who very helpful and informative for answering my questions.  I learned a lot about Cornell's history, its split colleges, and what campus life is like. I thought the dinner was a good introduction to our time at Cornell.

After dinner we met again at Calvin's room, this time with the whole cohort, for our first blogging party. It was a little too fun. What normally would have taken me an hour took two, but the laughs were worth it. Tomorrow our college going experience truly begins, as we check in to our dorms, meet our roommates, and   attend the summer program's orientation.

My camera is still broken, so no photos until I can figure out a solution.