What are you still doing here!?

SFO AIRPORT, SAN FRANCISCO
Abby and I have been hearing variations on this question for the last week. From friends at church, from our neighbors, from the office administrator at Abby’s school, even from my employees! 

Back in March when I bought our tickets to London Beth and I agreed it would be an excellent plan for Lily and her to leave in time (just in time, as it turned out) for her program to start and for Abby and me to follow a week later.  The logic was that Abby could use another week with her classes and teachers because she will be an “independent student” for the rest of the semester and will have to complete specific assignments from each of her teachers.  (Lily, by contrast is officially dis-enrolled from Sequoia High School and is taking On-Line High School courses which are independent from her classes and teachers.  When she returns the credit will transfer and she will plug back into her classroom classes for the spring semester).  And I figured I could use another week to get my business (and myself) ready for being away from each other for four months.

As I waved good bye to Lily and Beth at the International Terminal security check-point, however, the logic for our separated departures escaped me.  I wanted more than anything to get on the plane with them and get this adventure off the ground!

For the past week Beth and Lily have lugged their bags up out of the Tube, scope out the super markets, claimed the comfy pillows in our London house, and work on their proper British accents while Abby and I have gone to our same old school and work.  We tried to make the best of it.  We ate out at several restaurants (collecting in doggie bags some amazing lunch goodies for Abby to take to school!).  We dropped by our house to explain to the lovely German family renting it the fine art of coaxing the three remotes next to our TV to show a DVD and how to find the proper home for each type of trash in one of the three curb-side containers.  But really, our minds and hearts were 10,000 miles away.

So it was with relief this morning when WE could pack our bags (for the last time), weigh each (for the n^th time), and catch a ride to SFO with my parents and sister, Liz.  While we waited for their car to pull up I saw our next door neighbor and walked over to greet him and make sure he had met the renters.  “What are you doing here?  I thought you were already gone!,”  he exclaimed.  “Don’t worry, we’re on the way to the airport,” I replied with satisfaction. 


Peter