Back in the big city


Less than a week after I made my way through Logan Airport’s customs line and climbed into my car for the ride back to the Lakes Region, I found myself back in the car heading south on Route 93, but this time, the destination was a little different.
Sunday night I headed down to South Station in Boston to pick up my brother, who was coming in via train from Utah.
My brother lives out west, but has spent a good chunk of the last year abroad, working the last few months of last year in New Zealand and then spending the first part of this year in South America doing some climbing. He arrived back in the United States shortly after I took off for the Olympics.
Since he’d been abroad, Jared hasn’t been home in a while. Traditionally he his home at Christmas time, but since he was in New Zealand in December, he didn’t make it home. Instead, he came back east in March, just in time for his birthday.
Of course, the train was delayed and I learned that having a train through Chicago is much like having a flight through Philadelphia. There’s probably a 95 percent chance that it is going to be delayed. That’s just the way it goes.
His 9:10 p.m. train got in just before 10:30 p.m. and we started the long trek back up Route 93 to my mother’s house in Stark.
With a stop for gas in New Hampton, we made it home around 2 a.m. I had to be at Crotched Mountain on Monday for the Division II girls’ alpine State Meet, so I was up at 5 a.m. and back on the road by 5:30 a.m. to get there in time.
Today, Friday, March 7, I hit the road back up north to spend a little time with the family. In addition to my brother’s birthday, it’s also my Aunt Judy’s birthday and my Uncle Mike’s birthday, so we are having a little party tonight for everyone.
The good news is that this time, I don’t have to get up at 5 a.m. the next morning.

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