We were checked out of the hotel by 6:30am, and in the airport lobby by 7 after a very cautious drive that finally let me get a tiny bit of use out of that whole 4WD thing. My flight path included a stop at Denver, Colorado, and oh, how I was pleasantly surprised to see a wolf (yes, a wolf, not a coyote) out on the runways as we taxied in to the terminal! Incidentally, half of Thursday's summary as well as what you're reading right now was written in Denver terminal A, between gates 42 & 44, while I watched this plane get de-iced:
The rest below was pencilled in on the plane to Oakland.
Trip Summary
I've got to level with ya. I was absolutely dreading this trip. I've travelled by air only 4 times before and I hadn't gotten comfortable with the potential complications of airports & baggage claims, packing appropriately, and getting around in unfamiliar territory. On top of that, the consistently subfreezing (and sometimes even subzero) temperatures in Nebraska this season had me, a person who had touched snow only once in his life, imagining the agony of frostbite & inner-nose icicles. Oh, how I was pleasantly surprised by reality.
First off, the flight, hotel, and car rental logistics were a piece of cake. Secondly, the weather/climate wasn't so bad after all. On the first day I was keeping my brand new down jacket zipped all the way up, and of course when it was snowing I put the hood up. Gradually it got to where I would only gently pull the front closed for walks of a few blocks or less outside. By Thursday night I was going to & from the car in a regular shirt & slacks. I told my colleagues it was a 50-second rule. I could go 50 seconds without my jacket before the body heat buffered in my clothes got used up. This usually helped us get around faster. Usually.
Next up, the folks in Nebraska were the warmest, friendliest, most welcoming hosts I could have asked for. They truly made us feel right at home, and I didn't get the slightest bit homesick even once. For the first time in my life, I feel open to the possibility of moving out of California some day. Shocking? Well, to me it is!
Lastly, but most importantly, there were my three coworkers from the California office. Together, we had an absolute blast, and the trip was an opportunity to do a bit of bonding that I'm sure will make work-life back in San Jose ever more enjoyable. We were laughing & joking pretty much from the beginning until the end and were always watching out for each other & helping each other out.
I never expected to see myself write this, but I sincerely look forward to the next trip...
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