Day 11...almost there!

Today was another day of driving.  We left Chicago after a nice walk around the Gold Coast Neighborhood.  We forgot about the time change and got to Jesse's cousin Beth's house in Fort Wayne, IN way later than anticipated...she had a nice spread for us and I got to meet Jesse's Uncle Al, and cousins Joanna, Maria, Christina, and David in addition to Beth and her two kids Cecelia and Brian.  Everyone was really nice and I liked them a lot.  Interesting thing about Ft. Wayne was that it had a lot of DuPont named things (roads, hospitals, etc.) and a Longwood area and a Brandywine Rd just like Kennett Square, PA where I grew up!!  So weird!

We spent like $11 in tolls in Illinois and Indiana today and about $6 Sunday.  Anyway, we got into Ohio and missed our turnoff due to the navigator talking on the phone ;)  so said navigator had to find another route on our map.  We made it, but we hit a crazy rain cloud!!  It only rained for about 10 minutes, though.  Now we are in Columbus, Ohio and went for a nice swim when we got to the hotel.  Tomorrow we make the last leg of our trip to Virginia.  We'll stay with Javier again tomorrow night and then Thursday we sign the papers and all of our stuff arrives between 8am-12pm.  Then we start unpacking, buy furniture since ours didn't fit in the storage unit, and I start my grad program.  I have a meeting on the 25th at 6pm, a GWU orientation on the 26th which I have to read a ton of stuff for a case study before, a TA orientation all day on the 27th which I have to give a 5 minute presentation for, and I have to work all day on the 28th...then school starts on the 31st.  Nothin' like hitting the ground running, right?  (though we did just see an episode of Myth Busters which busted the myth that hitting the ground running by foot, bicycle, or automobile actually gives you a leg up).

Can't wait to get to VA and get settled in.  I'm starting to get nervous about everything, but I'm sure things will be fine.  Miss you all!  Come visit soon!!

Love, me.