30 Degrees Colder

I can't believe I was in Philadelphia this morning.  I woke up a little after 7 and jammed the remainder of my stuff into my suitcase.  Once I had packed up my room, I said good-bye to my roommate, Temi, who left on an early shuttle. The following hour consisted of hugs and good-byes.  A couple people left as early as four in the morning, and sadly, I didn't get to say god-bye to everyone I wanted to.  

Ian came to get us around 9, and we went to see the Liberty Bell.  Seeing as we spent a month in Philadelphia, we thought it was about time to visit the historical sites.  I learned that the Bell, although having no legitimate account of it being rung on Independence Day, became a symbol for freedom in many aspects of American life.  The exhibits preceding the bell held many accounts of the suffrage and abolitionist movements use of the symbol.  After seeing the bell and snapping a few pictures, we got our last lunch in Philly and spent almost an hour laughing and talking, taking advantage of our last opportunity to bond before heading home. 

 

Our flight was pretty uneventful, although moderately turbulent.  I spent most of the six hours reading my summer assignment book for AP Language, a significant reminder of heading back to reality.  Once we arrived, things got a little sadder. Although we promise to see each other again (a lot), our trip is over.  We all rolled out, in our Penn sweatshirts, to our awaiting parents.  It was amazing to see my parents again, and after pulling my suitcase off the carousel, I said my good-byes and left.  

We stopped at Gordo's Burritos on the way home to get real Mexican food for the first time in a month.  I definitely missed that place while at Penn.  The Liberty Bell was great, traveling was fine, but I think the most amazing thing today was getting in my own bed.  In some ways, this trip felt like a lifetime, but in others, it feels like I never left.  I have more than a month's worth of experiences to remember, and I can't believe it's over all ready. I guess Einstein was right; time really is relative.