Visiting in CT

I spent the next few days with my family in Connecticut.  We converged on Rachel and Ben's home to enjoy good food and better company before my sendoff.  Friday night began with a home-cooked meal, beer, and basketball.  Dad was rooting for the Golden State Warriors, putting him at odds with the rest of the family :).

Saturday brought about the highlight of the weekend—Rachel's acapella performance.  She was a featured soloist in "What's on Tap," Yale's post-graduate acapella troop.  Mom was featured as the most positive audience member, per usual.

The next morning, we prepared a big brunch for the family and some of Rachel's friends.  I took advantage of some stale challah to make some exquisite french toast.

When Ben went off to take a nap, I took the opportunity to take an inventory of my backpack.  It was a moment to look back at the time (and money) I'd spent preparing for the trip, envisioning the details of my various legs and their associated requirements.

Next, we converged on The Playwright, Ben's weekly fiddle stop.  Ben's fiddle playing was a highlight of the session.  Meanwhile, I was demolishing Rachel in multiple games of darts.

Rachel's friend Kristen met up with us there, bringing along her parents and her adorable baby boy.  I thoroughly enjoyed playing with him, even though he slobbered on me quite a bit.

Finally, with Monday came my send off.  I spent the morning packing and cleaning the kitchen, a pleasant bit of calm before the storm.  Ben was nice enough to not only take me to the airport, but to prescribe me some antibiotics in case of any intestinal issues on the road.  Even better, he snapped a sweet pic pre-takeoff.

Later, America 😎.