Vermont, you elusive destination...

So, as many of you know, Ryan spent the week of June 17 back in Vermont at his residency week. I stayed here and cared for Gus, attended a Huckleberry conference for work, and managed the home purchase details. I planned to take a red-eye flight on Thursday night to JFK and then connect on a flight to Burlington, Vermont where I would meet Ryan's parents at the hotel and drive with them to Northfield for the graduation ceremony (Friday afternoon at 4:30).

So, Thursday night I was celebrating my friend Dave's birthday at his house and waiting until around 10 for my other friend, Mo, to take me to the airport so I could catch my flight. I checked my flight status online before leaving only to find out that my flight to JFK had been delayed until about 3 am -- arriving so late that I could not make a connecting flight to Burlington in time to see Ryan graduate nor could I rent a car and drive from the airport to the ceremony (a six hour drive). I totally flipped out and almost started crying. Being east coast natives, Brian, Michelle, and Dave told me to try and see if I could just get on the Boston red-eye and drive from there (only a 3.5-4 hour drive). I got on the phone with Jetblue as Mo and I headed to the airport and asked for a miracle. The operator/helper person said that there was no way I could get on the Boston flight; it was completely full.

I arrived at the airport in a panic. I marched in the doors of the airport, walked in front of about 75+ people in line at the counter, and begged a gate agent to help me get on the Boston flight, or back east in any way possible. He said no luck. After attempting to reason with him, I knew he would not budge. He said that three people had not checked in for the flight, but that there were three people already checked in for standby. I was overwhelmed with sadness at the thought that I would have to miss Ryan's graduation after he worked so hard for the last 18 months. I turned to a female gate agent, Sondra, who had heard my conversation, and started to cry. I begged her to help me get on the flight, or back east in any way possible. Sondra took pity on me and called in a favor to her friend at the gate. She gave me a print out and ran me through security. I was the last person to board the flight and I butted off another standby person, but I made it.

Once I got to Boston, I rented a car and made the drive, with some Dunkin Donuts coffee and an atomic fireball to fuel me. It worked out better than could be expected. I got to the hotel in time to work out, take a shower, and take a cat nap. Then I got dressed and drove to Ryan's graduation, which was amazing! I am so proud!

Ryan, his parents, and I tooled around Burlington for a few days. We had some wonderful meals (Trattoria Delia and Penny Cluse), walked around downtown, and then visited Shelburne Farms (please follow the link, this place was amazing!) where I got to play with baby goats, pet a baby cow, and see baby chickens.