I've just been writing about books, but you are due a life update. I'm going to do it based on what is on my camera roll.
I spent a glorious part of an afternoon wandering around the University of Pennsylvania campus. Here's what you need to know. The campus is GORGEOUS and there are SO MANY PEOPLE wandering around on foot. Since COVID, our campus is basically dead, so this was shocking to me. I cannot stress how pretty the campus is.
Also, Philly has a reputation for people being assholes and I have to admit that while most Philadelphians I met were lovely and welcoming, there were more assholes per capita than in any other place I've ever been. I was shoulder checked on the sidewalk multiple times and the guy on the train was really short with me when I could not produce my ticket in 0.3 seconds. But, honestly, most people were generous and excited to show me their city.
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| It is the City of Brotherly Love, I guess. |
My conference was at the Penn Museum, which has lovely grounds and you would not believe how fabulous conference spaces and classrooms.
When you walk in, you are greeted with a sphinx.
This is the room where we ate all our meals. Look, I was not expecting any of this based on the conference description. If I had known it was going to be like this, I would have been way more excited about the conference instead of absolutely dreading it.
Moving on.
After the gorgeous day, it rained and rained and rained. I had packed an umbrella, but it broke upon leaving the museum right before my 1.3 mile walk to my hotel. I stopped at a random bookstore (I think it was Drexel's bookstore?) and purchased this umbrella, which my husband helpfully told me is in support of the Philadelphia Phillies. I guess I'm a Phillies fan now?
So things went really well. The conference was actually useful, the venue was stunning, and my hotel was great. I think you know where this is going.
Hey, it has been over a year since I have flown and the rules have changed SO MUCH. Why isn't anyone telling me about these changes. When I left Madison, I literally just put my backpack in the x-ray machine and walked through the thingmabob that is probably giving me radiation poisoning. There was no shoe taking off, no electronics out of the bag, NO LIQUIDS IN A ZIPLOC BAG. You still can't bring in a water bottle with liquid in it, though.
When I left via Philadelphia, I did have to take my Kindle and laptop out of my bag, but that was it. No shoes, no three ounce liquids all in a bag. Honestly, if I had known this liquid rule change, I would have brought my foundation. Anyway. Regular travelers, why aren't you telling me these things?
Because I wanted to leave from Madison and because I wanted to stay for the morning presentations on Wednesday at the conference, I had to have a layover on the way home. It happened to be in Charlotte. I don't want to go get into the gory details, but the flight was delayed and delayed and delayed and we didn't leave Charlotte until after 1am.
It wasn't my worst travel story, but I have got to stop using American Airlines. I got into bed after 3:30am and when the alarm went off, I almost cried.
So I've been mostly recovering because apparently one messed up night's sleep in my 40s means I am essentially useless for the next five days.
Here are some views from my morning walk with Hannah yesterday.
Spooky season is here and I'm going to stop complaining about the end of summer. I'm embracing fall and Halloween and I'm here for it!
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If you have a bad night's sleep, how long does it take you to recover? What city do you think has the rudest people?
I haven't had a flight that ended in the wee hours since 2023 but I still remember it BITTERLY. When it's bad, it's bad.
ReplyDeleteI am now craving a trip to Philly and I can probably still make it happen this fall.
I honestly couldn't believe how much it set me back. I was like a zombie for days. ONE NIGHT.
DeleteThat's so interesting - I have flown a ton in the last year and I've always had to have small liquids in a little plastic bag. I don't think I had to take them out of my carryon though. I had to take shoes off in London, but I don't think I had to in many places. Boots are different and I think those always come off. But I haven't been to the States for two years so maybe rules are different down there!
ReplyDeleteUgh, flight connections are the worst - that is the one thing I miss about Calgary, the airport and the ability to book direct flights. Out here in the sticks, I always have to connect.
I did have my liquids in a bag in case I had to take them out. It's crazy how much variance there is in the rules from airport to airport. I would never wear boots to the airport. NEVER.
DeleteI could have flown from Milwaukee and probably gotten a direct flight, but the drive to Milwaukee is so much worse that I just didn't even consider it. So this whole thing is probably my fault.
I'm glad you enjoyed the conference! Ugh on the travel though. My worst travel story is when I missed a connection through no fault of my own, and had to spend the night in Houston. The airline (thanks a lot, United) had made me CHECK MY CARRYON BAG though, so I had nothing with me (like pajamas, toothbrush, change of clothes, etc.) Grr.
ReplyDeleteI agree that I'm always confused about regulations when I fly. I'm VERY glad we don't have to take our shoes off anymore!
You didn't get your bag back and have to re-check the next day?! That's insane!!
DeleteThe TSA people seem so annoyed when you do take off your shoes or put out your liquids or whatever. I know they do it every day, but most of us don't!!
I haven’t been to a ton of them, but I think there is something special about a university campus, and this seemed like a good one, and you had a good time overall.
ReplyDeleteSome university campuses are great! I work at one and it's fine, but it's nothing like Penn was!
DeleteI was so excited when I learned you were on the Penn campus! You are right, it’s so beautiful. I loved working there and walking down Locust Walk every day under the canopy of trees, with all of the brick buildings. That venue is so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI’m flying to Buffalo in less than two weeks, and I’m on a red eye and UGH why did I do that to myself? Oh, right, because it would cost me almost 3 times as much otherwise. I’m kind of dreading it.
I feel like people in Philly deserve the reputation they have for rudeness. Of course *most* people are fine, but the assholery is strong. DC? Lovely. NYC? Brusque but not rude. Paris? Absolutely fine. But Philly. Wow. It took us a long time to get used to that, and then when we moved back to California, we had to acclimate.
It really is a gorgeous campus. They should be so proud of it.
DeleteI cannot stress enough how the vast majority of people in Philly were great. But it doesn't take many people, does it?
I hate to even say this, but one place where people are incredibly rude on the street is Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. It's not the locals; it's the tourists. The majority of them walk two abreast on the sidewalk despite anyone coming the opposite way. Rick always wants to barge right into them, ostensibly Teaching Them A Lesson, but I always ask him to be the better person.
ReplyDeleteFlying all around the country used to be fairly common for me; I'd go on solo vacations quite a bit. Then, once the restrictions and rules got so onerous, I swore it off. I detest flying, period. I knew the shoe removal thing was now passe, but it all still feels like what prison intake must be.
I'm glad you're finally resigned to fall weather. The heat and humidity of summer was draining me, and I wanted to OPEN WINDOWS IN THE HOUSE. Hooray for fall and its fresh, drier air!
Flying sucks. I couldn't believe how much my back and legs hurt. LOL. I had to remind myself that aging is a privilege multiple times over the course of that trip.
DeleteLook, I'm still wearing sandals, Nance. When the time comes that I truly have to wear real shoes and wear a jacket, I might be a bit grumbly. But for now, this is fine.
I had a horrible sleep last night and need to admit that something is going on. Is this perimenopause? I cannot fall asleep for the life of me and seem hyper sensitive to waking up when my husband or kids use the washroom in the night (our son always closes the bathroom door when he goes and he's basically asleep so he's not doing it consciously, but it's LOUD). Anyway. I need to do something. That something is probably taking magnesium again, NO caffeine at any point in the day, and more exercise. Sigh to all three things.
ReplyDeleteRules and regulations for flying seem to vary by region. In Europe we had to have liquids in a clear, plastic TSA-approved bag, but most electronics could stay put which I LOVED.
That venue for the conference is stunning!
I generally have no problems sleeping (KNOCK ON WOOD), so I was very taken aback with how my body reacted. If this is what it's like for those of you who have trouble sleeping, HOW ARE YOU FUNCTIONING EVERY DAY? I would have been driven insane. I guess I do not drink caffeine, take magnesium every day, and exercise most days, so maybe I'm just doing the things sleep people tell you to do?
DeleteI don't fly often, but it seems like every time there's a new set of rules, and it's all too stressful. I'm glad the conference was more enjoyable than you expected. The venue looks amazing! I pretty much always have a bad night of sleep these days, but I think there's a huge difference between being awake in the night at home vs. being forced to be awake at an airport with a flight delay and getting home in the middle of the night. That's exhausting on a whole other level.
ReplyDeleteTraveling is exhausting in general and delays on top of that do not make things better!
DeleteThe venue was so wonderful. I would highly recommend it for any conference.
I haven't seen any official communication about the 3-1-1 rule changing so I still put mine in a quart-sized bag. But I have Clear so I go through the easiest TSA process and don't even need to show an ID. It's worth it given how much I travel as the line is short and moves fast! The rules seem to vary from airport to airport depending on their scanning equipment, though. I think it depends on whether they have 3D scanners.
ReplyDeleteThe place where I've encountered the rudest people is Boston.
I'm glad the conference was better than expected! But oof, that is a terrible flight delay. I would be toast after getting home so late/early the following day. If I have a bad night of sleep, it takes me 3-4 days to recover!
My liquids were still in a quart bag, too, ready to be taken out if requested. I didn't include my foundation because then the bag wouldn't seal. *sigh*
DeleteHuh. I don't recall many rude people in Boston, but it's been more than 15 years since I was there!
My parents both grew up in New Jersey, and they talk all the time about how rudeness is pervasive throughout the Northeast. It's just a different mentality, I guess–people are more high strung and aggressive, for whatever reason. I haven't spent a ton of time out there, but NYC certainly lives up to that billing.
ReplyDeleteOn the opposite end of the spectrum, "Midwest nice" is so refreshing!
Yes, I definitely felt out of place with my Midwest nicery on the East Coast. You don't realize how much you internalize it until you're somewhere else where the thank yous and smiles are not returned.
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