ILLINOIS

After talking about a return trip to Urbana since before Thanksgiving, I finally made it the end of January (Jan 29-Feb. 6). The trip had its surreal moments.

I was actually supposed to fly out Saturday, January 28 just before noon. When I got to the airport, I got my boarding passes from the e-ticket machine (I had booked online) and proceeded to the luggage check-in. The United agent objected:

“Your flight already left at 7:45 this morning!”

What?! I showed her the print-out off the computer email. I was on time.

“And you’re a day early. It says your flight is tomorrow morning.”

What?! (again) I insisted the print-out said I had the right day and the right time.

She checked her computer. My Chicago flight had been canceled. No other connection could get me to Chicago in time for the last commuter flight to Bloomington-Normal Saturday. Resigned to the inevitable, I finally went home and came back early Sunday for my second flight. I had wanted to be able to attend my old congregation back in Champaign two Sundays, now I had to miss the first while I was up in the air.

I stayed over at four different homes during my week in town. First, at one of the pastor’s, then at three friends’ homes. I figured it was less of a burden on any one household and gave me a chance to spend “quality time” with several people during the week.

My main business goal was to consolidate my storage items still in a 15’x5’ storage unit in Urbana, taking back valuable items for my job hunt portfolio and moving the rest into a smaller unit for less money each month. It took every day most of the week to accomplish it all. The longest bit, surprisingly, was repacking the boxes I wanted to take with me. Amtrak has a great deal on express freight – up to 500 lbs. for about $220.

By Sunday evening (the day before I was to leave) I finally got all the boxes repacked and ready for cross-continental travel. Two friends met me at the station to help carry the 20 boxes to the Amtrak desk and … the station was packed with travelers for the evening train to Chicago. And they forbid us from checking the boxes in until every last passenger had boarded the train. So we waited. Meanwhile, the home-cooked meal that I had pulled my two friends from was getting cold back at home. But this was one of the main reasons I’d come, so we were going to get those boxes on the train!

Four of my boxes were in plastic bins – no go. The other 16 were all within the weight allowance – except one big one. It was 6 lbs. overweight. I ripped it open, took out a couple of binders, and magically, the scale hit 50 lbs. exactly!

It was good seeing so many old friends and seeing how big their kids had gotten. Life in Illinois moves on without me somehow. And the weather was unseasonably mild. I got off the little 20-seater plane in Bloomington holding my jacket and felt no discomfort as I stepped onto the tarmac. One day it got up to 60º! I could have been in LA! By the end of the week, however, winter was rearing its bitter head, and temperatures were below freezing. It was kind of a relief, really. I didn’t go to Urbana in January to be coddled!