Day 2: Trip within a Trip

Note that these entries are part of a series that I am posting after the fact. (Sorry about that: I did not have any time to find a free WiFi spot to even check my email.) Please use the search box in the page header to look for other daily entries about my inaugural travels and activities.

After a full day crossing the country yesterday, I find myself weary and ridden with jet lag. But the fun still continues because today is Inauguration Day! Oddly enough, I did not attend the inaugural festivities in the daytime because I took a brief jaunt up to New York City for an interview at New York University Medical School.

My day started at an early five o’clock, wherein I dressed in my slick suit, and hopped in a borrowed rent-a-car which I fetched from the garage next to the Hotel. You see, I inadvertantly chose to fly from Washington, D.C. to New York from Dulles International Airport instead of the much more convenient Reagan International Airport. Hence, I was a bit frantic last night attempting to arrange some transportation, being ignorant of the fact that there is a metro stop that goes part of the way and a bus that goes every thirty minutes the rest. Oh, well. I drove about 30 minutes in the foreign D.C. freeway network, and made my way to the Daily Parking at Dulles. Whew. No problems yet!

After checking in a bit early for my 7:30 am flight, I headed to the gate, stopping at Burger King for a breakfast snack. Upon arriving at the gate, I found mayhem. The flight crew for our flight, which was to board in a few minutes, had not yet arrived. In fact, all the Continental Express flights were delayed for the very same reason. After some confusion and my watching as passengers cursed the desk people, another flight was gearing up for departure to Newark at about 8:30 am. Fortunately, they allowed us to board that plane, as it had plenty of room for our flight’s passengers as well. Tragedy averted.

Upon arrival at Newark, all went quite smoothly, and I made my way to the New Jersey Transit Train stop at the airport, bought a ticket for Penn Station, and hopped on the train. Quite an easy experience for someone who has never been to New York. I was amazed at how quickly I got to New York on the train (10 or 15 minutes)! I caught a taxi cab once out of Penn Station and found myself staring at NYU Medical Center in no time flat around 11:05 am.

My tour and interview went very well. I was very impressed with the offerings of NYU. Everyone was very friendly, especially the students who often stopped by the lounge in the admissions office, striking up interesting conversations about the school, what they like, didn’t like, etc. Everyone seemed eager to make NYU the best that it could be, and yet everyone still had a very calm, laid back demeanor. Very cool, if you ask me.

Getting back, I caught the 4:00 pm train from Penn Station back to Newark with some apprehension, as my flight was scheduled to depart at 5:05 pm. Everything had to work out exactly, or I would not make it back to D.C. in time to go the Texas and Wyoming Inaugural Ball. I checked in at about 4:20 pm and made my way to security where I found a long line and some very stupid security personnel. Needless to say, the line I entered happened to be the worst thanks to the single gaurd in front of the metal detector. He would not allow people to place their belongings into the plastic conveyor belt tubs themselves: he had to do it himself. Of course, this meant each person singly performing this awful airport ritual one at a time. The line moved like molasses, and I remember glancing at my watch every few minutes thinking I would never make it through. Finally, I passed through the detector without incident, glaring at the guy as I went. I didn’t even have time to put on my suit jacket or coat, so I just grabbed all my stuff and started running. It was already 4:38 pm! As I arrived at the correct gate, I heard a door slam. A lady reported, “I hope you’re not going to D.C.” and I anxiously replied in the positive. She asked how badly I wanted to go because the attendant had just asked for any last passengers going to D.C. I really wanted to go, but I wasn’t sure there was anything I could do, given that there were NO PEOPLE AT THE GATE! ARG! So, I succumb to my instincts, gave up any thoughts of embarrassment and started banging on the door down the jetway. People in the terminal must have been staring, but I paid no attention: I wanted on that plane! A guy opened the door after a few minutes with a confused look, and I practically yelled that I was supposed to be on that flight. He allowed me to pass, and I ran down the cold hallway to the jet. I was fortunate, as the door had not yet been shut. Talk about relief. After that nervous stint in Newark, I slept for the hour flight back to our nation’s capital.

Upon my return, I fetched the rent-a-car from Daily Parking, and made my way from the outskirts of D.C. to downtown. I got lost once on the spaghetti mess that is the freeway system, but I made my way back to the hotel, switched from my suit into my tux, and hurried off to another hotel in the car. I had never imagined that I would be driving in a huge city unknown to me, but my navigation skills pulled me through.

Once at the other hotel where some of my family was waiting, I hopped in the parked SUV limo that was waiting for the last of our family, and we headed off to the ball. We were dropped off a number of blocks away and were forced to walk in the freezing, damp cold for about 20 minutes and then wait in a long line to get through metal detectors. Ah, well, we finally made it, and I found my family anxiously awaiting my arrival to discuss how my day went.

The ball was a blast with music by a Beetles impersonator group and a guy that called himself Super T. In all, we had some food (not that great), booze, and lots of dancing. The party lasted well into the night.

To end this day, I leave you with a picture of me and my two brothers, Cory and Sean Louis, at the ball.