Day 1 – And We Are Off

Day 1 – by Michael Jones and Kable Young

4:30 AM

Outside the Pulp and Paper Labs, also known as home for PSE students, 19 students anxiously awaited the arrival of the bus. Our fearless chaperones, Dr. Byrd and Jennifer Piercy, took the last couple minutes to mentally prepare themselves for the impending trip. Upon arrival of the bus, all students quickly claimed their seats in hopes of catching a quick nap. The bus departed early much to the delight of our chaperones.

7:18 AM

After what felt like no time at all, the bus pulled to a stop at the Charlotte airport. Five more students joined us at the airport bringing our group to 26 total travelers. Once all bags were checked and boarding passes were dispersed, the group made its way through security. Breakfast and coffee were on the forefront of thought for many of the group leading to many trips to Starbucks, Bojangles, and Chic-Fil-A. After a little wait at the gate, our flight for Dulles took off on-time.

11:47 AM

Our quick flight landed smoothly, but little did we know a daunting task stood before us, a 6 hour layover before our flight to Madrid. The group quickly dispersed into groups to find their ideal last American meal. Many of us wandered the airport as much as possible to kill time and get some exercise before our 8 hour flight. We enjoyed each other’s company and made some friends from Liberty who were studying abroad in Madrid for the summer. The boarding process started and the collective excitement of the group increased as we all realized our departure had finally arrived. We all found our seats armed with books, podcasts, movies preferences, and the hopes that we would be able to sleep for at least some of the flight. Last step… take off!

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