It is, without a doubt, really one of my favorite weeks of the year. Yes, it’s Adoptee Rights Day, the Demonstration and all the goodness that this entails.So I’m here, in Chicago! Scarlett and I left the house at 6am Friday morning and went to pick up Miss Joy. After a bit of a alarm clock fail, we got on the actual road to Chicago by 9am.
For the third blasted time, I had to traverse the great expanse that is Pennsylvania. Damn that is along state. It. just. Never. ends. While this time, as opposed to the trip to Louisville for the 2010 Demonstration, I was driving, it was also daytime so it was better. Still, I rejoice when we get to Ohio!
Overall the trip went smoothly, that is, until, Indiana.
We knew there were bad storms about as Cassi reported driving through them in Iowa. I have seen some huge thunderstorms in my life, but nothing like this. This was the same storm cell that made them evacuate Lalapalooza in Chicago yesterday. I knew it was bad. I knew we were in tornado country. I watch storm chasers. I know what hail and cloud hooks and circular wind patterns mean. I have always wanted to see a real tornado since I was a kid, but yesterday, on the road, I did NOT want to see one!!
It was a very scary leg of the trip. Visibility was nil. The sky was BLACK, the wind mad and moving the car like a toy. While we mostly drove through it, my biggest fear was riding into a tornado hidden in the rain. I had Scarlett watching cloud formations as I drove while Joy tried to pull up radar screens on the phones. Eventually, we put out desperate calls to Rye trying to get anyone in front of a radar screen to see if this storm call was producing tornados. It was.
While we did, obviously get through it and did not fulfill my childhood dream of seeing a tornado ( I might be rethinking that now!) , there was a tornado about 20 miles away from us. We found that out form a trucker when we stopped after we powered though. I have a funny feeling that we had been closer to it that we should have as we drove many miles through the storm.
But, we got here! I spent a total of 16 hours driving so it was bliss to see the hotel and find our dear peeps. Everyone is arriving and this is better than Christmas. Every familer face is like a present to be revisited again.
It’s really special to be sharing this now with Scarlett. As I said to her this morning, you already have a ticket in. You do have a place here. These are your people now, too. She’s going to Legoland this afternoon. The kids in that group will be 2 international adoptees, a sibling of an adoptee and a child of an adoptee; how cool is that!
I’m off to go downtown with the ARC board to get the NCSL exhibt hall passes and get the booth set up. Then it’s back here to get ready for the Sign Making Party.
Hours of Sleep:
Fri 8/3 2.5
Sat 8/4 6
Now off to find more peeps and welcome hugs!! Have I mentioned how great this is?
So so glad you are there- I wish so much I could be there. Maybe next year,
I just got into town on the red eye. I’m sorry I missed Monday’s protest. I saw it in San Antonio, but couldn’t participate. You don’t know me, but I’ve been reading your (and Joy’s and Amanda’s) blogs for years and feel like I know you. I’m here on business, but am anxious to stop by your booth. Thanks so much for all of your hard work.
Paige
Just seeing this now. I’m at the hall Wednesday till 1 and then thurs 9 to 12. Yes, pleas efind me! Its #840.
Hey, we back at the dock of the bay are eagerly awaiting a full report!
lo