Massachusetts to Virginia, Wednesday Jan 7

I woke up around 5am after falling asleep around 1am and was greeted by Matt, who woke up to my bumbling about, smacking me promptly on the leg. I’m grateful; a hearty laugh can remedy even the strongest exhaustion. I drive 1.5 hours to Northampton, Massachusetts. My interview was at 8:30am, so I had no time for sightseeing this particular morning. Still, I catch glimpses of what I can here and there, but the VA is a bit removed from the town so all I see are snow-capped homes with no fences, beautiful streams running through forests, and the impressive brick filled compound that is the VA. I am struck by the difference in age of the VAs across the country; on the East Coast it is not uncommon for the VAs to have opened as early as the 1920s. The buildings are remarkably beautiful.

I interview until about 12, and then head to check out the town of Northampton, which I have heard is a must-see. I park in front of a Starbucks (the mark of any credible town, ha) and pay a meter half the price I would pay if I were in San Francisco. I am instantly aware that Northampton, upon first appraisal, is a snowy version of Portland, Oregon; Arcata, California, or towns of the like: crosswalks are painted the colors of the rainbow, tiny shops filled with crystals and tarot cards line the street, disadvantaged mentally ill folks roam the streets, the local Unitarian church advertises an LGBT flag and Black Lives Matter manner in a way that seems to rival my assumptions of New England. This place is, at first glance, a liberal haven among stuffiness. I feel right at home.

Downtown Northampton

Northampton hotel

Unitarian Church in downtown

I decide to take advantage of the free hour or so I have before needing to rush to the airport and take a stroll in the unkind weather. I don’t regret it; I find tiny hidden pathways weaving through the town, restaurants with somewhat cliché names such as “Zen” (yes, it was a tea garden), and a sizeable music hall. I think to myself, I could live here.

Having no idea that I am actually only about a mile from Smith College, another spot that came highly recommended to me (Katie attended undergraduate school there), I get back in the car and GPS it. I am happy I did- Smith is a striking, small liberal arts school with large fields, a frozen over pond, and unique dorm-looking buildings that is unlike any other college I have been to. It seems more like a state park than a university; if I had more time I would hike or run here. Save something for next time, Megan, I remind myself, and head back in the direction of the airport. My outdoor nature does not lend itself to jet setting; but I am making the best of it.

Smith College

Dorms?

Smith College pond

I drive to Hartford, Connecticut, which is about 45 minutes away. I am amazed that I have travelled to 4 states within 24 hours, and still will be travelling to another. I wish I had more time to explore New England, but I feel I have gotten a sense of what it is like there. My flight leaves around 5pm and gets in to Norfolk, Virginia around 9:30pm. After pricing Uber and rental cars, I decide it is more economical to rent a car and do so.

Coworkers from Virginia have warned me ahead of time that, much like other cities, areas can become dangerous quickly if you do not know where you are going. My plan is to drive to my hotel, a coastal front Best Western only 9 miles from the airport, quickly and maybe even catch the end of some bad reality television. My reality is not that simple.

I encounter the coldest weather of the trip so far (a bustling 12 degrees, with wind, which is simply the death of me). My GPS does not pick up the hotel, and I end up driving around aimlessly while trying to get coherent directions out of the young Best Western concierge. My phone battery is threatening to die, and with sleep deprivation, unfamiliarity with my surroundings, unclear directions, and freezing weather I am beginning to think this is a test of my mindfulness practice. I try hard to stay present and breath, and eventually make it to the hotel around 11:30pm, with approximately 5% battery left on my phone. The front desk folks tell me they aren’t surprised my GPS didn’t work around here, as we are close to 5 military bases (which seems to imply that some governmental Big Brother would block my service? Creeps me out). I can’t see the coast in the darkness, and have no patience to try to find anything other than a bed quickly.