Albany!

It's been a jam-packed couple of hours.

My first flight went extremely well! It was very sad to leave the family behind, but security was a breeze ... Hallelujah! I was most nervous about check-in/security, but apparently I didn't look too suspicious. Whew.

I met up with Chloe and Samantha, two other U.S. students, shortly after, and made them try Garrett's Chicago style. Not sure if they were particularly impressed, or understood the importance of Garrett's in the Chicagoan's diet. We boarded at around 2:10, and luckily were able to sit together. They were nice enough to give me the window seat since it was my first flight!

Bye bye Chicago!

Flying was amazing. It was smooth and blue (although apparently "my sky is weird" and not as blue as Chloe or Samantha's) and generally the coolest thing I have ever experienced.

After arriving in Albany, we met up with Lynn and Britta, two Einstein Fellows, and Sam, another U.S. participant. It's strange to listen to everyone talk about their hometown; we're already all so different, and we haven't even met the Danes and Greenlanders yet!

Tomorrow at 4AM I wake up in preparation for our long 8-hour flight from Albany to Greenland. I hear the C-130's don't have functioning toilets, just a bucket and a curtain. It's going to be a very long flight.