Across the Country

The weeks to follow, the beginning of summer break, flew by in my preparation to ready myself for my journey across the country. With one goal in mind, I was able to focus the majority of my attention on continuing to compose the time specific piano duo. All composition students were instructed to have completed approximately half of their composition, which was to premier the final evening of camp, prior to arriving at California Summer Music. 

The evening before my flight was was full of excitement and anticipation keeping me awake for a majority of the time designated for a good nights rest. At the first sight of daybreak I threw back my bed covers and quickly pulled on a the clothes that I was to travel in. I grabbed my luggage, positioned in a small pile next to foot of my twin bed, throwing the strapped pieces over my shoulders and carrying the pieces without straps in either hand. The amount of luggage significantly outweighed me, however, I attempted to race down the stairs unbalanced, being thrown from side to side as the luggage and sometimes parts of myself hit either of the two walls that surrounded the narrow staircase.

My family and I piled into the car and headed for the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Once we had arrived at the correct departure gate my family help me to check my luggage, freeing me of the significant amount of bulk weight it had added to my small frame. Once my family and I had made it through security the hunt began for my departure gate. After locating the gate, I said my goodbyes by individually hugging and kissing each of my family members, only glancing back long enough for one last look before I boarded the plan. An instant sadness overcame me as it became reality that I would be away from them for such an extended period of time. I distracted myself by comfortably situating myself in my window seat where I could almost make out a silhouette of my five family members, who had promised to remain at my departure gate's window until I was safely in the air.