Chicago Cohort Departs

It was early, it was cold and it was dark.  The UChicago cohort hit the trifecta but still they gathered in front of El Cerrito HS to prepare for their trip to Chicago (with a side trip to Evanston, IL to visit Northwestern University).

As is the custom, as soon as they exited their vehicles, they had to produce their government issued photo IDs, their medical insurance cards and their student IDs (for discount tickets while site seeing).

Their luggage was weighed, luggage tags were affixed and they were offered a few last minute items such as trash bags, Ziploc bags and red vines (one chose to stay away from the tub saying that she wanted to avoid feasting on plastic while another filled her large bag as if her life depended on that red plastic).

Don distributed itineraries to the students and parents and then spoke to the assembled crowd to remind the ILCers of their responsibilities (site visit questions, how to behave in an airport, having fun, what's expected in the blogs and a host of other things that they've been told time and time again—but still need to be reminded of.

The group was set to depart.  Before that could happen, though, there were two things that absolutely, positively had to be done: group photos had to be taken and they needed an airport shuttle.

The photos were a piece of cake but the shuttle was a different story—it wasn’t there at the appointed time.

Everyone waited, they waited some more and then they waited some more before calling the service to make sure they hadn’t put the appointment down on the wrong day.

The service responded like champs and did what was necessary to get a replacement vehicle to the group.  It arrived close to an hour later than scheduled but when they got to the freeway, traffic was light so they got to Oakland International Airport with sufficient time to get checked in, searched and even fed (even if it was a quick and light meal).

Without further delays, they were allowed to board their plane and it departed for Chicago without delay.  All is well with the world.