Harrisonburg, VA (USA)

I left my house at around noon so I could attend a Symposium where Erin was a featured speaker! There was a LOT of traffic on the way (I-66 and I-81) to Harrisonburg... As a result, both Brenna and Erin called me to ask where I was (“you normally aren’t late”). I arrived at Brenna’s apartment at 1430 and she drove me to visit the “IV House” that she’d told me about. We met some of the (7) girls who lived there and found out that Brenna would be sharing a room if she decided to move in. The location was convenient to Brenna’s classes. I did learn, though, that not all the girls were in IV, so I recommended that Brenna consider meeting the landlord and deciding whether the trade-off of location versus amenities and separate room was worth it. She told me that her current apartment rent was going to be reduced if she decided to stay. Brenna and I exchanged calls and texts with Erin and managed to arrive at the Festival Convention Center in time for Erin’s presentation (1525). Very proud of Erin - she presented a paper on the evolution of public opinion on LGBT issues (with a focus on Harvey Milk) at the invitation-only Conference! Her classmates spoke about topics in the area of civil rights leadership qualities and advocacy strategies. Even though the Conference was mainly attended by students, a few of us who were more “seasoned” added our thoughts during the Q&A... Afterwards, I met her professor and some of her friends. I then enjoyed a late lunch (complete with Cheer Wine) with the girls and their friends at Festival Dining Hall. The mealtime was fun and relaxed and everyone had a good time trying to figure out who the parents I’d seen at the Wake Forest football game were (a few weekends prior). At around 1700, we went back to the Twins' apartment complex. I gave Erin a toaster I’d brought from home and we ended up talking for a long time in the parking lot (about Erin’s interest in college internships). After that, we all got ready for the Conference Banquet and drove back to JMU (1815). We sat at a table with Erin’s professor, Austin and Elizabeth. The food was really good and the keynote speaker was too. Brenna really wanted to attend her IVCF Large Group as soon as possible but I asked her to give Erin as much time as she could before we left and she did. We ended up walking to the Large Group at around 1930 and I got to spend about an hour with Brenna at the event. She had wanted me to meet all her friends after the meeting ended but I told her I still had a lot of driving to do. As a result, we ended up leaving for her apartment at 2030. After Brenna dropped me off (she went back to campus to she could socialize with her IV friends), I visited Erin’s apartment briefly (to say goodbye and talk briefly about Thanksgiving plans). By about 2100, I was on the road again, thinking happily about how much I love the JMU Family Weekend! Unfortunately, the driving on I-81 was quite Hellish, with one 30 mile stretch taking almost two hours (construction). Got a gas fillup at Pilot in Raphine (2330). Before I was done, I also had to drive through pea soup fog in the New River Valley. Eventually checked into a hotel (Relax Inn in Rural Retreat) after 0200. Then Brenna started texting (and calling) about trouble with her car. I helped her and finally got to sleep (0300?). Whew...