Blacksburg Trip - Day 5

Somehow, I managed to arrive at Mr. J's Bagels in Harrisonburg by 0615 and Brenna arrived shortly afterwards.  We ordered breakfast (0625) and had a conversation about the enormity of the weekend.  There was a lot of stress and a bit of worry in the air but I tried to keep Brenna in good spirits (she was worried about Mollie being lonely).  Brenna told me she was really glad that I'd visited and that we'd been able to get together a few times - I definitely agreed!  It was hard to say goodbye but I got on the road by 0730 and took I-81 all the way to Binghamton, NY (through VA, WV, MD and PA), with stops for gas at Sheetz in Martinsburg, WV (0845) and at Pilot in Rotterdam, NY (1435).  Because I didn't have to worry about missing turns or changing highways, I was able to talk to Nicky, Brenna and Erin several different times.  Mollie had apparently been meeting with the Cadet Leadership and the Commandant about the possibility of leaving the Corps of Cadets.  It took most of the day to find out what was happening but Nicky eventually heard from Mollie herself (1330) that she planned to stay in Blacksburg "for a little longer" and she called to tell me.  This made everyone feel a bit better - I went through another cycle of calls that shared in the "good news."  So, by the time I switched to I-88 in Binghamton and was headed East, the crisis from the previous few hours had essentially ended.  I'll admit that I was very emotionally drained and was glad to have my full concentration to complete my trip.  I drove the rest of the way home through Troy (NY), Bennington & Manchester (VT) and several small towns (e.g., Chester) on the way across the mountains.  Eventually, I reached I-91 and took it to I-89.  I made it home by 1740 and sent my daughters a photo of "Smurfey" resting on the couch at my apartment - I think this will be my new "I'm home safe" message.  What a whirlwind few days!  It feels like a million years since I left for Virginia and a lifetime of milestones and parental worries has been weighing on my shoulders.  Hope things settle down for Mollie now...