When we were departing the airport on Sunday morning. Our plane had to hold while the Air Force Two jet departed in front of us. Tanner said, “I didn’t boo Vance at the opening ceremony, but I may boo him if we miss our next flight.” On the bus to the terminal, we talked briefly with a member of the Diplomatic Protection Service, who told us that he had been part of Rubio's security detail.
It was a fairly close connection, especially given we had to stand in line and go through passport control. Gabby got off the train and, when she couldn’t get on the up escalators quick enough, decided to run up the down escalator. We all made it with plenty of time to spare, although Gabby’s jacket was a casualty.
We made it to Dulles, and the group split further, after riding in the mobile lounges. Utah smugly headed straight to the Global Entry line, while the rest of us went through the Mobile Passport Control line (except for Tanner, who stood in the normal line). The border guard interacting people had a good sense of humor. He asked what we were in Italy for, and, when we responded, “The Olympics!”, asked if we were spectating or competing. Nevada was standing behind us and started snickering. I said, “Hey, keep it down back there.” The border guard asked, "Should I detain him for a couple of hours?” I tried to come up with something witty about his brother already in the country who looked like him, but all I could come up with was, “Yes, please.”
After customs, we said goodbye to Rae, and headed to the gate for our plane to Roanoke. We had to go through TSA again, and Utah went to go find a TSA Pre checkpoint while the rest of us stood with the peasants. We all got through TSA and tried to beat Utah to the gate. He stopped to take a picture out the window and we attempted sneaking past him, but he heard the chuckles. We started boarding pretty soon after arrival, but still no Tanner. I waited until last to get on, and told the gate agent, “The last guy on your list is on his way, but he got stuck in customs.” We sat on the plane for a while, and, finally, Tanner arrived, and our group broke out into applause. Someone said, “That’s quite the welcome.” I replied, “He’s our driver.”
Justin and the Kershners were concerned about missing the Super Bowl, but the Captain said the First Officer (who was flying this leg) had promised to get us home to watch the halftime show. We had an uneventful flight and flew a straight in approach for runway 24 at ROA (which is a lot different flying in a CRJ than a Cessna). On the drive home, we got the last few minutes of the second quarter before the halftime show.
This trip was definitely one of the most epic collection of experiences we’ve had. From the enormity of the Swiss alps to the beauty of the Dolomites and the pageantry of the opening ceremony, plus staying in a castle, lots of what we did felt like once in a lifetime opportunities.
This was also one of the most difficult trips logistically we’ve done as well. From having to organize public transport through two countries in a couple of hours, due to the rental car situation, to the struggles with getting to far flung Olympic venues on time and working our way through crowds of thousands of other people, moving ten people around, in addition to housing and feeding them, was a challenge.
That probably flows into the third category. This also ended up being one of the toughest trips physically, given the extremely late bedtimes, many hours in the car, and meals being few and far in between. We definitely averaged two meals a day through the second half of the week, despite our best efforts. Time was also at a premium, as I felt I never had a chance to just sit without thinking about the next step. It was a blast, though, and I'm happy we seized the opportunity.
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