I love airports. They mean I am all agenda-ed up and on my way for a nice long working road trip. I don’t know anyone; no one knows me, except the nice people from Air Canada or, in Europe, Lufthansa. By the time I enter the airport, I pretty much have the next two months organized: I know which universities I am going to, why I’m going there, whom I’m seeing, and what results are optimal. I’ve considered my clothes, my packing, my toiletries (more as I age, sigh), and where I can attend yoga classes. I have secured my lodgings. On the home front, I’ve left a clean, locked, and alarmed house. My bills are paid. My sons know they should text me back (for a change) or I’ll worry. I have my mobile phone travel pack. Mani and pedi? Check. Elderly dog staying at elderly mom’s? Yep. Elderly mom’s new deck table and sun umbrella set up? You bet–with my mani intact.
For the first part of this particular trip, I have a bevy of deans accompanying me, plus our Provost. We are headed, first, to our wonderful partner in Barcelona, the Universidad Autonoma Barcelona. We are looking to establish a double degree with UAB in Biology and Chemistry–lots of this work has been done. Our Faculties of Education are looking at the same credential. Nursing is coming–UAB is very interested in how we can collaborate in Nursing and in Public Health. Economics and Business at both universities are looking at sharing internship students. The Faculty of Arts and Letters at UAB, and Arts at TRU, are discussing where we can do some programmatic collaboration. And I’m teaching a couple of classes in Canadian post-colonial literature. I am also meeting with UAB students interested in studying at TRU.
UAB is a rocking school. Check it out:
http://www.uab.cat/web/universitat-autonoma-de-barcelona-1345467954774.html
And it’s located in a pretty fabulous city. I was the most popular mom in the world (for one week) when I took my sons and daughter-in-law there last August.
Lots to look forward to on this opening leg of the trip. Stay tuned–I’ll keep you posted. Right now, though, I am excited about another part of being at an airport: boarding an airplane!
Karrie Evans
I love airports too, especially for the freedom from recognition that they offer me. I love moving through terminals knowing that the chances of seeing someone I know are slim. It might see odd to feel like that, but after leaving the north where I know everyone and everyone knows what everyone is doing, it is refreshing to move in a field of unfamiliar faces.