Traveling Endeavors

The comforts of my bed clung to me as my alarm tolled. I was in a daze. Today would be our last day before returning to California, I had not quite wrapped my head around the fact that this trip would come to an end. 

Despite it being our last day, we still had lots planned. To jolt Audrey and I out of our morning spell, I opened up the window to let in the Philadelphia light and played some music. We had to pack and be in the lobby with our luggage at 9:00 A.M. Even though we'd been at the hotel for a day, our suitcases were wide open with clothing spilling all over the floor - packing sure was a chore.

In Middle School I was a Food Network fanatic, I would watch those shows where food lovers travel around the country in search of the best food - Reading Terminal Market was a popular site to visit. I was so excited to visit the place for myself since for so long I only saw it through the screen of my TV. 

Reading Terminal!

The Market was bustling with activity: merchants were preparing food for the day, people milled through aisles, delicious smells wafted through the air, and friendly voices rang. This was not your typical farmer's market. It was authentic, friendly, and versatile. Merchants sold more than just food. There was a stall selling Morrocan carved jewelry boxes and leather handbags. Another sold essential oil products: soaps, candles, hand cream. For breakfast, we ate crepes. Then we wandered through the stalls and made a few purchases. I bought a candle for my sister along with some raspberries. 

This beautiful display of fruit.

Following the Market, we walked to Magic Gardens, a folk art studio. In the 70's, the site along with the surrounding area was to be demolished and have a highway constructed through it, local artists successfully protested it and created the beautiful space that exists today. Magic Gardens prides itself on housing unconventional art. The outdoor area takes you through a maze-like path that uses bicycle wheels, mirrors, tiles, and more random objects to create mosaics. There is not one empty space: colors, objects, and beauty follow you. 

The blue caught my eye in this piece.

An employee told me that the founder, Isaiah, cuts the mirrors himself, finds the glass bottles, and travels to different countries to find statues and figurines. She told me that the museum is still a work in progress, every Tuesday the center is closed for Isaiah to develop his piece. The museum is astonishing, you would expect so many colors and objects put together to give you a headache, but instead, the objects are a beautiful symphony. My favorite pieces were the ones with faces painted on them, the simplicity behind a pair of eyes, a nose, and a mouth is calming and powerful. 

Art can be found in anything.

After lunch, we returned to the hotel to fetch our luggage then drove to the airport to begin our travels. We were prepared for delays, extended waiting periods, and lugging heavy bags - the usual airport experience. During the month of July we sure have had our fair share of airports and knew our way around them. It was no surprise that we would have a layover in Nashville, then a second flight to Oakland. 

At our gate, we waited delay after delay for our flight. We sat watching The Office, played cards, took naps, then wandered the airport in search of decent food. Most of it has become a blur in my mind. When we began boarding the plane and the flight attendant scanned my boarding pass, inside of the affirmative ding indicating we could enter the plane, we got a lower abrupt ding. We were directed to a woman at a front desk and were informed that we were instead flying to Phoenix and would then take a connecting flight to Oakland. We waited some more. Talked some more. Pet a few more dogs, then we finally boarded the plane. I slept for most of the flight and read my book. The second flight was the same, nothing eventful other than aggressive turbulence. 

Waiting for our flight. 

When our shuttle pulled up to El Cerrito High School, I was greeted by the warm welcoming arms of my Mom. I was so happy to see her - it felt like only yesterday that she was seeing me off to Nashville. After Don snapped a few pictures and we signed some cards, we said our goodbyes and drove to the comforts of our homes. When I opened the door of my home, my dog, Jimmy, greeted me with a kiss on my nose, he had taken over my bed for the past few weeks and gave me a sad look as I reclaimed it. I'm so glad to be back in California. 

The Vanderbilt cohort returns to California.